Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index updated to reflect hardware distribution and hash rate increases
Cambridge researchers have revised the widely cited index in response to evidence indicating periodic overestimation of Bitcoin mining’s electricity consumption. Researchers behind the well-known Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index (CBECI) have officially revised its methodology to enhance the accuracy and reliability of the Index’s estimates for the first time since its inception in 2019. The CBECI was launched in July 2019 in an effort to provide reliable data-driven insights to questions about Bitcoin mining’s energy-intensive nature and associated environmental impact. Speaking exclusively to Cointelegraph ahead of announcement of the revision, head researcher Alexander Neumueller unpacked the Index’s role in providing a relatively accurate estimate of the Bitcoin (BTC) network’s electricity consumption and contextualizing the data in a way that is digestible for the layman on the street. Key takeaways from the revised methodology included a focus on recent developme...