Bitcoin mining has long been portrayed as harmful to the climate. Many argued that it wastes vast amounts of energy, strains power grids, and undermines global climate goals – claims that have become a common part of public debate.
However, this narrative is increasingly being challenged as more data and analysis emerge. Claims that Bitcoin mining wastes energy or destabilizes grids are contradicted by university research and real-world grid data.
Debunking Bitcoin Mining Myths
ESG expert Daniel Batten has pushed back against misconceptions around Bitcoin mining while saying that many claims are not supported by evidence and persist due to outdated assumptions. In his analysis of Bitcoin and energy use, Batten explained that the idea that Bitcoin uses large amounts of energy, water, or electronic waste per transaction is incorrect, while pointing to multiple peer-reviewed studies and Cambridge University research that have shown BTC’s resource consumption is not driven by transaction volume.
As a result, transaction activity can scale without increasing energy, water, or hardware use. He traces the origin of the “per transaction” narrative to a 2018 commentary by Alex de Vries, which he says was later debunked but widely cited. This is what led to long-lasting misunderstandings.
On electronic waste specifically, Batten cited 2025 Cambridge findings which show that earlier estimates overstated Bitcoin’s e-waste by more than 1,200%. The researcher also disputed claims that Bitcoin mining destabilizes power grids. Instead, he cited a growing body of independent research that found that mining can instead support grid stability due to its flexible and interruptible load profile, particularly on grids with high levels of wind and solar.
Meanwhile, studies from Duke University and other researchers have found that Bitcoin mining can provide grid balancing and ancillary services, a conclusion Batten says is supported by real-world data from Texas’ ERCOT grid. According to ERCOT records, BTC mining has contributed to near-daily grid stabilization through demand response and frequency regulation, including during extreme events such as the July 2022 Texas heatwave, while only one mild destabilizing incident has been documented.
Electrified, Grid-Friendly, and Cheaper
Batten even went on to challenge the claim that Bitcoin mining raises electricity prices for consumers, while mentioning US and Texas electricity cost data between 2021 and 2024 that show no abnormal increase in regions with high mining activity. He stated that BTC mining can lower system costs by monetizing excess renewable energy, reducing curtailment, deferring grid upgrades, and replacing the need for additional gas peaker plants.
Cases in Norway and Kenya show that Bitcoin mining has been linked to lower electricity prices. On broader energy comparisons, Batten echoes Cambridge University’s view that comparing BTC’s energy use to entire countries is misleading. He says climate policy is focused on changing how energy is produced and managed, not simply cutting total consumption.
He further noted that BTC mining is fully electrified, highly flexible, and capable of reducing methane emissions. Batten disputed claims that the crypto asset has an unusually high carbon footprint and indicated Cambridge estimates of about 39.8 MtCO2e in emissions, all from electricity use. Data also revealed that Bitcoin mining has crossed a 50% sustainable energy threshold globally.
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