“Whether We Want Crypto or Not, It’s an Energy Glutton, and the 47th Administration Is Making It Dirtier.”
By Brian Griffin
Cryptocurrency, particularly Bitcoin, is one of the most polarizing technologies of our time. Some hail it as revolutionary, while others see it as speculative, wasteful, or even dangerous. That debate is far from settled, and maybe it never will be.
But one thing is clear, even to its biggest boosters: crypto is an energy glutton. And if it is to have any sustainable future at all, it will need clean, abundant power. There is no real debate on that, not even within the industry itself.
The 47th administration, however, is ignoring that reality entirely. While it loudly promotes America as the next crypto superpower, it is simultaneously gutting the renewable energy sector that crypto will depend on if it hopes to survive public scrutiny, economic reality, and climate regulation.
The Energy Cost of a Digital Coin
According to the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index (2024), the Bitcoin network consumes an estimated 176 terawatt-hours (TWh) per year, roughly the same as the entire country of Poland. The energy intensity per transaction is staggering: each Bitcoin transaction can use enough power to run the average U.S. household for 40 days.
Even worse, the carbon emissions tied to those transactions are enormous. Data from Digiconomist (2024) estimates that each Bitcoin transaction results in over 772 kilograms of CO₂ emissions, equivalent to burning nearly two full tanks of gasoline.
No matter your position on crypto, this much is undeniable: it demands clean energy. Without it, Bitcoin mining becomes a carbon bomb and a growing liability for climate goals, investor portfolios, and public trust.
The 47th Administration’s Crypto Hype Collides With Its War on Green Energy
While the 47th administration is loudly championing Bitcoin and digital assets, it is simultaneously dismantling the very clean energy infrastructure required to power them responsibly.
In March 2025, the Department of Energy froze over $3.7 billion in clean energy grants authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act, halting projects already in progress across the country (Washington Post, March 2025).
This was followed by an executive order declaring a “National Energy Emergency,” directing the reopening of aging coal and gas plants in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Ohio (DOE Press Briefing, April 2025).
The proposed federal budget from 47 seeks to repeal nearly all clean energy tax credits passed under the Inflation Reduction Act, including:
- The Clean Electricity Production Credit
- Energy Storage Investment Credit
- Residential Solar and EV tax rebates
(Congressional Budget Office, May 2025)
All told the administration’s approach is clear: crank up fossil fuels, cancel renewables, and pretend crypto can run on rhetoric.
Even the Crypto Industry Knows Better
Even inside the crypto world, there is no illusion about its power demands. In 2022, Ethereum transitioned from energy-hungry “proof-of-work” to “proof-of-stake,” cutting its energy use by 99.95%. Companies like Block (formerly Square) and Marathon Digital Holdings have publicly committed to powering their mining operations with 100% renewable energy sources.
Why? ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) criteria matter to investors. European regulators are finalizing legislation that would ban crypto mining operations exceeding certain carbon intensity thresholds. Global capital is looking for low-carbon digital assets.
The 47th administration’s fossil-fueled crypto push is not only misguided but also actively undermines the crypto sector’s survival strategy.
Ohio Was Poised to Win. Now It’s Bleeding Jobs.
Nowhere is the cost of this hypocrisy more painfully visible than in Ohio.
According to a 2024 study from the BlueGreen Alliance, the Inflation Reduction Act was projected to create over 135,000 clean energy jobs in Ohio, across solar installations, battery manufacturing, electric vehicle production, and wind power development.
Those weren’t abstract projections. Shovel-ready projects were underway in:
- Lordstown, where EV battery manufacturing was ramping up.
- Wood County, where a solar glass facility was expanding.
- Central and Southern Ohio, where utility-scale solar projects were breaking ground.
But now? Many of those projects are paused or canceled.
Following the DOE funding freeze and the administration’s repeal agenda, solar developers in Ohio have shelved at least five large-scale installations. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) has reported work stoppages and contract delays tied directly to the federal pullback.
This isn’t just about climate. It’s about good-paying union jobs, especially in building trades that had finally found stable footing in the clean energy economy.
For working Ohioans, the message is bitterly clear: The same administration that claims to be fighting for innovation is actively destroying the jobs and infrastructure that would make innovation possible.
Powering the Future With Yesterday’s Fuel
The contradiction couldn’t be more blatant. You don’t get to champion crypto and then yank the solar plug out of the wall. You don’t get to say “future” while investing in coal. And you don’t get to shout “jobs!” while pulling the rug out from under Ohio’s workers.
You simply can’t be pro-crypto and anti-clean energy. That’s not policy. That’s posturing.
The Path Forward
If the U.S. is to lead in crypto, and if crypto is to have any lasting legitimacy, it must be powered by a clean, modern energy system. That means:
- Restoring and expanding IRA tax credits for renewables
- Unfreezing DOE clean energy grants
- Investing in modern grid infrastructure
- Supporting labor-led energy apprenticeships and hiring programs
Otherwise, we’re just minting tokens while we burn the planet.
Final Word: Ohio Deserves Better
Ohio was ready to lead in clean energy, in digital finance, and in building the future with union labor at the center. But that future is now being sabotaged from the top by a president more concerned with fossil fuel donors and empty crypto headlines than with energy realities.
The truth is simple: Bitcoin can’t run on coal. Ohio can’t build a 21st-century economy on 19th-century policy. And no working person should be fooled by the 47th administration’s fossil-fueled charade.
If 47 won’t get out of the way, then Ohio needs to push them out of the driver’s seat because the future doesn’t wait.
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