Oregon Weighing Crypto Miner Carbon Crackdown 

Oregon was once a hotbed for crypto miners. A new bill is the latest blow against them.

article-image

Mark Agnor/Shutterstock.com modified by Blockworks

share

Cryptocurrency miners and related entities could soon be required to adhere to an uncommonly stringent set of restrictions around their energy usage. 

The measures — largely an outlier in the US — stem from a bill submitted to Oregon’s legislature on Wednesday. New York has been one of a handful of other states to impose strict standards on miners of bitcoin and other proof-of-work cryptoassets. 

Sponsored by Rep. Pam Marsh, Sen. Michael Dembrow and Rep. Mark Gamba, House Bill 2816 aims to curb the carbon output of such “high energy use” facilities — with the goal of tamping down emissions by 60% below their baseline current levels by 2027.

The proposed new baseline is set at 0.428 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per megawatt-hour. It would mandate those crypto companies to cut their emissions according to the following timeline: 80% by 2030; 90% by 2035; and 100% five years after that.

Failure to comply, each step of the way, would result in civil penalties of some $12,000 per megawatt-hour for each successive day not in compliance. 

House Bill 2816 is meant to work in conjunction with another bill passed two years ago in Oregeon’s legislature, House Bill 2021. That bill also establishes clean energy targets toward 100% renewable energy by 2040, while bolstering existing guidelines.

“This is a bill that aims to bring the very largest of our energy and consumptive operations including crypto miners and data centers in line with the Senate and House Bill 2021,” Marsh told Blockworks.

The legislation currently applies to the state’s two largest electricity providers, together covering roughly three-quarters of the northwestern state. Even so, there’s still a significant portion of Oregon that was not covered under the previous legislation, according to Marsh.

Oregon was once viewed as a crypto mining haven. That standing was in part due to its hydropower capabilities powered by the Columbia River — back then, that renewable energy production cost 3 to 4 cents per kilowatt-hour, significantly less than other states.   

Rising energy costs and a shift in overall sentiment in the sector, as well as major projects moving away from heavy energy-intensive proof-of-work consensus mechanisms, have resulted in less demand.

Both miners and data centers have come under fire in recent years over their excessive energy draw and subsequent high levels of greenhouse gas emissions. 

An executive order on cryptocurrencies issued by the Biden administration last year emphasized that their underlying blockchain technology has contributed in no small measure to rising greenhouse gas emissions.

The bill, which has just hit the legislature’s table, is yet to be assigned to a committee and has not yet faced a hearing. That process, according to Marsh, could take two to three weeks.

Casey Wagner contributed reporting.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 24 - 26, 2026

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Unlocked by Template (1).jpg

Research

As AI supercharges surveillance, privacy becomes a prerequisite and the winning stack will combine confidentiality with selective disclosure. Zcash’s Tachyon, composable standards on Ethereum/Solana, and compliance-aware pools aim to make private rails the new norm.

article-image

The deal integrates Dinero’s staking suite into Plume’s real-world asset platform as it gains SEC transfer agent status

by Blockworks /
article-image

The state’s decision opens staking access to New Yorkers, signaling a regulatory shift toward broader crypto participation

by Blockworks /
article-image

The startup says it aims to rival Stripe and Worldpay by using stablecoins to speed merchant settlements from days to seconds

by Blockworks /
article-image

“S&P 500” for crypto comes as segment gains “established role in global markets,” S&P exec says

article-image

The S&P Digital Markets 50 Index combines 15 cryptocurrencies with 35 crypto-linked companies, offering investors hybrid exposure

by Blockworks /
article-image

Gnosis is betting that openness — not ownership — will define the future of onchain money