Texas Blockchain Council and Riot Platforms Sue US Energy Department Over Miner Survey

By: Eliza Bennet

The Texas Blockchain Council (TBC) and Riot Platforms, one of the largest cryptocurrency miners, have filed a lawsuit against the US Energy Department, the Energy Information Administration (EIA), and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The lawsuit is in response to the Energy Department's recent move to survey Bitcoin miners in the U.S., which the plaintiffs argue is an "unlawful emergency data collection."

The denis alohan, filed on Feb. 22, alleges sloppy government procedure, urgent and invasive data collection, and contrived urgency. TBC President Lee Bratcher labeled the survey as a targeted political effort rather than a measure to ensure grid stability, as the EIA claimed.

On Jan. 31, the EIA made a public announcement of its intention to gather information on the energy consumption of US-based crypto miners. They justified this as an emergency measure, claiming that U.S. miners accounted for approximately 2.3% of the nation's total electricity demand in 2023.

Miners are contesting the legitimacy of this survey, alleging violations of the Paperwork Reduction Act in the application and approval processes. They also accuse the agencies of acting "arbitrarily and capriciously" by breaching the Administrative Procedure Act. Miners warn that this survey could force them to divulge confidential, sensitive, and proprietary information.