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Bitcoin electricity consumption is the electrical energy used by Bitcoin mining over a stated period. It is not a direct meter reading of every miner: because mining is decentralized, published network-wide figures are estimates produced by models.

What does Bitcoin electricity consumption mean?

Bitcoin mining uses specialized computers to perform proof-of-work computations. The electricity-consumption metric estimates the energy used by those computers collectively over a specified period. Mining hardware, including application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), uses electricity while performing hashing work.

The metric describes energy, not the number of transactions or the electricity used by every activity associated with Bitcoin. A network-wide total is an estimate of mining activity, rather than a reading from a single meter that covers all miners.

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How is electricity consumption different from power demand?

Power is the rate at which electricity is used; energy is the amount used over time. A watt measures power, while a watt-hour measures energy. The basic relationship is energy consumed = average power × time.

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Measure What it describes Typical unit
Power demand The estimated rate of electricity use at a point or over an index’s daily estimate Gigawatts (GW)
Electricity consumption Energy accumulated over a specified period Terawatt-hours (TWh)

An annualized TWh figure projects an estimated power rate across a full year; it does not necessarily mean that the amount has already been consumed during that calendar year. Cambridge’s Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index (CBECI) smooths short-term hashrate variation using a seven-day moving average. Its monthly consumption figures sum daily estimates that assume use remains constant throughout each 24-hour day. Cambridge CBECI

How do published Bitcoin electricity estimates work?

Cambridge’s CBECI uses a hybrid top-down model. It combines network hashrate and mining revenue with an assumed electricity cost and a basket of real-world mining hardware with different energy-efficiency specifications. The model assumes miners operate equipment when mining revenue covers its operating cost. Since actual hardware and electricity use across the whole network are not directly observable, the output depends on these assumptions. Cambridge’s 2023 methodology explanation

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Hardware efficiency is measured in joules per terahash (J/TH), or the energy needed to perform a given amount of hashing work. A lower J/TH value indicates more efficient hardware. The CBECI reports three modeled cases:

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  • Lower bound: assumes miners use the most efficient equipment that remains profitable.
  • Best guess: estimates use based on a more realistic mix of equipment.
  • Upper bound: assumes miners use the least efficient equipment that remains profitable.

Cambridge’s 2023 methodology revision added device weights and accounted for a delay between hardware release and deployment. Without accounting for that lag, treating older and newer devices as equally prevalent could overstate consumption in some periods. Cambridge’s 2023 methodology explanation

How much electricity does Bitcoin use?

There is no single timeless total: estimates vary by period, method, and assumptions. Cambridge’s 2025 Digital Mining Industry Report estimated Bitcoin network electricity consumption at 138 TWh per year, equivalent to about 0.5% of global electricity consumption. The estimate was based on reported data representing 48% of global mining activity, so it is a report-era estimate—not a live reading or a confirmed 2026 total. Cambridge Digital Mining Industry Report announcement

The same report estimated network-wide emissions at 39.8 million tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e). That is an emissions measure, not another expression of the 138 TWh electricity estimate. Cambridge Digital Mining Industry Report announcement

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For historical context, Cambridge’s 2023 methodology revision changed its estimates for two past years:

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Year estimated Revised estimate Previous estimate Source and basis
2021 89.0 TWh 104.0 TWh Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance, 2023 methodology revision
2022 95.5 TWh 105.3 TWh Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance, 2023 methodology revision

These revisions show why figures from different publications should not be treated as directly interchangeable: updated methods can alter estimates for the same year. Cambridge’s 2023 methodology explanation

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Why electricity use is not the same as climate impact

Electricity consumption measures energy. Greenhouse-gas emissions depend on additional factors, including where mining takes place, the electricity generation mix, and whether miners use power generated behind the meter. Two mining operations that use the same amount of electricity can therefore have different emissions. Cambridge’s 2025 report treats energy sources and emissions as separate parts of its analysis. Cambridge Digital Mining Industry Report announcement

How to compare Bitcoin electricity figures

Before comparing two figures, check that they refer to the same kind of quantity and a comparable period. In particular, align:

  • Period: Is each figure for a calendar year, a month, a day, or an annualized rate?
  • Measure and units: Are both figures power demand in GW or energy consumption in TWh?
  • Estimate case: Is each a lower bound, best guess, or upper bound?
  • Method: Were the figures produced using the same methodology version?
  • Scope: Does either estimate rely on survey or reported data covering only part of global mining activity?

For comparisons with a country’s or the world’s electricity use, use matching periods and make sure an annualized projection is not being compared as though it were an observed annual total.

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