Durham's Unified Development Ordinance doesn't currently define "data center" or "cryptocurrency mining" as specific land uses-meaning the city has no formal framework to evaluate, restrict, or condition those projects. The ordinance spells out why that gap matters: these facilities consume extraordinary amounts of electricity, land, and water. The city also cited noise levels that can cause chronic sleep disturbances, diesel generator emissions, heat islands, and pressure on utility infrastructure.
ChatGPT, launched in 2022, began making a significant impact on the market by late 2023, according to Synergy Research Group. The company's chief analyst, John Dinsdale, points out that cloud market leaders have experienced accelerated revenue growth over time. Additionally, the emergence of numerous neocloud companies ( see box: What is a neocloud?) has further strengthened the already positive momentum in the market.
American Bitcoin, a miner backed by members of the Trump family, has increased its bitcoin reserves to roughly 5,843 BTC, placing it among the world's largest corporate holders of the cryptocurrency. The company said it achieved a bitcoin yield of about 116% from its Nasdaq debut on Sept. 3, 2025, through Jan. 25, 2026. Bitcoin yield measures growth in a firm's bitcoin holdings over time, including coins mined or purchased, without accounting for capital raises.
After two years of declines, United States greenhouse gas emissions increased in 2025-a change driven by increased electricity use, due in part to data centers and cryptocurrency mining, as well as cold winter temperatures that meant homes required more heating. Emissions increased 2.4% in 2025, according to preliminary data from the research firm Rhodium Group. That's higher than the country's GDP growth, which increased by a projected 1.9%.
Over the past 15 days, Governor Kathy Hochul has: fought the orders of a state judge who said she must enforce the state's climate laws; announced she was going to delay the implementation of the state's move to all-electric buildings; approved a climate-killing pipeline that will run through New York Harbor from the South Shore of Staten Island to the Rockaways, five years after it was originally denied; and allowed a cryptocurrency outfit to keep running a dirty fossil fuel plant to mine digital currencies.
The sudden rejuvenation of the Longhorn Pad A site for cryptocurrency mining has alarmed local residents, who once valued the tranquility of the area for recreation.
