French lawmakers have doubled down on their plans for Bitcoin mining by highlighting that the country could generate an annual revenue of up to $150 million from the industry.
In a July 11 bill submitted to the French National Assembly, the lawmakers outlined a five-year pilot program allowing electricity producers to redirect excess power, often wasted during low grid demand, toward Bitcoin mining operations.
According to the lawmakers, data from the Association for the Development of Digital Assets (ADAN) projects that dedicating just one gigawatt of surplus energy could generate between $100 million and $150 million each year.
This revenue could help offset the fixed costs of maintaining France’s nuclear fleet while monetizing energy that would otherwise be sold at a loss.
The bill comes a month after French lawmakers initially urged the government to examine whether Bitcoin mining could absorb the excess power generated from the country’s nuclear plants.
The lawmakers argued that France’s energy grid faces mounting pressure from the growth of intermittent renewables like wind and solar.
They stressed:
“The significant share of [renewable energy sources] in our electricity mix is leading to recurring imbalances on the grid, including episodes of overproduction that force electricity producers to sell at a loss due to a lack of storage facilities. These unutilized surpluses represent an unacceptable economic and energy loss.”
Benefits of Bitcoin mining
To solve this challenge, the French lawmakers are pushing for Bitcoin mining centers to be co-located with nuclear production facilities.
These centers would only activate when there’s excess energy, offering a real-time, flexible method for grid stabilization without affecting consumer supply.
According to them:
“Existing infrastructure, currently underutilized or closed, could accommodate this new infrastructure. Abroad, some former factories or decommissioned power plants have already been transformed into mining farms operating on carbon-free electricity.”
Meanwhile, the legislation highlighted the secondary benefits of Bitcoin mining activities, including heat recovery. The lawmakers noted that the mining rigs can generate significant heat, which can be redirected to district heating systems, greenhouses, or industrial operations.
They also highlighted examples from countries like Finland, where Bitcoin mining heat is used to support agriculture and sustainable infrastructure.
If approved, the pilot would begin immediately and last roughly five years, with oversight from the French Council of State. After six months, a full evaluation report would assess the feasibility of broader adoption.
Meanwhile, this effort places France among a growing group of countries, such as Pakistan, Belarus, and Texas in the US, that are exploring Bitcoin mining as a strategic response to electricity oversupply.
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