Missoula county of the US state Montana has postponed ruling on a decision as to whether Bitcoin mining initiatives should be shut down, as well as the banning of any new projects. The final decision will now be made in August.
A lack of information has been cited as the prominent reason behind this deferment, as reported by CoinDesk. A public hearing held by the Missoula County Commission concluded that the limited data available was not sufficient to address all of the concerns.
Jean Curtiss and Cola Rowley, both county commissioners, told local news outlet the Missoulian that at the time of the hearing the commission could not fully comprehend “all the impacts in the future or the long game.”
Those looking to ban the mining initiatives operating in the county cite concerns regarding large Bitcoin mining operations as an issue, as this could negatively impact local property values. As well as this, some residents fear excessive energy consumption could cause electricity rates to increase.
Those supporting the operations argue the farms create valuable jobs for local residents.
Previously predicted to be the next mining hub
Earlier this month the economist Brandon Bridge published an article predicting Montana to be the next Bitcoin mining haven.
Referencing Montana’s relatively low energy rates, a cold climate and lots of unused warehouse space, Bridge wrote: “There’s a huge potential for locations and jurisdictions around the world that are favorable to the Bitcoin industry – most notably right here in Montana.”
Just last year Montana become the first US state to issue public funding to Bitcoin mining operations in an attempt to increase state-wide rates of employment.
Washington state soon followed with similar legislation, but two counties have temporarily stopped accepting any new applicants for the funding due to a reported spike in electricity demands causing issues.
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