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Local presenter outlines Bitcoin-mining site, invites county to tour West Burlington facility
Summary
Charlie of RM Capital Ventures/The Mining Store described an existing 5-MW Bitcoin-mining operation near Big River Resources, answered technical questions about cooling and water, and said he hopes to expand to 25 MW if transmission upgrades permit.
Charlie, who identified himself as representing RM Capital Ventures and The Mining Store, opened by describing an operational Bitcoin-mining site adjacent to Big River Resources in West Burlington and said the county moratorium prompted him to brief officials on the project. “This facility right now that we have is using 43,000,000 kilowatt hours a year,” he said, and invited board members to tour the site after the session.
Charlie said the site currently uses radiator-style closed-loop “dry coolers” and is not hooked to municipal water or well systems for cooling, noting that two of three machines have plumbing ports but are not connected. He emphasized safety and low fire risk inside metallic containers and offered to provide contact information for Eastern Iowa Light & Power and Rathburn water to help shape any zoning language the county develops.
Charlie also described how the project operates in the regional market: he purchases otherwise-unused generation available through the MISO market and pays for upgrades needed to tie into substations. He said the company will comply with utility-imposed curtailment and demand-response programs.
