Atlas Power: Butte
The Atlas Power: Butte facility is an operating cryptocurrency and data processing center located near Butte, Montana, USA, with a maximum power consumption of 75 MW. It is owned by Atlas Power, an electrical services contracting company, and derives its power from the Colstrip coal fired power plant.
Location
The map below shows the location of the Atlas Power: Butte facility in Montana, USA.
Background
The Atlas Power: Butte cryptocurrency mining and data processing center occupies the former Mike Mansfield Advanced Technology Center about 6 miles southeast of Butte, Montana. It was originally owned by Cryptowatt.[1] A series of scandals involving a $722 million investment Ponzi scheme led to the closure of the facility, followed by a reopening and ultimate acquisition by Atlas Power.[2][3] Rick Tabish -- one of the key project developers -- also served 10 years in federal prison for charges related to the murder of a Las Vegas casino developer and separate charges for extortion and the kidnapping and beating of a former business partner.[4][5]
The State of Montana has permitted the operation to consume up to 75 MW, yet it has been reported that upon the facility changing from mining Bitcoin to mining Ethereum, actual power consumption has been as low as 25 MW.[1] In addition to mining cryptocurrency, the facility also performs machine learning and other data processing services.[6] Cryptowatt signed a 64 MW Power Purchase Agreement with Portland General Electric, which distributes power from the Colstrip Steam Plant near Colstrip, Montana.[7][8]
Montana's biggest solar farm -- the Basin Creek Solar Project -- was proposed near Butte to power and scale the Atlas Power facility to as much as 300 MW, representing more than a doubling of Montana's entire installed solar capacity.[1] The conditional use permit for the proposed solar project was denied by the Butte Zoning Board as a result of strong public opposition of the 1,600 acre, 700,000 panel proposal, slated for development on private ranch lands near Butte.
Project Details
- Power usage (MW): 75 MW
- Owner: Atlas Power LLC
- Parent:
- Location: 200 Technology Way, Butte, MT 59701
- Coordinates: 45.929424, -112.5206438
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "This Solar Crypto Mine Plan Is Stranger Than Fiction". Gizmodo. 5/27/21. Retrieved 6/9/2022.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|access-date=and|date=(help) - ↑ "Montana Crypto Mine Back in Action Despite Owner's Uncertain Legal Fate". Cointelegraph. 1/28/2020. Retrieved 6/9/2022.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|access-date=and|date=(help) - ↑ "Rick Tabish: From prison to a $1.9B data deal". Pahrump Valley Times. 2/4/2022. Retrieved 6/9/2022.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|access-date=and|date=(help) - ↑ "Gov. Doug Burgum aware of data center developer's dark past". Associated Press. 1/28/2022. Retrieved 6/9/2022.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|access-date=and|date=(help) - ↑ "Ex Ted Binion Murder Suspect Rick Tabish Building 1.9 b data center," Casino.org, February 4, 2022
- ↑ "Atlas Power LLC Overview". SignalHire.
{{cite web}}: line feed character in|title=at position 16 (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Daines: Colstrip closures could hurt Montana's Bitcoin mining business". Montana Right Now. 8/22/2018. Retrieved 6/10/2022.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|access-date=and|date=(help) - ↑ "Crypto miner plans to exit Hardin coal-fired power plant". Kilgore News Herald. 4/6/2022. Retrieved 6/10/2022.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|access-date=and|date=(help)
