Bitcoin Miners Hold Sought-After Power Capacity Amid US Data Center Restrictions
Bitcoin mining sites have become scarce in the United States due to regulatory restrictions and grid congestion. According to CoinShares, there are at least 225 data center moratoriums or restrictions across 30 states, with some areas having banned new construction outright.
Maine was the first state to ban new data centers, followed by New York, which paused environmental permits for facilities over 50 megawatts (MW) in July. Governor Kathy Hochul's permit freeze will last for a year.
Restrictions have also been implemented at the county level in Ohio, Michigan, Georgia, and Indiana, with more than a third of counties limiting development. Pennsylvania has tightened review rules for large projects, while Texas halted new grid connections pending an audit.
The queue for connecting to the US power grid is massive, with over 2,600 GW in demand. Median waits from request to operation exceeded five years for projects completed in 2025, according to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.