UK think tank says BTC mining could cut grid costs by using surplus Scottish wind power

The UK could reduce annual grid management costs by more than 1 billion pounds ($1.32 billion) by using surplus wind power in Scotland for Bitcoin mining, CoinDesk reported, citing a report from the Bitcoin Policy Institute. The institute said Scotland has rapidly expanded wind generation capacity, but limited transmission capacity to send electricity to England has left operators being paid to curtail output. It said Bitcoin mining facilities, unlike conventional data centers, can more easily shut down or restart depending on power supply conditions, making them well suited to absorb otherwise wasted electricity. The group suggested the UK government review the possibility of installing mining facilities near transmission bottlenecks. It added that this does not mean the full annual grid management cost of more than 1 billion pounds could be eliminated, and said further analysis is needed on the actual cost savings, carbon emissions and infrastructure spending.