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This is written like the construction of a hydroelectric dam on an intermediate point at any elevation change in a river is an inevitable law of nature... ?

• Dylan16807 4y ago
  It's a choice whether to build a dam or not, but that choice will not change the amount of heat generated. You could put that power to better use, but if you don't have something lined up then the waste of idle turbines bypassed by water is just as bad as the waste of mining bitcoins.
  • danielheath 4y ago
    Hydro dams typically store water uphill for later. If you use it now, it's not there to use later. In the case of a 'stranded' dam, there isn't likely to be a reason to generate power either now or later, so you might as well run BTC generation. I suspect this has been the motivation to build an awful lot of 'stranded' hydro dams, though...
    • Dylan16807 4y ago
      You can store water in the short term. The long term view is simpler. The storage will eventually fill up if you're not using all the power, and at that point you either find a use or you dump the excess water and cause just as much waste heat.