Glossary · deep dive

Stranded energy

Energy that is produced or could be produced but cannot reach a buyer, for example because no power line or pipeline exists.

Some energy has no buyer: gas burned off (flared) at remote oil wells, hydropower far from cities, or wind and solar at times of surplus.

Bitcoin's role

A miner needs only power and an internet link, so it can move to the energy instead of the other way round. Cambridge researchers describe miners as potential buyers "of first and last resort".