The Crypto-Asset Environmental Transparency Act, previously introduced in December, has been reintroduced by US Senator Edward Markey and Representative Jared Huffman. The act would require cryptocurrency miners using over 5 megawatts of power to disclose their emissions, and have the Environmental Protection Agency investigate the environmental impact of mining. The bill is also supported by Senator Jeff Merkley and would require miners to disclose information regarding their emissions.
Ahead of a hearing on the environmental impact of cryptocurrency mining scheduled for March 7th at 2:30 p.m. ET, the bill has been reintroduced. Senator Markey commented in a statement that the pollution caused by the crypto mining industry is increasing, and the industry must be held accountable for their emissions. He further added that the industry cannot continue to harm communities by consuming public grids' power and emitting high levels of greenhouse gases to make profits. A witness list for the hearing was not immediately available.
The current bill is quite similar to last year's version, according to a press release by Senator Markey. He further mentioned that several Senators inquired with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) about the effect of cryptocurrency miners on their energy grid.