The BC Supreme Court has ruled against Conifex Timber’s attempt to drive provincial utility BC Hydro to provide electricity for its planned cryptocurrency mining data centers.
Justice Michael Tammen stated on Friday that the provincial government’s 18-month pause on new connections for crypto mining approved last December was reasonable and not unduly discriminatory.
Energy Minister Josie Osborne has said crypto mining uses large amounts of electricity to power computers around but contributes few jobs. Moreover, documents showed that Conifex’s data centers could have consumed enough electricity for over 570,000 apartments annually.
Conifex, primarily a forestry company, had branched out into cryptocurrency mining. But the government’s pause on new connections was an obstacle. The company sought a judicial review to overturn the order.
As announced this week, it had failed to reverse the ruling. Conifex expressed disappointment with the decision and is weighing an appeal alongside other legal options.
The ruling upholds the government’s authority to manage electric utility loads from emerging industries like cryptocurrency. Conifex faces continued blocks to provide power for future data center developments.
