A Texas town is in peril after technology took over.
A Texas Town’s Crypto Nightmare
In a report that comes straight out of a sci-fi movie, the future is here – or maybe it’s just a nightmare. Bitcoin mining is booming in Texas, and it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. One small town is finding out firsthand what happens when big tech clashes with everyday living.
Welcome to Granbury
In Granbury, a stone’s throw from Fort Worth, locals are facing a nightmare they never saw coming. The town is now home to one of the largest Bitcoin mining facilities in the state, and it’s causing chaos.
Bitcoins and Headaches
Residents are suffering from serious health issues and fear their town might trigger a statewide power collapse.
The Lone Star Crypto Rush
Bitcoin mining in Texas has become a massive industry, with ten gigantic facilities scattered across the state. While it might sound good for the economy, the effect it’s having on Texan residents is causing alarm.
Powering a Digital Gold Mine
Marathon Digital Holdings, a big name in the Bitcoin game, has set up shop in Granbury with a huge facility that needs 300 megawatts of power – enough to light up 60,000 homes.
Marathon’s Megawatt Madness
The equivalent of a small city’s worth of electricity is being channeled into 24/7 Bitcoin transactions.
The Dark Side of Digital Currency
And what’s the result? Noise complaints and a wave of health problems that’s got experts and locals worried. The community is feeling the brunt of this high-tech industry, and it has many worried – especially as many tech companies have recently begun migrating toward Texas from California.
Crypto Symptoms
According to reports, the Granbury facility has turned this quiet town into a place where people are getting ill, with residents reporting symptoms that sound straight out of a medical horror story. Heart palpitations, migraines, dizziness – some are even rushing to the emergency room.
The Deafening Drone of Digital Dollars
One local resident said, “It’s a loud roaring sound. My ears are ringing, and my ears are buzzing.” That “loud roaring” reportedly comes from massive cooling fans that the mining operation uses to keep its 80,000 computers from overheating. These fans blast out noise levels over 85 decibels – like standing next to a chainsaw all day.
Power Play
But it’s not just the noise that’s a problem. We know the Granbury Bitcoin mine is using an eye-watering amount of power, but we’ve also all seen the weather recently. Texas’s power grid is already struggling, and adding a Bitcoin farm onto it sounds like a colossal recipe for disaster.
Grid on the Edge
The grid has already had its fair share of failures in the last few weeks, and now, with Bitcoin mines draining thousands of megawatts, who knows what might break next?
The Health Toll of Digital Gold
Time dug into Granbury’s situation and found that more than 40 locals are reporting medical issues they blame on the Bitcoin mine.
Granbury’s Growing Concerns
While there aren’t any major studies linking Bitcoin mines to health problems yet, existing research on noise pollution shows it can seriously damage your heart and nerves.
Crypto’s Defense
Bitcoin supporters argue that the mine uses “excess energy” and scales during peak times, but whether that’s true is only known to the grid and the farmer. Apparently, these facilities also slow down during heat waves and winter storms.
Political Pushback
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick isn’t buying it, warning, “Texans will ultimately pay the price. I’m more interested in building the grid to service customers in their homes, apartments, and normal businesses and keeping costs as low as possible for them instead of for very niche industries that have massive power demands and produce few jobs.”
Cool It Down
But what’s being done about it? Apparently, Marathon Digital Holdings is planning to switch out the noisy air-cooled systems for quieter, immersion cooling tech by the end of 2024. But who knows how effective they’ll really be?
The High Cost of Quieter Crypto
These fixes aren’t cheap, and the proposed “immersion cooling” method involves dunking equipment in oil – a method that’s both expensive and untested on a large scale.
A Cautionary Tale
Granbury’s situation could be a grim preview of what’s to come as Bitcoin mining continues to spread. In the meantime, Granbury’s residents are living in a tech-induced nightmare.
The Texan Tech Dilemma
If Texas doesn’t find a way to balance its tech dreams with the real-world needs of its people, this nightmare could become a reality for many more towns – especially as more tech companies move to Texas.
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Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Tong_stocker.
The content of this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute or replace professional financial advice.
