Slashing CO2Methane-slashing compute clusters.
Big Picture
Methane only sticks around the atmosphere a couple of decades, but while it’s up there it heats the planet 84x more than CO2. This makes cutting methane emissions urgent. One of the biggest sources is the oil and gas sector, which flares and vents methane (CH4) without getting any utility from it. If CH4 is combusted for energy, the warming potential falls by 98% over venting, while also making real money.
How it Works
Crusoe redirects methane that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere and uses it instead to power data centers and cryptocurrency mining. Their modular data centers are deployed exclusively at natural gas sites where Crusoe can verifiably reduce emissions. This avoids roughly 5x and 7x more CO2e than equivalently sized wind and solar power systems at roughly 5x and 6x lower cost, respectively.
Unfair Advantage
The oil and gas sector has exhibited broad indifference to mitigating methane emissions but now faces rising regulatory costs. Bitcoin miners seek out the cheapest electricity irrespective of its carbon intensity. Crusoe creates a compelling financial incentive for each use case that is tied to radically lower levels of methane emissions. This dynamic also extends to other stranded renewable assets.
07
Times more avoided CO2e
than an equivalently-sized solar system
CHASE LOCHMILLER CEO & CO-FOUNDER
Chase was previously a General Partner at Polychain Capital, a $1 billion fund investing in blockchain technologies, digital assets, and energy-intensive computing applications. Prior to that, Chase was a quantitative trader with Jump Trading and GETCO.
CULLY CAVNESS PRESIDENT & CO-FOUNDER
Cully was previously Vice President of Finance at an oil exploration and production company in Colorado and Montana, which exposed him to the industry’s challenges with flaring. Prior to that, Cully worked in investing and business development roles within the oil and gas and geothermal industries.
Crusoe Energy is tackling energy use for cryptocurrency and data centers and greenhouse gas emissions
TechCrunch
Why Bitcoin Mining is Being Touted as a Solution to Gas Flaring
Bloomberg
Halting the Vast Release of Methane is Critical for Climate, U.N. Says
The New York Times