A bitcoin company has bought a 112-MW wind farm in Texas and will take if off the grid, which is locally congested, to power its mining operation.
Florida-based Mara has bought the Great Plains wind farm in northern Texas, 51% owned by a National Grid Plc joint venture, with the remainder owned by the Washington State Investment Board.
“By repurposing machines and energising them with 100% renewable, zero-marginal energy cost, we’re leveraging renewable resources that would have otherwise been curtailed, reducing our bitcoin production costs through vertical integration, and demonstrating Mara’s commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Fred Thiel, the firm’s chairman and CEO.
The company plans to run the behind-the-meter mining facility – or data centre – only when the wind is blowing, he says.
The local transmission system is owned by Southwestern Public Service Company within the Southwest Power Pool.
The project’s output is currently sold on the wholesale market, according to documents filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Ferc).
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