To increase the likelihood that his own energy conservation bill would pass, a representative from Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives removed a two-year prohibition on crypto mining licences.In order to enact the restriction, Democratic Rep. Greg Vitali said in June that he intended to submit the Cryptocurrency Energy Conservation Act.
“The crypto mining industry is a massive energy user,” Vitali said at the time. “Globally, crypto mining consumes more energy than the countries of Argentina and Australia. This high level of energy usage places more stress on the environment and accelerates the climate crisis, in addition to raising costs for consumers.”
However, he did not include the moratorium in the measure when he submitted it to the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee of the California House of Representatives on Monday.He is the chairman of the committee, and both the bill and the amendment were approved. The bill was approved by a one-vote margin.On Monday, Vitali told the Pennsylvania Capital Star that he had discovered the hard way that “there is not a high tolerance for strong environmental policy,” and that he had removed the ban to give the legislation a chance to reach the House.
After the ban expired, the bill mandated an impact analysis from the Department of Environmental Protection and defined reporting guidelines for certain crypto-mining operations. In New York, a two-year prohibition on new mining facilities was put in place last year. American lawmakers are becoming more concerned about cryptocurrency mining and its energy implications.Meanwhile, miners are advocating in Washington, DC, for friendlier laws.