MARA Holdings, formerly Marathon Digital, has announced plans to acquire a wind farm in Hansford County, Texas, to power its sustainable Bitcoin mining data center.
The wind farm, with 240 megawatts of interconnection capacity and 114 MW of operational wind generation, will allow MARA to create a vertically integrated operation with zero-marginal energy costs, according to a company press release.
The deal represents a strategic shift for MARA as it aims to integrate renewable energy into its mining operations, which require substantial computational power. Mining involves solving complex mathematical problems to validate transactions on the Bitcoin (BTC) network, consuming significant energy. The proposed data center will be powered entirely by the wind farm, reducing reliance on traditional energy sources and alleviating strain on the Texas power grid.
Fred Thiel, MARA’s CEO, emphasized the broader benefits of the acquisition, including reducing Bitcoin production costs and repurposing older mining hardware.
“This acquisition serves as a blueprint for collaboration between the energy and data center sectors to create long-term value while advancing sustainability initiatives,” Thiel said.
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ASIC miner lifespan
A key element of the project is MARA’s Advanced ASIC Retirement Initiative. This program will repurpose older ASIC mining machines—specialized hardware used in Bitcoin mining—extending their operational lifespan and preventing them from being discarded or sold.
When a wind/solar farm pairs with a Bitcoin mining co, they achieve ROI on their renewable investment 2.3x as fast
They use the profit to build more wind/solar capacity, accelerating the energy transition
The academics have shown this (Lal et al, Hakimi et al)
MARA is doing it https://t.co/9KbcjAbI6L— Daniel Batten (@DSBatten) December 3, 2024
These machines will run on renewable wind power, creating a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly mining model.
The acquisition aligns with MARA’s broader sustainability goals, as the company continues to develop a global network of renewable energy-powered data centers. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025, pending regulatory approvals.
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