The owner of the Poas hydroelectric plants was at a loss. With ICE no longer purchasing the electricity and without a legal ability to sell it elsewhere, what were they to do? A genius solution was found for this dilemma.
The answer has to do with bitcoins. Supercomputers linked to the currency use an intensive amount of energy. The consumption they use per year is equal to all the energy used in Argentina or Switzerland in a year.
By February, the owners were offering clean energy to those mining from home. They offer high speed internet, cheap energy, a temperature controlled environment, and even security. 12 hydroelectric workers are back to work restoring the plant for its new use.
The income is equal to what ICE would have paid if it hadn’t cancelled the contract. There are now plans in the works to replicate this offer on a third plant that is scheduled to close next month.
