Residents of Hadsel, a Norwegian municipality, after campaigning to shut down a local Bitcoin mine, are now facing increased electricity prices due to the loss of income from the local power company.
“When politicians XEM Bitcoin, the people suffer,” climate tech venture capitalist Daniel Batten said in a post on social media platform X on September 13.
Hadsel residents say noise affects lives
Hadsel Mayor Kjell-Børge Freiberg told Norwegian Radio (NRK) on September 13 that noise from the Bitcoin (BTC) mining center has been disturbing many residents in Hadsel — which has a population of around 8,236, according to City Population data .
Mining operations ceased the week of September 9. While many residents were initially happy after years of campaigning for its closure, the closure of the mine – which accounts for about 20% of electricity provider Noranett’s income – means local electricity bills will rise to compensate for the lost revenue.
“When a major customer suddenly goes out of business, it has an impact,” said Noranett network manager Robin Jakobsen.
He estimates that, after the adjustment, each household in Hadsel could incur additional annual costs of between NOK 2,500 and 3,000 (about USD 235 to 280).
Batten said this is “another example of how Bitcoin mining helps keep electricity prices lower for everyday people.”
The data center consumes about 80 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity annually, equivalent to the annual use of about 3,200 households.
Freiberg said the town will look for new projects to offset the reduction in electricity consumption after the mining center closes.
Complaints about noise from Bitcoin mines in Norway
This is not the first town in Norway to have complaints about Bitcoin mining facilities.
In September 2022, Cointelegraph reported that residents in Sortland, another Norwegian municipality, complained about noise from Bitcoin mining operations in the area.
Kjetil Hove Pettersen, CEO of local KryptoVault, explained that this could be a case of media hype surrounding Bitcoin.
“Usually negative voices get a lot of media attention; this doesn't reflect all local opinions,” Pettersen said.
Meanwhile, a bill imposing noise limits on electronic mining farms has been passed in the US state of Arkansas. It now awaits the signature of Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who has said she will sign the bill.
