Digital Power Network Urges Congress to Recognize Bitcoin Mining as Critical Infrastructure in New Filing to House Energy & Commerce Committee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, D.C. — The Digital Power Network (DPN), the nation’s largest coalition of Bitcoin miners and digital infrastructure providers, representing over 85% of U.S. public Bitcoin hashrate, submitted comments today to the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Energy for its hearing, “Securing America’s Energy Infrastructure: Addressing Cyber and Physical Threats to the Grid.”
DPN’s filing underscores that Bitcoin mining and associated data center infrastructure are now essential pillars of U.S. energy security, cybersecurity resilience, and domestic competitiveness. Despite their growing role in stabilizing the electric grid and securing critical digital systems, Bitcoin mining operations remain largely absent from federal critical-infrastructure designations.
Bitcoin Mining: A National Security Asset
In its comments, DPN highlights that the United States hosts nearly 40% of global Bitcoin mining, offering unparalleled regulatory oversight and strategic advantages. These facilities:
Supply computing power that secures a global financial network supporting trillions in digital assets;
Are rapidly converging with AI and advanced compute operations;
Enhance transmission resilience through high-density, flexible compute; and
Operate as fast-acting grid-balancing resources capable of responding within minutes to system stress.
“Federal recognition of Bitcoin data centers as critical infrastructure is a national security imperative,” the filing states. “These facilities sit at the intersection of the Energy Sector and the IT/Cyber Sector, both federally recognized as essential to the security and stability of the nation.”
A Missing Piece in the Federal Framework
While the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council now classify AI, HPC, and advanced compute facilities as critical or covered infrastructure, Bitcoin mining remains excluded, despite mirroring the operational and security functions of AI data centers.
DPN’s comments urge Congress to:
Ensure cryptocurrency mining and related operations are incorporated into federal critical infrastructure designations;
Recognize Bitcoin facilities within CISA’s sector-specific frameworks; and
Modernize the FAST-41 permitting program to include Bitcoin mining and manufacturing, alongside semiconductors, AI/ML, quantum, and high-performance computing.
Strengthening the Grid and Domestic Energy Development
DPN’s filing emphasizes that Bitcoin miners uniquely support the grid by monetizing stranded, wasted, or otherwise unused energy resources, such as curtailed renewables or flare gas, and can instantly reduce load when energy is needed elsewhere. This flexibility provides reliability benefits that traditional industrial facilities cannot match.
Bitcoin mining’s distributed architecture also enhances cybersecurity by reducing single-point vulnerabilities across the digital and energy systems that underlie the American economy.
A Foundation of the Digital Economy
With over 5,000 data centers across the United States, Bitcoin miners now form a critical subset of the infrastructure powering cloud computing, digital payments, and next-generation compute. As the line between Bitcoin mining and AI operations continues to blur, failure to recognize their security relevance risks undermining U.S. competitiveness.
DPN Stands Ready to Assist Congress
“As Congress evaluates how to protect America’s grid from cyber and physical threats, it is essential that policymakers fully integrate Bitcoin mining and digital infrastructure into national security planning,” DPN wrote. “Doing so will strengthen the resilience, flexibility, and reliability of the nation’s energy and digital systems.”
DPN stands ready to support the Subcommittee’s continued work to safeguard America’s critical energy infrastructure.
Read the full submission here.
About the Digital Power Network (DPN):
The Digital Power Network (DPN) is the largest coalition of Bitcoin miners and digital infrastructure leaders in the United States, representing over 85% of the Bitcoin hash rate among publicly traded U.S. mining companies. DPN advocates for policies that promote energy innovation, grid resilience, economic development, and the strategic role of digital assets in the 21st-century economy.