Quick Breakdown
- Over 56% of Bitcoin mining now runs on sustainable energy, up from 34% in 2021.
- Bitcoin miners are helping unlock stalled renewable projects and stabilize power grids.
- Mining is increasingly used to cut methane emissions and provide clean heating solutions.
More than half of the Bitcoin network is now powered by sustainable energy, marking a sharp shift in how the world’s largest cryptocurrency is mined, according to new data shared by tech investor and ESG analyst Daniel Batten.
— Daniel Batten (@DSBatten) January 8, 2026
In a detailed post on X on Thursday, Batten said Bitcoin mining has crossed a major environmental milestone, with 52.4% of the network now running on renewable or sustainable energy sources, up from just 34% in 2021.
The findings are based on combined research from Batten, on-chain analyst Willy Woo, and the Digital Assets Research Institute (DARI).
Bitcoin mining is accelerating renewable energy adoption
Batten explained that Bitcoin mining is helping solve one of renewable energy’s biggest problems: long grid connection delays. Many solar and wind projects sit idle for 10 to 15 years waiting for approval to connect to national grids.
Bitcoin miners can step in as immediate buyers of excess energy, allowing projects to generate revenue long before grid access is granted. According to Batten, this can shorten payback periods for renewable projects from about eight years to just three and a half, making them far more attractive to investors.
From waste heat to methane mitigation
Beyond electricity usage, Batten highlighted how Bitcoin mining is being used to replace fossil fuels in heating, a sector that accounts for roughly half of global energy consumption.
Mining firm MARA, for example, uses waste heat from Bitcoin mining to warm homes for around 80,000 residents in Finland. Similar models are emerging globally, including Bitcoin-powered home heaters and solar-driven mining systems that provide heat for greenhouses in the Netherlands.
In Africa, companies like Gridless Compute are using Bitcoin mining to support microgrids, bringing electricity to more than 8,000 previously unconnected homes across Kenya, Malawi, and Zambia.
On the emissions front, Batten noted that Bitcoin miners are increasingly capturing harmful methane from landfills, oil fields, and gas flaring sites. Instead of releasing or burning this gas, companies use it to power mining operations, cutting emissions in the process.
Batten estimates that these carbon-negative mining practices now offset roughly 7% of the Bitcoin network’s total emissions.
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