US Senators Submit Draft Clean Cloud Act, Requires Crypto Mining Companies to Reduce Emissions

Mars Finance News, on April 13, according to TheBlock, Democratic Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and John Fetterman submitted the draft of the "2025 Clean Cloud Act" to the U.S. Senate, aiming to control carbon emissions from cryptocurrency mining facilities and AI data centers, with the ultimate goal of imposing fines on facilities using non-renewable energy by 2035. The draft proposes to amend the Clean Air Act, requiring data centers with energy capacity over 100 kilowatts to comply with regional emission caps specified in the Department of Energy's National Transmission Needs Study. According to the draft, different regions will set different emission caps, with standards to be established by the end of 2025, decreasing by 11% annually until reaching zero in 2035. Companies exceeding the limits will need to pay inflation-adjusted fines based on the extent of their excess, with costs prohibited from being passed on to users. Fine revenues will be used to mitigate residential electricity cost increases through local government grants and fund clean energy deployment. The Democratic team of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee posted on X platform: "Crypto and AI data centers could support clean energy, but they are burning more fossil fuels and driving up household electricity costs. The Clean Cloud Act will ensure these profitable industries take their due responsibility, keeping us at the forefront of AI development and climate safety." The bill is expected to face opposition from congressional Republicans, with former President Trump having previously expressed hope for the U.S. to become the world's most important Bitcoin mining powerhouse, and reports suggesting the Trump family is planning to take their Bitcoin mining company public.