Bitcoin miners can strengthen electricity grids

This article is an excerpt from our research report titled "How Bitcoin Mining Can Transform the Energy Industry". The research report lays out five characteristics of bitcoin miners, which make them uniquely flexible energy consumers, and explains four energy problems bitcoin miners can help solve. This article explains one of these problems: How bitcoin mining can strengthen electric grids. Let's get into it.

Electricity grids are becoming more fragile

The demand must always match the supply in electricity systems since even a slight imbalance can affect the system's reliability. In addition to altering the electricity supply or demand, energy storage and transmission lines can provide system flexibility. Historically, we have relied mainly on the supply side to adjust power generation to the expected demand.