A Duke University study finds Bitcoin mining could support up to 76 GW of new electricity demand while stabilizing the grid as AI data centers consume ever more power
A study from the Duke University Nicholas Institute, released in early 2025, found that controllable loads like Bitcoin mining could support up to 76 GW of new electricity demand. That’s roughly 10% of peak load capacity across the US. The kicker: it would require minimal curtailment of just 0.25% annually.
Bitcoin miners can shut down operations within minutes to free up power for hospitals, homes, and AI data centers. AI data centers run at consistently high power loads around the clock and cannot operations.
In Texas, the grid operator ERCOT has long incorporated flexible loads into its demand response programs. According to ERCOT data, flexible loads including Bitcoin mining are expected to consume 54 billion kWh in 2025, representing approximately 10% of the grid forecast. That figure is up roughly 60% year over year. The demand response role has historically accounted for 2-10% of miner revenues.
MARA Holdings CEO Fred Thiel has positioned the company as a flexible complement to data center growth, arguing that miners can monetize excess power that would otherwise go to waste. Chris Ruppel, a director at MARA, reinforced this point in March 2025, stating that Bitcoin mining enables monetization of grid assets without requiring extensive capital expenditure.
US data center demand is expected to reach tens of gigawatts by 2030, driven almost entirely by AI workloads. Some mining operations are already pivoting to hybrid models, running both Bitcoin mining and AI or high-performance computing workloads from the same facilities.
The demand response revenue stream, while modest at 2-10% of total miner income, adds a layer of diversification that makes mining operations less dependent on Bitcoin’s price alone.
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