Sec. 5. Impact study
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Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary, the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the head of any other Federal agency the Administrator or the Secretary determines appropriate, shall conduct a study on the environmental impacts of crypto-asset mining in the United States. The study required under subsection
(a)shall include— the number and location of any existing or planned qualifying crypto-asset mining operation; the amount of greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants that are— released by an onsite energy source; and attributable to offsite-generated electricity, steam, heat, or cooling provided to a qualifying crypto-asset mining operation; the anticipated increase of new, and expansion of existing, qualifying crypto-asset mining operations; the potential impacts of electric energy consumption by qualifying crypto-asset mining operations, including by prolonging the use of fossil fuel generators, on the ability of the United States to achieve the greenhouse gas emission reductions necessary to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels; the ecological impacts, including ecological impacts associated with electronic waste generation and the use or discharge of cooling water, caused by qualifying crypto-asset mining operations; the potential public health impacts due to the reduced air and water quality and increased water stress on communities near qualifying crypto-asset mining operations; the potential public health impacts from greenhouse gas emissions released by qualifying crypto-asset mining operations; the potential public health and ecological impacts from noise generated by qualifying crypto-asset mining operations; the amount of electric energy consumed by each qualifying crypto-asset mining operation, including the time of use of electricity and the potential grid stress posed by the power load of the qualifying crypto-asset mining operation; the source of electric energy consumed by each qualifying crypto-asset mining operation; the aggregated energy-use statistics and greenhouse gas emissions statistics for qualifying crypto-asset mining operations in the United States; an analysis of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by type of consensus mechanism; an analysis of demand-response programs negotiated between qualifying crypto-asset mining operations and electric utilities; an analysis of potential rate-design measures that could be implemented by State and local regulators to reduce the energy consumption and dependence on fossil fuel energy sources of crypto-asset mining operations; a geospatial assessment of the extent to which crypto-asset mining operations are located within environmental justice communities, as defined by the Administrator or within the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool of the Council on Environmental Quality; and an identification of, and recommendations for, best practices for data types, data sources, and methodologies for accurately measuring, modeling, and tracking the environmental impacts of crypto-asset mining operations in the United States in the future. Before conducting the study required by subsection (a), the Administrator shall provide an opportunity for public comment and advice relevant to conducting the study. Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committees on Environment and Public Works and Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, and publish on the public websites of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, a report that contains the results of the study required by subsection (a). There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this section $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2023, to remain available until expended.