Solar Energy Firm Buys 165,000-Square-Foot Land in Illinois for Cryptocurrency Mining

Murphysboro, Illinois is slowly attracting crypto-miners. And bringing in its newest occupants is renewable energy company Solar Alliance Energy, which has acquired a 165,00-square-foot land to be used as a mining warehouse, Cointelegraph reported.

The company’s spokesman, none other than actor William Shatner himself, expressed his admiration for the blockchain technology, particularly the cryptocurrencies that it has produced. He went on to say that pairing renewable energy with crypto mining advocates an essential change.

This is important to note since high energy costs have been among the core problems that are hounding this innovation. Just recently, Quebec temporarily stopped processing inquiries from crypto mining companies highly interested in building headquarters in the province. The reason is that the province’s major energy provider, Hydro-Quebec, cannot keep up with the energy demand that these miners require.

Jason Bak, CEO of Solar Alliance Energy, is well aware of this problem, which is exactly what made him start this venture. Bak said that Illinois’s policy of mandating utility companies to purchase green energy made the endeavor practical.

And there’s also the fact that Murphysboro mayor Will Stevens offered them the 14-acre land for a “nominal price.” Apparently, the large swathe of land has been sitting around unoccupied since 2004. A previous tenant was a label-making factory. Solar Alliance Energy means to rent the area for crypto miners, a trend that’s slowly growing in this particular industry.

Stevens is ecstatic that the crypto boom is slowly entering their area as they need an economic boost. While he shared that their borders have attracted some tourism and microbreweries, the mayor said employment loss struck them hard when the global economy shifted.

“The combination of solar and cryptocurrency will provide opportunities for the local workforce and position our community for the future,” Stevens added.