Possible cryptocurrency mine in Colorado has farmer neighbors raising eyebrows
The sudden appearance of a large solar panel operation smack in the midst of Colorado farmland has its neighbors raising their eyebrows and local officials scratching their foreheads, The Colorado Sun reports. A handful of circumstantial details—cheap land, cheap power, access to the grid—point to the possible construction of a cryptocurrency mine, though the owners aren’t answering questions and the real estate agent responsible for the transaction is keeping mum. Bitcoin mining is notoriously energy-intensive, and operations in other parts of the country have put major stress on local power grids. It remains to be seen how the new mine (if it’s even a mine) might impact the regional power supply. Here’s hoping the solar panels are up to the task. —H. Claire Brown
