Jellico residents petition to review Bitcoin data center after high electric bills

Residents of Jellico, Tennessee, are voicing strong concerns over skyrocketing electricity bills, which some attribute to the CleanSpark Bitcoin mining data center located on Douglas Lane. Molly Ervin Caudill, a local resident, reported her bill jumped to $816 and, after only paying half, faced late fees and a disconnect notice, with her total due reaching $1,082. Brian Pitts, another Jellico resident, raised questions about the data center's electricity contract, fearing that taxpayers might be subsidizing the facility if it has a fixed-rate agreement while residential rates increase. Pitts also expressed apprehension regarding potential environmental impacts and safety issues, specifically citing a fire hazard on Douglas Lane and limited means of egress for the community given the reliance on a volunteer fire department. In response to inquiries from 6 News, Jellico Utilities Authority President Joe Carroll and CleanSpark Chief Business Officer Harry Sudock stated that the data center's presence actually helps stabilize rates. Carroll clarified that there is no cap on what the data center pays and attributed the sharp increase in customer costs to kilowatts per hour of usage (KWH) due to recent extreme cold weather. Despite these assurances, Caudill initiated a petition, gathering 687 signatures, which she plans to present to the city council on Thursday, seeking a review of the data center's operations.