Bitcoin mining power use increased 38% while hydropower overtook natural gas as the sector’s largest energy source, according to Cambridge data published by the Cambridge Judge Business School. The findings offer a new snapshot of how Bitcoin mining’s electricity demand and energy mix are changing.

Cambridge data tracks rising Bitcoin mining power use

The findings come from the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance, whose latest research reported that sustainable energy use is rising in Bitcoin mining even as overall electricity consumption grows. The Cambridge Judge Business School published the study at

According to the accompanying Cambridge Digital Mining Industry Report, mining power use rose 38% over the study period. The measure refers to the electricity drawn by the Bitcoin network, rather than transaction throughput or block production.

Power use remains a closely watched metric because it is central to debates about mining economics, grid impact, and the sector’s environmental footprint. The same infrastructure expansion has helped push Bitcoin hashrate to record highs, adding computing capacity that requires more electricity.

Hydropower moves ahead of natural gas

The Cambridge research found that hydropower has surpassed natural gas as the single largest energy source for Bitcoin mining. The shift was also reported in coverage of the study, including Crypto Briefing at

Alexander Neumueller, who leads the Cambridge team’s digital assets work, highlighted the sustainable-energy trend in a public post on the findings at The change reflects the composition of the sector’s energy inputs, not a decline in total demand.

A larger role for hydropower does not, by itself, resolve every environmental question surrounding Bitcoin mining. Overall power use is still increasing, and hydropower availability can vary by season and region. The data therefore represents a directional signal in the mining energy mix rather than a conclusion about the sector’s net impact.

Implications for mining operators and policy debate

Higher power use tends to renew attention on mining economics and infrastructure demand. Those factors shape how operators, including companies running large self-mining fleets, plan capacity and negotiate site electricity contracts.

A cleaner-leaning energy mix can also affect public and policy discussions. Data updates from a recognized research group such as Cambridge are often referenced by miners, investors, and regulators when framing the industry’s electricity use and environmental profile. The distinction between total electricity demand and the sources of that electricity is important because both figures can move at the same time, as this update shows.

The figures are updated measurements rather than a settled end-state for the sector. Taken together, the 38% increase in power use and hydropower’s rise above natural gas indicate an industry using more electricity while sourcing a larger share of that electricity from renewables.