The U.S. Senate proposes to impose an emissions fee on high-energy data centers, which may affect Bitcoin mining companies

ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg, U.S. Senate Democrats have proposed the "Clean Cloud Act," which aims to impose fees on data centers supporting blockchain networks and artificial intelligence models that exceed federal emission targets.

The bill requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish emission standards for data centers and cryptocurrency mining facilities with IT nameplate power exceeding 100 KW, targeting a 11% annual reduction in emissions. Emissions exceeding the limit will incur a fine of $20 per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent, with this amount increasing by $10 each year with inflation.

It is noteworthy that Bitcoin mining companies, including Galaxy, CoreScientific, and Terawulf, are gradually shifting towards providing high-performance computing (HPC) power for artificial intelligence models. The bill has not yet passed in the Senate.