On Dec. 9, Gridless Compute tweeted photos and commentary on how their hydro-power BTC mining rigs are powering an entire rural settlement while also lowering energy rates for 2,000 people, the equivalent to 500 families. According to the tweet, costs decrease from $10 per month to $4.
I am also surprised that bitcoin is trading at a very low price but making energy production to be posible in a rural area.
this should be of no surprise
when large power plants are built. they are not built purely to have capacity for todays demand (2k population) they are built to last for 60 years+ (3 generations of population growth)
families of 2 children mean 2000 become 4000 become 8000 population in 60 years
so the hydro power is a capacity of 8000 population but a demand of only 2000 population at the start
this means 2000 are paying for the costs of a 8000population power costs
instead of waiting 40-60 years for demand to reach capacity so that the costs are split fairly. what the small 2000 population are doing is finding new industries to tap into this spare capacity(buzzword "anchor tenants"*) so they pay for the unused/wasted electric. and so that by having more money paying the power plant. the less people have to pay overal each
plus the bitcoin earned in using that electric is also a good investment for those doing it
https://gridlesscompute.com/2022/12/06/gridless-a-bitcoin-mining-company-in-east-africa-raises-2m-in-funding-led-by-stillmark-and-block-inc/*
Gridless designs, builds, and operates bitcoin mining sites alongside small-scale renewable energy producers in rural Africa where excess energy is not utilized. Gridless serves as the anchor tenant, financing the construction and managing the operation of data centers in rural communities where traditional industrial or commercial customers are not available.