Siberian energy providers raised concerns about miners operating in chicken coops., 2026/04/13 18:57:20

Miners are attempting to “disguise mining as heating for chicken coops,” stated Andrey Kharitonov, director of the Russian company “Irkutskenergosbyt.” Siberian energy providers have identified approximately 8,000 farms to date, but the actual number of violators is likely higher, lamented the head of the resource supply organization.

Following a complete ban on cryptocurrency mining in the southern part of the Irkutsk region, legal farms have relocated to the north or to other areas of Russia. The primary hotspots for illegal cryptocurrency mining are concentrated in the Irkutsk and Shelekhov districts, as well as in Angarsk, Kharitonov explained in an interview with the Siberian Information Agency. 

Tracking the operations of small farms, which may have two to three devices, is challenging, and determining whether their owners report their activities and pay taxes is even more difficult, the energy official complained.

According to him, specialists from “Irkutskenergosbyt” detect illegal farms through abnormal electricity consumption. A typical indicator is a load that is significantly higher than normal, with spikes in consumption lasting for months, unlike the usual peaks seen in residential areas during mornings and evenings.

The verification process begins with a request for owners to allow specialists to inspect the metering devices. If the reason for the increased consumption is clear—such as ongoing repairs, the use of electric heating, or powerful heat guns—the issue is resolved, Kharitonov assured. If the owner refuses to let company employees in or if there are indirect signs of mining—such as characteristic equipment noise or thermal imaging readings—”Irkutskenergosbyt” files a lawsuit.

“Typically, individuals attempt to attribute excessive consumption to charging for electric vehicles, heating greenhouses, or chicken coops. In our experience, there have been cases where individuals claimed they were drying wood for house construction—despite having nothing on the property except a dugout connected to 150 kW,” Kharitonov recounted to journalists.

In another instance, a landowner with a transformer substation and a hangar denied ownership of the equipment. The man claimed that he only owned the land, which is “not an energy-receiving device.” Nevertheless, the court sided with “Irkutskenergosbyt,” and the Siberian resident was required to pay nearly 3 million rubles, the energy official reported.

Kharitonov noted that differentiated tariffs for industrial enterprises do not yield the desired effect. The electricity consumption of illegal miners falls into the upper range, causing the tariff to become commercial—thereby reducing the profitability of mining. Since January, the consumption ranges have also been extended to garage construction cooperatives. This has impacted the activity of “gray miners”: some have begun to shut down their equipment, the source told the Siberian Information Agency.

“All discussions, pleas, and appeals to conscience yield no results. As practice shows, most individuals respond only to financial penalties,” the representative of the energy supply company expressed.

Kharitonov explained how energy providers are litigating against miners. Since 2019, the company has filed 2,170 lawsuits with a total claim amount of nearly 1.4 billion rubles. Of these, 1,404 decisions have been made in favor of the company—resulting in the recovery of about 700 million rubles. An additional 108 claims were settled out of court when defendants paid their electricity bills, leading the company to withdraw the lawsuit. 

Recently, an illegal mining farm was discovered in the Achinsk district of the Krasnoyarsk region on the premises of an agricultural enterprise. Energy providers assessed the damage at 1.2 million rubles.