In a dramatic legal showdown in Waco, Texas, the Texas Blockchain Council and Riot Platforms, Inc. sought a temporary restraining order against the Energy Information Administration (EIA) for their “emergency” survey. The hearing, presided over by Federal District Judge Alan Albright, took place at 11:30 am local time.
During the proceedings, the Government’s attorneys presented a voluntary declaration from EIA Administrator DeCarolis, offering a four-week pause on enforcement and collection of the survey. However, Judge Albright expressed skepticism towards the Government’s offer, noting that without a concrete enforcement mechanism, it was essentially an empty promise.
In response, Judge Albright directed the Government to collaborate with the Plaintiffs to draft a negotiated order that would compel the EIA to take down the survey for the agreed four-week period. Additionally, the order would require the EIA to notify non-compliant individuals that they are not obligated to comply at this time and to ensure that any information collected during the survey is sequestered and not utilized by the Agency. Importantly, the order would have national scope, covering all miners in the United States.
If an agreement between the Government and the Plaintiffs is not reached by 3 pm Central time, Judge Albright indicated that he would issue a Temporary Restraining Order with similar provisions, but with an accelerated timeline leading to a permanent injunction hearing.
As the legal battle unfolded, it became apparent that the EIA had agreed to temporarily suspend their survey of miner energy use. This development marks a significant victory for the Texas Blockchain Council and Riot Platforms, Inc. in their efforts to challenge the EIA’s data collection practices.
The final order resulting from the hearing is expected to shed more light on the implications of the decision. For now, it appears that the EIA has been effectively halted in their purportedly illegal emergency data collection efforts.
This article was written by Colin Crossman and originally published on Bitcoin Magazine. The opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of BTC Inc or any other entity.