Bitcoin has long been criticized for its high energy consumption. New data, however, suggest that the reality is changing rapidly. More than 56.7% of global bitcoin mining now uses sustainable energy sources—and that share continues to grow. According to technology investor and ESG expert Daniel Batten, Bitcoin mining not only consumes green energy but actively helps accelerate its development.

Back in 2021, only about 34% of the energy used for Bitcoin mining came from renewable and sustainable sources. In just over four years, the shift has been dramatic. The latest figures are based on analyses by Daniel Batten, on-chain analyst Willy Woo, and the research organization Digital Assets Research Institute (DARI).

“Bitcoin mining could become one of the most significant sustainable innovations of this century,” Batten wrote in a detailed post on X.

Bitcoin as a catalyst for green energy

According to Batten, it is crucial to understand that bitcoin mining is not merely a passive consumer of electricity. In many cases, it removes structural barriers that slow the expansion of renewable energy.

One of the biggest challenges facing green energy projects is long grid connection delays. Solar and wind projects can remain stuck in interconnection queues for 10 to 15 years. Bitcoin mining acts as an immediate buyer, allowing energy to be used locally without waiting for grid infrastructure.

As a result, the return on investment for renewable projects can drop from eight years to roughly three and a half years, significantly improving investor appeal. Mining operations also provide flexible demand, helping stabilize grids dependent on intermittent solar and wind production.

Waste heat instead of fossil fuels

Around 50% of global energy consumption is used for heating—and most of it still relies on fossil fuels. This is where Bitcoin mining offers an unexpected advantage.

Waste heat generated by mining can be repurposed as a clean heat source. One example is MARA, which uses heat from bitcoin mining to warm homes for roughly 80,000 residents in Finland, about 2% of the country’s population. Smaller-scale solutions are also emerging, including home heating systems powered by bitcoin mining.

In the Netherlands, solar-powered bitcoin mining projects are supplying heat to greenhouses, replacing natural gas heating in agriculture.

Reviving forgotten technologies

Batten also argues that Bitcoin mining helps fund research and development for renewable technologies previously considered economically unviable. A prime example is OTEC (Ocean Thermal Energy Technology), which harnesses temperature differences in ocean water and has largely stalled since the 1980s due to high costs.

By providing steady revenue without expensive grid connections, miners are reopening pathways for these technologies to advance.

Electricity for places that never had it

Bitcoin mining is also gaining traction outside developed markets. Through the concept of Gridless Compute, microgrids combining renewable energy and Bitcoin mining are being deployed across Africa.

These projects have already delivered electricity access to more than 8,000 households in Kenya, Malawi, and Zambia that previously had no connection at all. Mining ensures financial viability, while local communities gain reliable energy access.

Fighting methane and emissions

One of the most significant environmental benefits comes from using so-called “waste gas.” Bitcoin mining is now helping reduce emissions from three major sources: gas-fired power plants, landfill methane, and flaring at oil fields.

Instead of venting or burning this gas, it is used to generate electricity for Bitcoin mining. According to Batten, carbon-negative mining already offsets roughly 7% of the total emissions produced by the bitcoin network.

Sources:

https://x.com/dsbatten/status/2009356791914623382