On July 11, French lawmakers submitted a invoice to the Nationwide Meeting that can run for 5 years, with the objective of utilizing extra vitality—principally from nuclear and renewable sources—to mine bitcoin.
France produces extra vitality than it could actually use, particularly throughout off-peak hours or when renewable vitality sources like wind and photo voltaic are producing greater than wanted. Storing this extra vitality is difficult and costly, so producers are compelled to promote it at a loss.
In 2024, France misplaced round €80 million due to destructive electrical energy costs. In March 2025, the French grid operator needed to pay almost €12,000 per megawatt-hour to eliminate the surplus vitality.
This new proposal suggests a greater method to make use of that energy, which can flip the loss into revenue.
“Electrical energy producers are sometimes compelled to promote overproduced vitality at a loss as a consequence of an absence of storage, which constitutes an ‘unacceptable financial and vitality loss’,” the proposal says.
Bitcoin mining, wherein specialised computer systems race to seek out the following block, helps run and safe the Bitcoin blockchain, and rewards the miners with digital forex. It makes use of lots of vitality, which has raised environmental considerations previously.
Associated: Bitcoin Mining Clean Energy and Grid Balance | ERCOT Study
France now desires to flip the script. By utilizing clear, carbon-free nuclear energy, the nation desires to turn out to be the world chief in sustainable bitcoin mining.
With this concept, lawmakers try to show an issue into a chance.
Based on the invoice, one gigawatt of extra vitality may generate between $100 million and $150 million per yr. The data comes from the Affiliation for the Improvement of Digital Property (ADAN).
This income may assist the nuclear infrastructure and create a brand new trade round Bitcoin. Lawmakers additionally imagine it may stabilize the grid and scale back put on and tear on nuclear energy crops, which aren’t designed to always modify their output.
Bitcoin is the right resolution. Bitcoin mining farms, which may be designed and deployed at any measurement, may be turned on and off with the flip of a change. This creates the best instrument to handle electrical energy use within the energy grids.
The plan is to construct knowledge facilities close to energy crops, particularly in deserted or underused industrial websites. This retains the mining operations near the vitality supply and doesn’t overload the prevailing grid.
By placing the mining farms in previous factories or unused buildings, the challenge may additionally assist with native growth and reindustrialization.
Bitcoin mining machines generate lots of warmth. Usually, that warmth goes to waste. However the French lawmakers wish to seize it and reuse it to warmth properties, greenhouses, or industrial buildings.
This isn’t only a concept. Related initiatives are already taking place in Finland, Norway and Sweden. In Finland, one 2-megawatt mining farm gives warmth for 11,000 properties. In Norway, extra warmth is used to dry timber and heat aquaculture greenhouses.
The concept has assist, however it’s not with out controversy.
Some are apprehensive concerning the vitality consumption of bitcoin mining, even when utilizing clear energy. Others are skeptical as a result of the invoice comes from members of the Nationwide Rally social gathering, a far-right political group.
In June 2025, an identical modification was rejected as a consequence of parliamentary guidelines. Now the brand new proposal has to go extra political assessments.
Nonetheless, France’s Minister of Digital Affairs, Clara Chappaz has proven openness. “We should look at this with out ideology, asking the correct questions,” she mentioned.
