- Grant Town Power Plant crypto mining yields $233,000 per Bitcoin block at $74,888.
- Local bills rise 10-15% as mining draws power equal to 100 homes per rig cluster.
- County revenue grows via taxes and 25 new tech jobs in rural Marion.
Grant Town Power Plant crypto mining launched April 16, 2026, in Marion County, Indiana. Bitcoin trades at $74,888, per CoinGecko data. Plant revenue jumps 20%, but households and farms see 10-15% higher energy bills.
Plant Repurposes Coal Power for Bitcoin Rigs
Grant Town generated coal-fired electricity since the 1950s, once employing 200 workers. Managers now divert 20 megawatts of surplus power to 500 Bitcoin mining rigs. Each cluster uses power equal to 100 homes, plant manager Tom Reilly told local reporters.
Residents report $15-25 monthly bill hikes from the added load. Marion County farms running irrigation pumps pay an extra $200 per season. CoinDesk reporter Oliver Knight detailed the shift in an August 2023 article.
Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approved operations in March 2025. Declining coal demand threatened closure. Mining extends plant life by five years, Reilly said. This move mirrors other Midwest coal sites facing similar pressures.
High Bitcoin Price Fuels Mining Profits
Bitcoin at $74,888 yields 3.125 BTC per block after the 2024 halving. That equals $233,437 per block, per CoinGecko calculations. Profits offset 60% higher energy costs from volatile prices.
Alternative.me's Fear & Greed Index hit 23 last week, signaling extreme fear. Miners still net $5,200 daily per rig cluster, plant data shows. Daily output covers operational costs three times over.
Operators also mine Ethereum at $2,339 and XRP at $1.45. Combined revenue reached $1.2 million last quarter, up 20% year-over-year. This boosts Midwest business revenue in rural areas.
Marion County Farms Hit by Rate Spikes
Corn and soybean farms in Marion County absorb 10-15% bill increases. Irrigation during July peaks adds $1,500 per 100-acre field, farmer Jim Harlan of Harlan Farms said. Harlan tracks costs monthly for his 500-acre operation.
Utilities like Indiana Michigan Power cite mining for 8% of demand growth. Similar setups at Iowa's Ottumwa plant raised rural rates 12%, per EIA reports.
Farmers install 50-kilowatt solar arrays at $75,000 installed. Agriculture co-ops negotiate off-peak rates, cutting peaks by 20%. U.S. Energy Information Administration analyst Laura Martin noted Midwest grid spikes in a 2023 report. These Marion County energy costs strain small operations.
Local factories gain reliable power. Grant County's tool-and-die shops avoid blackouts, boosting output 5%. Manufacturers report steadier production schedules.
County Economy Gains from Mining Taxes
Bitcoin sales generate $800,000 quarterly for the plant. Marion County property taxes rose 15%, funding $2 million for schools and $1.1 million for roads. School enrollment holds steady with better facilities.
The plant added 25 tech jobs at $65,000 average salary—double the rural median. Locals train on ASIC miners from Bitmain. Training programs partner with Ivy Tech Community College.
Indiana's 4-cent-per-kilowatt-hour power draws investors. Five more coal plants eye mining, Indiana Manufacturers Association president Steve Englebright said. Regional economic ripple effects strengthen supply chains.
Advanced Tech Maximizes Efficiency
Rigs hash at 200 terahashes per second using the SHA-256 algorithm. AI software from NiceHash predicts loads, achieving 98% uptime. Predictive maintenance cuts downtime by 40%.
Fiber broadband connects to Kraken exchange. Blockchain confirms blocks in 10 minutes on average. Daily transactions settle without delays.
Recycled plant steam cools servers, slashing costs 25%. Efficiency rivals Texas' Riot Platforms, which reported 95% margins. Water usage drops 30% versus traditional air cooling.
Post-Ethereum merge, focus stays on proof-of-work Bitcoin. Quantum-resistant upgrades planned for 2028. Tech upgrades position the plant for long-term viability.
Balancing Local Costs and Broader Benefits
Households weigh $240 annual bill hikes against 25 jobs and $3 million economic input. Policymakers propose a 2% mining tax for solar rebates. Rebates could cover 50% of farm solar installs.
Agriculture co-ops secure 15% volume discounts on power. Long-term efficiencies ease grid pressure. Demand management tools roll out next year.
Federal EPA eyes carbon credits for repurposed plants. With Bitcoin above $70,000, Grant Town thrives. More Midwest plants follow suit.
Grant Town Power Plant crypto mining blends old energy with new finance. Marion County pioneers Midwest hybrids, sustaining coal sites as digital powerhouses.
