Energy-hungry cryptocurrency mining operations have caught the attention of state and federal lawmakers. While some welcome the operations, others are taking a more critical look at what they bring to the table.
The center will provide cybersecurity services to local government agencies, build a talent pipeline with high school and higher ed training options, and more.
House Bill 3127, currently awaiting Gov. Tina Kotek’s signature, would ban TikTok and several other apps from companies based in China. The bill also bans cybersecurity software from Russia-based Kaspersky Lab.
Legislation in the state aimed at restricting large data center climate emissions and ballooning tax breaks has failed. Data centers are among the state’s biggest energy consumers and largest tax break recipients.
Electric vehicle charging infrastructure funding programs are taking root in states like Oregon, which will soon launch the Oregon Community Charging Rebate program, aimed at disadvantaged neighborhoods and multifamily housing.
The proposal aimed to hold companies with large data centers and cryptocurrency mining operations accountable to meeting clean energy deadlines. Critics – including Amazon – said the bill did not provide a clear path forward.
Lawmakers in some states — like Washington and Oregon — want to extend emissions and clean energy standards to cryptocurrency mining operations. But lawmakers in many other states see the industry’s growth as a good thing.
A legislative committee held its first hearing this week on a bill that would require new data centers and cryptocurrency miners in the state to meet clean energy targets. Opponents say the bill could hurt industry growth in the state.
The federal infrastructure package is making electric vehicle charging a reality — even in states with few registered EVs. In Montana, the need for this infrastructure is driven, in part, by tourism from other states.
The Department of Motor Vehicles may be the most common way residents interact with state government, but digitizing those systems for a modern constituency is no small feat. Three states share their progress.
