Mining companies have intensified their competition for energy resources amid growing demand for data centers. Fortitude Mining, a company focused on mining Zcash, has acquired a 12.5 MW facility in Nebraska, while Bernstein analysts have noted an increase in the value of already approved connections in Texas.
According to a press release, a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group purchased the site in Prosser. It is the third facility for Fortitude in the state.
The deal includes land, a building, and a 67 kV substation. The nominal price was $6.25 million, but after adjustments, the company estimated net cash expenses at approximately $4.7 million. With other sites considered, Fortitude’s portfolio exceeds 60 MW of contracted capacity across seven locations in South Dakota, Nebraska, Texas, and New York.
“The acquisition of the Prosser facility is a significant step in scaling our own operational portfolio. By combining targeted acquisitions like Prosser with the development of new sites, we are building a vertically integrated platform designed to maximize the value of every megawatt we own,” said Fortitude CEO Andrea Childs.
According to the company, the electricity cost at the facility is estimated at about $0.045 per kWh. Fortitude expects that cheap power and new miners will help reduce the direct cash cost of mining ZEC from approximately $70 to $40 per coin under stable market and network conditions.
At the time of writing, the asset is trading above $485. Over the past 30 days, it has gained 5.2%, according to CoinGecko.
The acquisition followed the launch of Fortitude’s 12 MW facility in Grand Island. The company described it as their first wholly owned facility built from scratch.
At the end of July, Fortitude also purchased 9,000 Antminer Z15 Pro units from Bitmain for approximately $31.5 million. The company estimates that the new machines will add about 7.56 GSol/s of hash rate. In the first half of 2026, the firm mined 72,696 ZEC.
Developments in Texas
Amid rising demand for electricity, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has instructed the state’s Public Utility Commission and grid operator ERCOT to audit data centers seeking to connect to the grid. Approval of such projects is suspended until the audit is completed, reports the Texas Tribune.
According to the publication, ERCOT is monitoring over 1,800 applicants in the queue for connections totaling more than 474 GW. About 90% of new requests, according to the governor, are from data centers.
“Our top priority is to protect the safety and quality of life for Texans. Any project that does not meet the requirements [of regulators] and state laws should be denied connection to the Texas grid,” Abbott stated.
Bernstein analysts believe that the moratorium should not significantly impact already approved energy contracts for bitcoin miners, reports Cointelegraph. They estimate that the restrictions are more likely to affect speculative data center projects and increase the value of sites with already approved capacities.
Among the latter, Bernstein named facilities owned by IREN and Riot Platform. Meanwhile, Cipher Digital, Core Scientific, and CleanSpark may face greater resistance to new data centers in the future.
In July, the largest American mining company MARA Holdings acquired a site in Matagorda County, Texas. The total deal value could reach $600 million if all development stages are completed.
On July 20, Hut 8 signed a 15-year lease for the second phase of the Beacon Point AI campus in Texas. The contract amount was $9.8 billion.
