New Tool Aims to Improve Energy Efficiency in Bitcoin Mining

• The tool estimates an economic impact of up to USD 166,000 per MW per year in ERCOT.
• Critics question whether these programs shift electricity costs to other consumers.

Braiins, a company specializing in Bitcoin mining software, announced on July 16, 2026, the launch of Energy Intelligence, a tool developed in collaboration with the energy subsidiary Enel North America, allowing miners to automatically manage their electricity consumption and participate in demand response markets. This initiative comes at a time when the sector's profitability continues to be pressured by lower revenues from halving and reduced profitability.

The solution integrates Braiins Manager with Enel North America's infrastructure to automate electricity consumption adjustments when the grid faces periods of high demand or when electricity prices reduce the profitability of keeping equipment active.

The tool will initially be available for operators connected to ERCOT, Texas's electricity market, and PJM, the organization coordinating the wholesale electricity grid in 13 U.S. states. From a single platform, miners will be able to manage their participation in demand response programs, avoid charges associated with consumption peaks, and receive income for providing flexibility to the electrical system.

Braiins estimates that, based on historical data from ERCOT, the economic impact could range between USD 86,000 and USD 166,000 per megawatt per year. Of that figure, around USD 40,000 would correspond to savings from avoiding charges associated with demand peaks, between USD 40,000 and USD 100,000 would come from demand response programs, and between USD 6,000 and USD 26,000 from avoiding operation during periods with high electricity prices.

It is worth noting that the launch occurs in a context of high pressure on mining profitability. During the first half of 2026, Bitcoin's hashrate fell by 17.5%, from 1,066 EH/s on January 1 to 879 EH/s by July 13, according to data from Hashrate Index.

The drop coincided with a decline in hashprice, a metric estimating miners' revenues per unit of computing power, which fell from USD 37.6 per PH/s daily at the beginning of the year to USD 27.7 by the end of June.

As reported by CriptoNoticias, the launch reflects a trend gaining traction in the industry since the halving: electricity has ceased to be solely the main operational cost and has also become a potential source of income. In this regard, Braiins is not the only company betting on this model: companies like Luxor, LōD, Voltus, and CPower are also developing solutions to optimize energy consumption or facilitate miners' participation in electricity markets, albeit with different approaches.

At the same time, large operators like Riot Platforms, TeraWulf, and Cipher have reported million-dollar revenues thanks to consumption reduction programs and the sale of unused energy.

The participation of Bitcoin miners in electricity markets also generates debate about the role these loads should occupy within the system. While their supporters argue that the ability to quickly disconnect equipment provides a useful tool for managing periods of high demand, critics like economist Ed Hirs from the University of Houston and the organization Earthjustice question whether these incentives reflect a real contribution to grid stability or if they end up favoring large electricity consumers.

One of their main objections is that miners make these decisions based on their own economic incentives. When electricity prices rise or mining profitability decreases, they may reduce consumption; but when activity becomes profitable again, the incentive to disconnect equipment diminishes, even if the grid continues to face pressure.

This debate is particularly relevant in ERCOT, where regulatory changes are being analyzed to modify the participation conditions of large flexible consumers in some demand response programs.

For now, Braiins' launch reflects a broader trend that goes beyond a new commercial tool: electricity is ceasing to be solely the main cost of mining and is also becoming a resource that operators can manage and, in certain markets, monetize. If this strategy continues to expand, competitiveness among miners will increasingly depend on their ability to integrate into energy markets, in addition to the efficiency of their equipment.