比特币挖矿是扩大可再生能源规模的秘密武器

在亚利桑那州和威斯康星州建设巨大的人工智能数据中心，为推动这一变革性技术提供基础设施。人工智能确实很热门。

AI data centers are putting a severe strain on power grids by requiring vast amounts of electricity. By 2026, one estimate forecasts AI will consume about 40 gigawatts (GW) of the projected 96 GW in global power demand from data centers, up from a total demand of 49 GW in 2023. This energy use generates a lot of heat and requires a lot of water to cool down data servers. With an estimated usage of 56 million gallons of water a year from Microsoft's data center in Goodyear, Arizona alone, the local desert communities risk running out of water to accommodate their new power hungry neighbors.

人工智能数据中心需要大量电力，给电网带来了严重压力。据估计，到 2026 年，人工智能将消耗数据中心预计 96 吉瓦的全球电力需求中的约 40 吉瓦 (GW)，高于 2023 年 49 吉瓦的总需求。这种能源使用会产生大量热量，需要大量的水来冷却数据服务器。据估计，仅位于亚利桑那州古德伊尔的微软数据中心每年就要消耗 5600 万加仑的水，当地的沙漠社区面临着缺水的风险，无法满足新的电力需求旺盛的邻居的需求。

On the other hand, while often criticized as an “energy hog,” Bitcoin mining is actually an amazing way to help make power grids more stable and efficient. This is due to a Bitcoin miner’s ability to adjust energy usage in near real-time.

另一方面，虽然比特币挖矿经常被批评为“能源消耗者”，但它实际上是一种帮助电网更加稳定和高效的神奇方式。这是由于比特币矿工能够近乎实时地调整能源使用量。

To keep a power grid at the correct frequency, grid operators must “balance” the power grid by adjusting energy production to match user demand. This process is called “load following.” Historically, increasing and decreasing energy production was the only real-time response action grid operators had available to them. But now, during periods of high or low electricity demand, Bitcoin miners can quickly adjust their power consumption to create a second, real-time response action that grid operators can use to establish balance.

为了使电网保持正确的频率，电网运营商必须通过调整能源生产以满足用户需求来“平衡”电网。这个过程称为“负载跟踪”。从历史上看，增加和减少能源生产是电网运营商可以采取的唯一实时响应行动。但现在，在电力需求高或低的时期，比特币矿工可以快速调整其电力消耗，以创建第二个实时响应行动，电网运营商可以利用该行动来建立平衡。

Since renewable energy production fluctuates with the weather and is difficult to ramp up or ramp down to establish grid balance, Bitcoin mining is proving to be a scalable and economically feasible variable load solution. This new grid balancing pattern, made possible through Bitcoin mining, has now paved the way for use by new, larger and less flexible AI power consumers.

由于可再生能源产量随天气波动，并且很难通过增加或减少来建立电网平衡，比特币挖矿被证明是一种可扩展且经济上可行的可变负载解决方案。这种通过比特币挖矿实现的新电网平衡模式现已为新的、规模更大且灵活性较差的人工智能电力消费者的使用铺平了道路。

But why can't AI simply adjust its energy usage in real-time also? Bitcoin miners’ energy usage has a unique aspect compared to AI data centers. The Bitcoin network is a constant customer that is not adversely affected by miners throttling down or turning off their equipment. However, if an AI data center turns off some of its servers to throttle down AI compute, customers are adversely affected.

但为什么人工智能不能简单地实时调整其能源使用量呢？与人工智能数据中心相比，比特币矿工的能源使用具有独特的一面。比特币网络是一个稳定的客户，不会因矿工减少或关闭设备而受到不利影响。然而，如果人工智能数据中心关闭部分服务器以限制人工智能计算，客户就会受到不利影响。

This flexibility makes Bitcoin mining an effective way to stabilize power grids – especially in helping manage electricity consumption from large AI data centers – because it can quickly respond to fluctuations in electricity supply and demand.

这种灵活性使比特币挖矿成为稳定电网的有效方法，特别是在帮助管理大型人工智能数据中心的电力消耗方面，因为它可以快速响应电力供需的波动。

We see states like Oklahoma embracing this model by encouraging Bitcoin mining and its power grid benefits. On May 30, the state senate passed a bill to make the sales of machinery and equipment used for commercial mining tax exempt if the miner provides an adjustable load to the local power producer.

