Emre Yumlu 
Bitcoin mining continues to shift away from coal energy, despite global coal use reaching record levels in 2024.
Bitcoin Mining’s Use of Coal Decreased by 43%!
Bitcoin mining continues to shift towards cleaner energy sources while global coal consumption increases.
Over the past 13 years, the use of hydrocarbon fuels in Bitcoin mining has sharply decreased. The share of coal energy, which was at 63% in 2011, has dropped to 20% as of 2024. According to a new report published by MiCA Crypto Alliance and Nodiens, this decline confirms Bitcoin’s trend of reducing its carbon footprint.
During the same period, the share of renewable energy in Bitcoin mining increased by an average of 5.8% annually. Experts predict that BTC mining will further decarbonize in the future and its environmental impact will decrease.
As BTC Mining Moves to Clean Energy, Global Coal Usage Increases
While coal consumption in Bitcoin mining decreases by an average of 8% annually, global coal demand has reached record levels. According to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), global coal consumption peaked at 8.8 billion tons in 2024.
IEA predicts that global coal consumption will remain high until 2027, particularly due to increasing demand in emerging economies such as India, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
BTC Mining Energy Usage Scenarios Until 2030
The new report presents five different price scenarios for Bitcoin’s energy usage and carbon footprint:
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Low scenario: 1 BTC = 10,000 USD
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Base scenario: 1 BTC = 110,000 USD
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Medium scenario: 1 BTC = 250,000 USD
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High scenario: 1 BTC = 500,000 USD
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Ultra-bull scenario: 1 BTC = 1,000,000 USD
According to the medium price scenario, the share of renewables in BTC mining could range between 59.3% and 74.3%. This estimate was calculated excluding nuclear energy.
Additionally, BTC mining’s total energy consumption is expected to peak in 2030. According to previous studies by NYDIG, Bitcoin’s energy consumption could increase 11 times compared to 2020 levels. This would correspond to 0.4% of global primary energy consumption and 2% of electricity production.
As the use of renewable energy in Bitcoin mining increases rapidly, the transition away from coal continues. This trend strengthens the crypto sector’s sustainability efforts while its interaction with global energy market changes remains a subject of interest.
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