France Proposes Bitcoin Mining With Nuclear Surplus

French lawmakers propose using surplus nuclear energy to mine Bitcoin. The draft plan includes installing mining hardware at EDF facilities, offering a secure and profitable way to utilize lost electricity.

Draft Law Targets Energy Efficiency

A group of French parliamentarians is preparing a draft bill that would allow Bitcoin mining using surplus electricity from nuclear power plants. According to Le Monde, the plan includes deploying mining hardware at EDF-operated sites.

France remains the top nuclear energy producer in the EU, accounting for 338,202 gigawatt hours in 2023, over half of the EU total, according to Eurostat. However, more than two-thirds of that energy is currently lost during heat-to-electricity conversion.

Mining as a Profitable Energy Solution

“It’s a secure and extremely profitable solution,” said MP Aurélien Lopez-Liguori, one of the bill’s sponsors.

The proposal builds on a previously rejected amendment from June, which called for assessing crypto mining’s role in France’s energy mix.

Using surplus energy for mining isn’t a new concept. In May, Pakistan committed 2,000 megawatts of electricity to Bitcoin mining and AI data centers, leveraging underused coal plants. Similarly, Tether is exploring mining Bitcoin with surplus renewable power from South American agribusiness Adecoagro, where it holds a 70% ownership stake.