Miners could play a key role in energy stability, according to a Bitdeer expert.
Bitcoin mining could prove to be a valuable asset in preventing blackouts, according to Jeff LaBerge, Head of Capital Markets and Strategic Initiatives at Bitdeer.
In an interview on TheStreet’s Roundtable program, LaBerge challenged the common perception that mining is merely a waste of electricity, emphasizing instead its potential as a “dispatchable load” for national power grids.
LaBerge explained:
“It is a very power-intensive industry. I think we use somewhere around 20 gigawatts. But in the greater scheme of things, that’s much lower than many other industries that use significantly more”.
The real competitive advantage of Bitcoin miners, LaBerge argues, lies in their operational flexibility. Unlike many industrial consumers, mining facilities can quickly shut down operations when grid demand reaches critical peaks.
LaBerge stated:
“What that means is in certain areas like Texas and PJM, which is in Ohio, Pennsylvania, those areas are able to essentially dispatch us almost like a demand-side battery. We can voluntarily curtail our power during peak times in the grid and actually get that power back to the grid.”
This model creates a win-win relationship with power companies, which would otherwise need to activate expensive backup plants—often powered by fossil fuels—to handle demand spikes. Miners, instead, provide a stable baseline demand that can be adjusted as needed.
Interview host Rob Nelson pointed out how this concept is often difficult for outsiders to grasp:
“When I tell them they can move energy on the power grids and the utilities actually work with big Bitcoin miners, they look at me like that makes no sense to me.”
Nelson also highlighted how, in states like California, where scheduled blackouts are a frequent reality, the mining industry could offer a solution by dynamically redistributing energy and mitigating power interruptions.
