British Columbia, Canada’s third-largest province, has announced a permanent ban on connecting new crypto mining projects to public electricity in an effort to preserve its clean energy resources.
The provincial government submitted amendments to the energy statutes, prioritizing power allocation for industries that generate employment and public revenue. Officials stated that the decision was influenced by other regions where uncontrolled energy demand from emerging sectors caused significant cost increases for taxpayers.
“Our new allocation framework will prioritize growth in sectors like mining and natural gas while ensuring our clean energy benefits British Columbians,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions.
Starting in fall 2025, the province will limit electricity allocations to data centers and AI operations while enforcing a total ban on new crypto mining connections to BC Hydro, its public power utility. Having already imposed a temporary moratorium in 2022, British Columbia is now making the restriction permanent, positioning itself as one of North America’s toughest regions on crypto mining due to environmental concerns.
