Norway intends to tighten data center laws through new legislation: mining companies are targeted.
According to the local outlet VG, Norway is developing regulations to govern data centers in the country, with a particular focus on the mining industry. Karianne Tung, Minister for Digitalization, and Terje Aasland, Minister for Energy, are working together to finalize the legislation.
The new law will require data centers companies to register with the appropriate authorities and provide them with specific details about the facility’s ownership, the center’s activities, and the services offered by the company.
If the legislation is passed, challenges for miners in the country could increase, with possible limitations on electricity consumption.
The energy context
The Norwegian Minister for Energy, Terje Aasland, presented the government’s position:
“Operations related to data centers for cryptocurrency mining are not desired in Norway. We want serious actors who are important for society, and the computer industry serving society is important to us.”
Aasland primarily focused on the region of northern Norway, an area known for the exploitation of low-cost electricity, which has seen the establishment of numerous data centers dedicated to Bitcoin mining. Miners are attracted to Norway because of its abundance of hydroelectric energy. The northern part of the country produces the second-largest amount of electricity per capita in the world, with 100% of the energy coming from renewable sources.
According to Norwegian authorities, mining operations in the north of the country consume an amount of energy similar to what is needed to supply the entire Lofoten region, which has a population of about 24,500 inhabitants.
