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Senate approves crypto-mining changes allowing public power districts greater control over infrastructure costs
Summary
After lengthy floor debate, the legislature adopted an amendment to a bill on cryptocurrency mining that requires interruptible rates, reporting and allows public power suppliers to require infrastructure payments from large miners. The measure advanced to enrollment.
Senator Mike Jacobson’s bill to address electricity demand from large cryptocurrency mining operations drew extended floor debate April 3 before the Legislature adopted a committee white-copy amendment and advanced the measure to the enrollment stage.
Why it matters: The amendment responds to concerns from public power districts and communities that large, energy-intensive mining operations can create heavy loads that affect grid reliability, delay industrial projects and change long-term planning for generation and transmission.
What the amendment does: The adopted amendment (AM 6 91) removed a proposed excise tax, required that operations consuming at least 1 megawatt run under interruptible rate schedules so they can be curtailed during peak demand, authorized public power suppliers to require payment or letters of credit to recover major infrastructure upgrade costs, and required public disclosure of the number of mining operations and each operation’s annual energy use in a supplier’s service territory.
Sponsor’s view: "This is about managing growth responsibly and protecting the long term integrity of our public power system," Senator Jacobson said on the floor, adding the change "allows public power suppliers to require crypto mining operations to recover the cost of major infrastructure upgrades." He characterized the amendment as a balance between protecting ratepayers and allowing industry flexibility.
Support and concerns: Rural public power leaders said miners can provide steady off-peak load and revenue if they are interruptible. Craig Cox of South Central Public Power District (written testimony read on the floor) said miners there have doubled energy sales without new substations and paid upfront for required facilities. Speakers also flagged that large loads can displace industrial recruitment when utilities cannot guarantee available power.
Floor action: The amendment AM 6 91 was adopted by the body; the committee amendment was recorded as adopted by voice and then by roll call. The bill, as amended, was advanced to E & R (enrollment and review) initial.
Ending: Sponsors said the measure is a proactive framework for utilities to manage very large energy users, including potential future attention to similarly large consumers such as data centers or AI facilities.
Provenance: Discussion opened on the bill’s general-file introduction and debate (see transcript blocks 7397.61 through 8711.97 for debate, amendment adoption and advancement).
