Pakistan Ministry of Finance has announced the country will dedicate 2,000 megawatts of electricity for bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. The initiative will be part of the Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC), a government-backed body, which is part of a broader strategy to monetize surplus electricity, create high-tech jobs, and attract foreign investment. (source)
The dedicated energy is part of plans to use excess electricity, and is part of a multi-stage effort for economic growth.
Bitcoin mining is a highly energy-intensive process, requiring significant electricity to power the specialized hardware used to solve complex mathematical puzzles and verify transactions. Estimates suggest that Bitcoin mining consumes a considerable amount of electricity, equivalent to the annual consumption of multiple countries. Estimates put total energy consumed for bitcoin mining at 120 to 175 TWh.