Texas Governor Begs Crypto Miners to Shut Down If the Power Grid Is About to Fail

"Help me get through the winter."

Cutting a Deal

Texas Governor Greg Abbot wants to make sure his state’s power grid doesn’t embarrassingly fail again — and he’s calling on crypto miners to help out.

Abbot held a meeting with dozens of cryptocurrency entrepreneurs and influencers last October, Bloomberg reports. During the meeting, the governor asked those in attendance to shut down their mining operations in the event the Texas grid shuts down completely like in February 2021. 

"Help me get through the winter," the governor reportedly said, according to Bloomberg's anonymous sources. 

Risky Bet

Of course, relying on an industry that is notoriously opposed to government regulation is a risky and potentially disastrous bet. 

However, two Bitcoin miners have reportedly volunteered to shut down in the event the grid is strained again in order to conserve energy for homes and other businesses — so who knows? It could work out. 

It’s not like Abbott has much of a choice, either. He faces an upcoming tough election challenge from both his own party and the Democrats who are sure to attack his weakness on Texas' electric infrastructure. 

His polling on his handling of the 2021 power grid disaster is downright awful too, with the latest polling showing 60 percent of Texans disapproving of how the state’s leaders managed the grid.  

As Texas enters yet another potentially frigid February, all eyes will be on its power grid once again. If it doesn’t hold up — and Abbott has to rely on crypto miners holding up their end of the bargain — he might find himself iced out of the governor’s mansion come election day. 

READ MORE: Texas Governor Abbott Turns to Bitcoin Miners to Bolster the Grid and His Re-Election [Bloomberg]

More on crypto mining: Tesla Owner Says He’s Making $800 Per Month Using His Car to Mine Crypto