Texas Blockchain Council and Riot Platforms Sue Energy Officials Over Crypto Mining Data

The Texas Blockchain Council (TBC) and mining company Riot Platforms have filed a lawsuit over the Energy Information Administration's attempts to collect energy usage data from crypto miners.

In a February 22 lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, TBC and Riot accused the U.S. Energy, Energy Information Administration (EIA), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and their executives of “soliciting raiders” for collecting data from cryptocurrency miners. The lawsuit was filed before a February 23 deadline to respond to an EIA study into mining companies' electricity use, under threat of fines and penalties.

TBC described the collection as politically motivated, and argued that asking mining companies to provide contract information to the US government and making it public shows corruption in power. The group called on Sen. Elizabeth Warren and the White House to coordinate the EIA's action and asked the court to grant a temporary restraining order halting the data collection.

“This legal challenge is not about challenging a request for proprietary information,” said Lee Bratcher, president of the Texas Blockchain Council. “It's about protecting against a broad regulatory regime that threatens innovation and economic growth. If the government can do this to one industry, it sets a precedent for all industries that are not approved by the ruling administration.

@TXblockchain_ is proud to push on the federated stack. Last night, along with our members @RiotPlatforms, we initiated legal action to file a TRO against the EIA's “emergency” request for Bitcoin miners' proprietary information. https://t.co/5X1UDbYvov

— Lee Bratcher (@lee_bratcher) February 23, 2024

In an effort to create a “baseline snapshot” of mining activity nationwide, the Department of Energy has designated mandatory data collection from crypto miners as an “emergency” request. Opponents of the Energy Department's move question the urgency of data collection, saying policymakers could use the data for politically motivated attacks on Bitcoin (BTC) and the crypto industry.

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Minnesota Representative Tom Emmer, a supporter of several pro-crypto laws in the US Congress, sent a letter to OMB Director Shalanda Young on February 20 asking about the motivation behind the EIA survey. The lawmaker pointed out that the Biden administration is trying to pass policies related to fighting climate change at the expense of crypto miners.

According to TBC, there will be a hearing in Texas on February 23 at 5:30 pm UTC to settle the case before the EIA deadline. Cointelegraph reached out to Senator Warren's office for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

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