Cheddar
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Bitcoin Miners vs. AI Data Centers: The Battle for America's Power Grid
Posted
March 17, 2026
Views
1,050
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24
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Engagement
2.67%
March 17, 2026
1,050
24
4
2.67%
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7:54Now PlayingAs AI data centers race to secure electricity, Bitcoin miners are finding themselves in a power struggle — literally. CleanSpark CEO Matt Schultz sits down to explain how his company, America's largest domestic Bitcoin miner with 1.8 gigawatts of power under contract, is uniquely positioned to capitalize on both markets.
The key advantage? Bitcoin mining is an interruptible load — meaning miners can rapidly curtail operations during grid emergencies and send power back — while AI data centers require near-constant uptime. A Duke University study found there's 100 gigawatts of extra grid capacity available if loads can be offline just 0.5% of the year. CleanSpark is pairing Bitcoin mining with AI hyperscaler leases to monetize megawatts in ways competitors can't match.
But the economics are staggering: a 250-megawatt Bitcoin mining facility costs $250 million in CapEx, while the same capacity for AI/HPC requires $2.5 billion. CleanSpark's profitable Bitcoin operation (13,500 BTC mined, $800M revenue, 54% gross margin) is funding the leap into AI infrastructure. With Texas sites already through Ercot's large load study process and energization scheduled for 2027, Schultz explains why owning land and power is the ultimate competitive edge in the digital economy — and why inefficient miners are being forced out as hash price hits all-time lows.
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