AI data centers face policy cold shoulder: Bitcoin mining "old tricks" reappear, energy costs become the focus

OnChainDetective · 2026-01-22T15:40:12+00:00

The AI computing wave in the United States is developing rapidly, but it has sparked opposition from the community, with states concerned about the pressure on infrastructure from data centers. Unlike Bitcoin mining, the continuous electricity consumption of AI data centers has a more significant impact on the power grid, leading to stricter regulatory policies to address the conflict between industry growth and infrastructure expansion.

OnChainDetective

2026-01-22 15:40:12

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【Crypto World】The US AI computing wave is surging, but community opposition is growing louder. Honestly, this situation is somewhat similar to the crackdown on Bitcoin mining years ago.

From Georgia to Texas, state governments are closely monitoring these data centers—worried about their electricity and water consumption, and the strain on infrastructure. Major companies like Microsoft and OpenAI, sensing the situation isn’t favorable, quickly pledged to invest in upgrading the power grid and bear energy costs, attempting to ease tensions.

But there is a key difference here. Bitcoin mining is highly flexible, able to adjust its operations based on electricity supply; AI data centers, on the other hand, have continuous workloads, exerting persistent and hard-to-relieve pressure on the power grid. This has made states like New York more cautious, beginning to consider imposing stricter regulations on large electricity consumers.

In simple terms, the industry’s development speed far exceeds the capacity of infrastructure expansion, prompting policy to start applying brakes. The impact on the energy and power sectors is worth paying attention to.

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SignatureDenied

· 9h ago

The Bitcoin mining setup is back again; history tends to repeat itself. However, AI data centers are definitely more troublesome than mining; they just can't be stopped.

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MoonBoi42

· 9h ago

Wow, AI mining is now being targeted by the government? As expected, history always repeats itself. Switching to a different disguise and continuing, haha.

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LayerZeroHero

· 9h ago

History always repeats itself. Old-timers in the crypto world remember those days of being under siege. Now it's AI's turn, and it seems that energy costs are the real bottleneck.

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PonziDetector

· 9h ago

Coming back with the same story? AI data centers are just mining machines in new clothes; the essence hasn't changed. --- Can Microsoft OpenAI write a check to settle the matter? Don't be silly, if the infrastructure can't keep up, it can't keep up. --- Flexibility vs continuous bloodsucking, this comparison is a bit harsh haha. --- The policy brake should have come earlier. Burning electricity and water just to train a model, is it worth it? --- History always repeats itself; this time AI is taking the blame.

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