Norway Eyes Crypto Mining Ban Over Power, Noise Issues

• Norway plans crypto mining ban to protect electricity and land.

• Minister says mining wastes power, creates few local jobs or revenue.

• New rule mandates crypto miners register operations by July 1.

The Norwegian government is planning to explore whether cryptocurrency mining should be temporarily banned. This investigation is expected to begin in autumn 2025. The ambition is to limit the burden on Norwegian electricity supply, network capacity and land availability. With increasing energy demand in the country, the government feels that more responsible energy usage is required.

Proposed Norway Law Targets High-Energy Crypto Mining Facilities

The adverse impact of crypto mining has been questioned by the local residents of certain places in recent years. It has often been complained that there is noise created by the mining equipment that works 24 hours a day. Moreover, its operations consume huge quantities of electricity, yet they do not contribute much to the local economies. These issues have put more pressure on authorities to act.

Karianne Tung, the Minister of Digitalization and Public Administration, said that Norway must stop its energy resources from being less effective. She said that cryptocurrency mining does not generate many jobs and provides small revenues to the communities. On the contrary, the electricity might end up serving industries or socially useful data centers that would aid digitalization and innovation.

To resolve these issues, the government intends to consider a temporary prohibition on creating new crypto mining data centers based on highly energy-consuming technology. This point will be evaluated through the Planning and Building Act, which is one of the legal frameworks that direct the national growth and land use in Norway. The research will examine the influence that mining activities have on the country and the amount of electricity that is used by mining activities.

Noteworthy, this proposed measure will only be applied to crypto mining but not to other types of data centers. Authorities are keen not to have important cyber structures like artificial intelligence and service centers impacted. This is aimed at controlling the amount of energy consumed without a slump in the advancement of beneficial technologies.

New Rule Requires Crypto Miners in Norway to Register by July

Norway has long been attractive to crypto miners due to its low electricity prices and access to renewable energy. In addition, the cool climate assists in cutting on cooling expenses of mining equipment. This combination has also placed the country on the radar of companies that desire to take advantage of cheap energy and leave little in the docket of the local communities.

Meanwhile, the same arguments are being made in other regions of the world. The French National Assembly derailed a very recently proposed roadblock to check into the possibility of Bitcoin mining with the surplus electricity. On the other hand, Kuwait authorities warned against the illegal crypto mining activities after detecting more than 1,000 potential locations.

According to Terje Aasland, Minister of Energy, the need to use electricity in Norway is increasing fast. He pointed out that a prohibition on high-energy crypto mining will allow using freed power and acreages on more employment-generating activities, thus reducing emissions. The decision will be finalized once the investigation is completed at the end of 2025.

Finally, new regulations oblige any new data centers in Norway to report their activities. A new rule in Norway requires crypto miners to register by July 1. This will help the government understand how much mining is actually happening. Norway is not leaving this issue to guesswork. The goal is to protect energy resources and support projects that benefit society and the economy.