New Brunswick Crypto Mining Moratorium: What It Means for Bitcoin Miners

On March 1, 2022, New Brunswick stopped new cryptocurrency mining operations from connecting to its power grid. By November 2023, that pause became a full ban - no new Bitcoin mines, no expanded power for existing ones. This wasn’t a temporary glitch. It was a deliberate, open-ended shutdown. And it’s still in place today.

Why? Because crypto mining, especially Bitcoin mining, uses insane amounts of electricity. One large mining facility can pull as much power as a small town. In New Brunswick, where electricity comes mostly from hydro, the government saw a real risk: miners could soak up so much power that regular households and businesses would face higher bills, blackouts, or delayed infrastructure upgrades.

It’s not like this came out of nowhere. Back in 2022, Manitoba Hydro estimated that just the mining projects already lined up would add 4,600 megawatts of demand to a system with only 6,100 megawatts total capacity. That’s over 75% of the entire province’s power going to crypto. New Brunswick didn’t want to be next.

How the Moratorium Works

The ban is enforced by NB Power, the province’s Crown-owned utility. They’re not allowed to give new electricity connections to any crypto mining operation. That includes both brand-new mines and existing ones trying to grow. If you’re a mining company and you want to plug in - anywhere in New Brunswick - you’re out of luck.

The rule doesn’t just target big players. It hits any operation using Proof of Work (PoW) mining - the method Bitcoin uses. That’s the energy-hungry kind. Mines that use less power, like those running on renewable energy or newer, more efficient hardware, still fall under the ban. There’s no loophole for "green mining." If it’s crypto mining, and it needs grid power, it’s blocked.

What about existing mines? They can keep running - for now. But they can’t add more machines, expand their footprint, or request more power. Their electricity use is frozen at whatever level they had when the ban hit. That means no growth. No upgrades. Just staying put.

Why New Brunswick Said No

It wasn’t about hating Bitcoin. It was about protecting the grid and the people who pay for it.

Hydroelectric power is clean, but it’s not infinite. New Brunswick’s dams and turbines have limits. When mining operations started showing up - some asking for hundreds of megawatts - officials realized the math didn’t add up. More mining meant less power for schools, hospitals, heating homes in winter, or charging electric cars.

There’s also the cost factor. When utilities have to build new power lines or upgrade transformers to handle sudden spikes in demand, those costs get passed on to consumers. In 2023, the average New Brunswick household paid about $120 a month for electricity. Add a few big mining farms, and that number could climb fast.

British Columbia faced the same problem. When a company called Conifex Timber tried to secure 2.5 million megawatt-hours of power for mining, BC Hydro went to court - and won. The judge ruled that utilities must protect the public interest first. New Brunswick took that lesson and made it law.

How It Compares to Other Provinces

New Brunswick’s ban is the strictest in Canada.

Manitoba paused new mining connections in late 2022 and extended it until April 30, 2026. That’s a hard deadline. After that, they might reconsider. New Brunswick has no end date. It’s indefinite.

British Columbia didn’t ban mining outright. Instead, they passed Bill 24 - a law that gives BC Hydro the power to cap how much electricity mining operations can use. It’s regulation, not elimination.

Hydro-Québec raised rates for miners and limited their access. They didn’t say no - they just made it expensive.

Alberta? Totally different. With deregulated power markets and pro-mining policies, it’s become Canada’s crypto mining hub. Miners are moving there from New Brunswick, Manitoba, and even the U.S. Midwest. In Alberta, electricity is cheaper, regulations are lighter, and the government doesn’t see mining as a threat - it sees it as a tax base.

New Brunswick didn’t just say no to mining. It said no to the entire business model that depends on cheap, abundant grid power.

What Happened to Miners Already in New Brunswick?

Some shut down. Others tried to negotiate. A few even sued.

One company, which had invested $18 million in a 20-megawatt facility in Miramichi, claimed the moratorium was an unconstitutional taking of property. The courts didn’t agree. The province had the legal right to control its own power grid. The company eventually sold its equipment and moved to Alberta.

Another mine, near Fredericton, tried to switch to solar and battery storage to bypass the grid. But even then, NB Power still had to approve any connection - and they refused. The mine closed in early 2024.

There’s no official count of how many miners left, but industry insiders estimate over 90% of active operations in the province shut down or relocated between 2022 and 2024. The ones that stayed are running at 2022 capacity - no more, no less.

The Bigger Picture: Global Crypto Mining Shifts

New Brunswick’s ban is part of a global trend.

China banned Bitcoin mining in 2021. That kicked off a mass exodus. Miners scattered to Kazakhstan, the U.S., Russia, and Canada. Now, those countries are tightening up too.

Sweden capped mining at 5% of total grid usage. Iceland raised electricity rates for miners. Even Texas, once a mining hotspot, is now reviewing its rules after power grid stress during winter storms.

The message is clear: governments are no longer willing to trade reliable electricity for speculative digital assets. As climate goals get stricter, and as homes and EVs demand more power, crypto mining is being pushed out of the energy conversation - unless it can prove it’s not a drain.

What’s Next for New Brunswick?

No one knows. The government hasn’t said when - or if - the ban will end.

If Bitcoin mining becomes 50% more energy efficient overnight, maybe they’ll reconsider. If New Brunswick builds a new hydro dam or connects to offshore wind, maybe they’ll open up again. But right now, there’s no sign of change.

What’s more likely is that this becomes a model for other provinces. Ontario and Nova Scotia are watching closely. If New Brunswick’s grid stays stable and electricity rates stay low, other regions may copy the ban - not because they hate crypto, but because they love their power system too much to risk it.

For miners? The message is simple: if you need cheap, reliable grid power, don’t look at New Brunswick. Look at Alberta. Or Texas. Or wherever the rules are still loose. But don’t expect New Brunswick to open its doors again anytime soon.

What This Means for You

If you’re a crypto miner: don’t waste time applying for power in New Brunswick. It’s not happening. Focus on places where utilities still allow mining - and where you can negotiate power deals.

If you’re a resident: your electricity bill is safer. Your lights won’t go out because a mine ran out of cash. That’s the trade-off.

If you’re a policy watcher: this is one of the cleanest examples of how a government can control a tech boom - not with laws about coins or wallets, but by controlling the one thing every miner needs: electricity.

Bitcoin mining doesn’t need to be banned to die. Sometimes, all it takes is cutting off the power.