Mountain City may soon welcome Bitcoin mining operations as CleanSpark has secured preliminary support from local planners subject to the site’s final assessment and energy arrangements.
Clean Spark’s Bitcoin Mining Facility Proposals Moves in Mountain City
The Mountain City Planning Commission has expressed an early favor for the Bitcoin Mining Data Center proposed by CleanSpark (NASDAQ:CLSK), a Nevada-based company specializing in cryptocurrency mining. However, full permission relies on completion of detailed site plans and final agreement with the Tennessee Valley Bureau (TVA).
A report by Tomahahawk said Cleanspark Chief Operating Officer Scott Garrison, if approved, the facility envisaged for the 50.48 acres of agricultural parcel at 178 Rainbow Road can begin operations within two months. Thomas Cheryl of Tomahawk, valued at $367,400, reported that his LLC and Steve Brown-owned property in North Carolina will host application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) Bitcoin mining equipment designed to minimize noise and avoid the use of air cooling.
Garrison emphasized that the ASIC unit will maintain sound levels similar to traffic along nearby US 421, directly addressing previous community anxiety. CleanSpark currently operates 31 comparable sites across the US and is engaged in BTC mining only. Cheryl’s report further emphasizes that the project will first introduce 12 jobs, known as the “best” opportunities that do not require a university degree, and there is a possibility of further employment if on-site repair facilities are established.
Garrison further pointed to broader efforts in economic revitalization, including charity and job creation, citing Sandersville, Georgia, where workers “have ended up buying a home after living in a car.” Rodney Metcalf, general manager of Mountain Electric, has expressed support for the venture, suggesting that its substantial energy demand could lead to an “defensible” rate balance.
Mayor Jerry Jordan saw the proposal as a “promise,” but Cheryl’s report pointed to his complaints about the ultimate delay in Jordan’s site plans. Tomahawk also reported that CleanSpark is awaiting a decision on the TVA energy plan expected by mid-May. The planning committee plans to reconsider the proposal on May 22nd, the article concluded. CleanSpark is ranked as the fourth largest publicly traded Bitcoin miner by market capitalization.
