Location, location - [News]

BITCOIN MINING is energy-intensive work. Pictured is part of the BitRiver facility in Bratsk, Russia-one of the world's largest data centers dedicated to doing the complex calculations that keep the blockchain humming along. There were two solid reasons for BitRiver to open up shop there. Keeping this huge facility running requires nearly 100 megawatts of electric power. But because the site is a stone's throw from the Bratskaya hydropower plant on the Angara River, it takes advantage of some of the cheapest electricity rates in the world. The data center depends on dozens of industrial fans that blow on the racks to keep the 20,000 mining devices cool. But Siberia's bitter cold climate means that BitRiver can get away with just those fans instead of a fancy and expensive cooling system, further slashing its energy budget.