我们看到像俄克拉荷马州这样的州通过鼓励比特币挖矿及其电网效益来接受这种模式。 5月30日，州参议院通过了一项法案，如果矿商向当地电力生产商提供可调负载，则用于商业采矿的机械和设备的销售可免税。

Texas, Scandinavia and Iceland

德克萨斯州、斯堪的纳维亚半岛和冰岛

Texas has invested heavily in wind energy production, leading to periods that put extra strain on power grids because energy supply often exceeds local demand (especially at night).

德克萨斯州在风能生产方面投入巨资，导致电网在某些时期面临额外压力，因为能源供应往往超过当地需求（尤其是在夜间）。

By increasing their activity during off-peak hours, Bitcoin miners consume this surplus of excess electricity generated from wind energy that would otherwise remain unused due to lack of demand during these periods. Their energy consumption stabilizes the delicate balance between electricity supply and demand and helps prevent the grid from becoming overloaded, which can lead to disruptions such as blackouts.

通过在非高峰时段增加活动，比特币矿工消耗了风能产生的多余电力，否则这些电力将因这些时段的需求不足而未被使用。它们的能源消耗稳定了电力供需之间的微妙平衡，并有助于防止电网过载，从而导致停电等中断。

During a destructive winter storm in February 2021, Texas experienced severe power outages because it couldn’t meet the sudden surge in electricity demand. Bitcoin miners there were able to shut down their operations quickly, reducing their load and helping to stabilize the power grid during this crisis.

2021年2月一场破坏性的冬季风暴期间，德克萨斯州因无法满足突然激增的电力需求而经历了严重停电。这场危机期间，那里的比特币矿工能够迅速关闭运营，减少负载并帮助稳定电网。

Scandinavia is another region where wind turbines dot the landscape. Here wind energy is produced in excess during off-peak hours and would otherwise be wasted due to lack of immediate demand and storage solutions. Bitcoin mining facilities are dynamically using this surplus, providing a sizable demand while helping maintain equilibrium and overall efficiency within the grid.

斯堪的纳维亚半岛是另一个风力涡轮机遍布的地区。这里的风能在非高峰时段产生过剩，否则会因缺乏即时需求和存储解决方案而被浪费。比特币挖矿设施正在动态地利用这种盈余，提供相当大的需求，同时帮助维持网格内的平衡和整体效率。

In Iceland, where geothermal and hydroelectric power production is abundant, Bitcoin mining operations have become integral to the energy market. The country’s renewable energy sources generate more electricity than its population can reasonably use. Bitcoin miners consume this excess electricity, providing a flexible, consistent demand that supports the nation’s renewable energy industry.

在地热和水力发电丰富的冰岛，比特币挖矿业务已成为能源市场不可或缺的一部分。该国可再生能源发电量超出了人口合理使用量。比特币矿工消耗了多余的电力，提供了灵活、一致的需求，支持国家的可再生能源行业。

Making Renewable Energy More Viable

让可再生能源更加可行

Bitcoin miners’ stabilizing effect on power grids has another interesting benefit: improving the financial viability of renewable energy projects. How?

比特币矿工对电网的稳定作用还有另一个有趣的好处：提高可再生能源项目的财务可行性。如何？

Wind and solar often provide lower-cost electricity compared to fossil fuels like coal, which is a crucial factor for Bitcoin miners seeking to maximize profitability. However, renewables often face challenges due to the intermittency of their power generation and the gap between supply and demand. For example, solar panels produce the most energy during the day when demand is relatively low, while wind turbines may generate more power at night.

与煤炭等化石燃料相比，风能和太阳能通常提供成本更低的电力，这对于比特币矿工寻求最大化盈利能力来说是一个关键因素。然而，由于发电的间歇性和供需缺口，可再生能源经常面临挑战。例如，太阳能电池板在白天需求相对较低时产生最多的能量，而风力涡轮机可能在夜间产生更多的电力。

But by providing a constant and predictable demand, Bitcoin miners can bridge this gap and ensure a steady revenue stream for wind farms in Texas and Scandinavia and hydropower plants in Iceland. (Norway generated a whopping 98% of its energy from renewable resources in 2020, including 92% from hydropower). In addition, this positive financial impact from Bitcoin miners helps make renewable energy projects more economically attractive and can

但通过提供持续且可预测的需求，比特币矿工可以弥补这一差距，并确保德克萨斯州和斯堪的纳维亚半岛的风电场以及冰岛的水力发电厂的稳定收入来源。 （2020 年，挪威 98% 的能源来自可再生资源，其中 92% 来自水力发电）。此外，比特币矿工的这种积极的财务影响有助于使可再生能源项目更具经济吸引力，并且可以