To the Honorable Members of the Board of Supervisors, Greene County, lA, 07 NOV 2025
An Open Letter Concerning Bitcoin Mining, as reviewed in the Jefferson Herald newspaper
I submit this letter of opinion under Citizen’s duress, and in disagreement to the creation and/or operation of any such venture enterprises in Greene County in exchange for a tax abatement with a multi-thousand dollar off-set of monies due. It is my opinion that this elected board should not accept any proposals or requests for tax abatement, especially without federal and/or state funding.
At present there is a dire lack of established taxable financial interests to these ventures by state/county/local governmental entities; lack of Environmental Impact statements and studies for initial and on-going activities; lack of lowa researched and documented or published. information on Electrical usage for the ventures, building of new infrastructure for these units, Homeland Security services, Fire Protection and Defense protection for said facilities; and no clearly delineated Ownership/Venture Ownership of said venture enterprises.
Topical review of today’s extant lowa news relates that some of lowa’s four bitcoin mining sites use about $5,000/day of electrical use, exhibit “noise pollution”, and potentially add to the “environmental pollution”.
There does not appear to be documented “time and material studies” performed to validate the purpose of bitcoin mining. There does not appear to be an environmental history for allowing encroachment to within a one-half mile of farmers or homeowners by otherwise “unregulated business operations”. There does not appear to be any professional engineering statements to affirm/sustain how said bitcoin operations would not otherwise bankrupt existing CAFOs, livestock and animal husbandry electrical needs and usage, in addition to Greene County’s other small businesses and homeowners.
More information should be researched, published and provided to Greene County concerning how these bitcoin mining facilities would create tax revenue for the County, and be healthy and safe occupations for our young people, a place to work in and around high voltage and heat producing machinery, and contributing monies to our local economies.
In conclusion I submit this letter of opinion to disagree with placement of bitcoin mining in Greene County without thorough knowledge and understanding of processes, learning more as to how this would not affect current governmental infrastructures and or what costs would be involved, and what fair exchange could be received by paying taxes due.
Cordially, Roger C. Nielson, Jefferson
