Summary
A small group of bitcoin miners have set up a mine near Kenya's Hell's Gate National Park. The mine is operated by a startup called Gridless, which is backed by Jack Dorsey. Gridless uses a mix of solar power and geothermal energy to power the mine. 43% of Africa's population, or roughly 600 million people, lack access to electricity. Africa is home to an estimated 10 terawatts of solar capacity, 350 gigawatts of hydro and another 110 gigawatts. Even with 60% of the best solar resources globally, Africa only has 1% of installed solar PV capacity. Gridless says its sites have powered 1,200 houses in Zambia, 1,800 in Malawi and 5,000 in Kenya. The company's mines also have delivered power for containerized cold storage for farmers. The buildout of capacity is also electrifying households.