The Ministry of Economy of Georgia plans to solve the problem of miners using free electricity with the help of local self-government bodies of Svanetia and Energo-pro Georgia.
In the Svaneti region of northwestern Georgia, the expansion of mining farms has led to protests by local residents. The miners use electricity that the authorities supply to high-mountain villages free of charge. As a result, the networks cannot cope with the load, which is why periodic power outages began.
Minister of Economy of Georgia Natia Turnava, together with representatives of Energo-pro Georgia, at a briefing on January 10, assured that the government intends to resolve the painful issue.
Especially large volumes of energy consumption by miners are recorded in the area of the settlement of Mestia. There are low tariffs for entrepreneurs working in the highlands, and the cost of supplying energy to households is borne by the state. Due to congestion and damage to the networks, residents of Svaneti received electricity on schedule until the end of December.
The organizers of the protests blame the local authorities for everything, insisting that corrupt officials support the miners. The electricity supplier Energo-pro Georgia has already threatened the region with an increase in electricity tariffs. The Minister of Economy has promised not to involve the police in the search for illegal cryptocurrency miners yet. Natia Turnava is confident that the residents of Mestia will not resume protests until the opening of the tourist season.
The mining industry in Georgia began to develop eight years ago. Now she is faced with the growing consumption of electricity by miners. Back in 2014, the $ 6 billion GCF started building a Bitcoin mining center in Georgia. In 2018, Bitmain, in partnership with BitKan, hosted a miners’ summit in Tbilisi on the prospects for the industry. At the same time, two Georgian mining companies Geo Service and BFDS were included in the list of the five largest electricity consumers in the country.
