Having already expanded its China-based ASIC chip manufacturing into Switzerland and Canada, Bitmain is looking to add a facility to the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
According to companies-numbers.com, the co-founder of Bitmain, Jihan Wu, is the sole governing person behind Ant Creek LLC, a company in the Port of Walla Walla, Washington, that was registered in June 2017.
In a news article published on March 8, 2018, by the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, the city is considering a land-use agreement with Ant Creek that would allow the company to lease land starting in 2019 with an option to purchase up to 40 acres.
The report further indicates that the use would be to develop and operate a cryptocurrency mining facility. “Port Executive Director Patrick Reay said his agency has been working with Ant Creek LLC for about six months on the development of a blockchain facility.”
“Our purpose is to generate assessed value and create jobs,” Reay stated. The Ant Creek proposal looks to bring up to 20 jobs and $10 million in private investment to the city.
Some areas are concerned about the power consumption of crypto mining, such as Plattsburgh, New York, where they are considering banning mining, while other areas such as Quebec, Canada, are welcoming it.
Reay said the Port of Walla Walla doesn’t share Plattsburgh’s concern over electricity. “The Port of Walla Walla, as a municipal entity, is not in the electrical business, as we do not sell electrical service,” he told Bitcoin Magazine. “We have two electrical providers in Walla Walla County, Columbia REA and Pacific Power.”
