- Mayor Francis Suarez continues to advocate for Miami to become a Bitcoin mining hub.
- His pitch focuses on a local nuclear-power plant owned by Florida Power & Light Co.
- Many Bitcoiner’s see nuclear and hydro power as integral paths forward for environmentally sound Bitcoin mining.
Mayor Suarez told the Wall Street Journal that concerns about Bitcoin’s environmental impact “come from the fact that a lot of the mining was being done in coal-producing countries.”
Nuclear power plants are generally located away from populated areas, lowering the opportunity cost for Bitcoin miners, who require only an internet connection to move the monetary energy for inconsequential fees.
“The fact that we have nuclear power means that it’s very inexpensive power,” Suarez told CNBC in June. “We understand how important this is … miners want to get to a certain kilowatt price per hour.”
Earlier this month Miami Mayor Francis Suarez gave a speech at the Bitmain Digital Mining Conference where he strongly advocated for the adoption of innovative tech in Miami.
Mayor Suarez has used Bitcoin to give Miami the aura of something like a nascent Silicon Valley. Notably, the mayor made Miami the second government in the world, and the first in North America to host Satoshi’s White Paper on its government website.
Suarez concluded his speech by challenging the audience to “Go out there and elect the next President of the United States to be a pro Bitcoin president.”
Bill Orlove, spokesman for Florida Power & Light said, “We look forward to supporting the continued innovation and growth those companies bring.”