On April 15, the Government of Manitoba directed Manitoba Hydro to continue the pause on requests for electricity service from cryptocurrency operations first announced in November 2022.
The directive applies to:
- Requests for electric service which have not resulted in the execution of an agreement to construct infrastructure or an agreement to supply electric service; and
- New requests for electric service from persons intending to engage in cryptocurrency operations.
Manitoba Hydro continues to expect unprecedented demand for electricity from new or expanding cryptocurrency operations. That demand has the potential to drastically increase our total electrical load, impacting Manitoba Hydro operations and affecting our customers.
This time-limited pause, set to expire on April 30, 2026, will give Manitoba Hydro and the Government of Manitoba time to thoroughly analyze the situation and prepare a long-term solution.
