Bitcoin Mining and the UK Power Grid: A Win-Win for Clean Energy?

In this episode, we present an audio version of a paper by our Chief Mining Officer, Nick Bowick, that reimagines bitcoin mining as a key tool in Britain’s transition to clean energy. Could the very technology once criticised for its energy use now help balance the grid, lower energy costs, and accelerate the UK’s green ambitions?

🔍 What we cover:

• Why Britain’s renewable energy strategy depends on building more capacity than we can immediately use
• The two biggest challenges facing the UK power grid—and why traditional demand-side solutions might fall short
• How bitcoin mining provides a uniquely flexible, scalable and instantly responsive demand source
• Why this solution is already working in the US and Scandinavia, and what it would take to implement here
• Who should run UK-based mining sites: private companies, National Grid, or a newly created public utility?

🧠 Key insight: Bitcoin mining can act as a “buyer of last resort” for excess renewable energy, absorbing surplus when demand is low and powering down instantly when the grid is under strain.

💡 Benefits discussed:

• Makes renewable projects more commercially viable
• Reduces taxpayer subsidies by monetising stranded energy
• Could generate £2 billion annually while lowering household energy bills
• Creates a flexible infrastructure backbone for Britain’s clean energy future

📄 Read the full written paper here:
👉  UK Power Grid Demand Balance using Bitcoin Mining as a Demand-Side Flexible Response

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https://bitcoinpolicy.uk/