Donald Trump’s ambition to bring Bitcoin mining fully under US control could be at odds with a new Democratic proposal that seeks to rein in the industry’s carbon footprint.

The Clean Cloud Act, introduced by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and John Fetterman, seeks to address the surging power demand from cryptominers and data centers.

If passed, it would impose a carbon intensity fee starting in 2026 for operations that exceed a regional emissions baseline — a threshold that would decline each year until hitting zero in 2035.

The bill’s authors say surging power demand from miners is driving utilities to raise rates and restart fossil fuel plants.

“Energy-hungry data centers and cryptomining facilities are overloading our already strained power grid,” said Senator Whitehouse in a statement. “The Clean Cloud Act will drive utilities and the burgeoning crypto and AI industries to invest in new sources of clean energy and thereby ensure that a net-zero grid remains achievable.”

It’s a markedly different approach from Trump’s, who told miners last year that he wants “all remaining Bitcoin to be made in the USA.”

He’s also pitched Bitcoin mining as a tool for energy independence and even national security, suggesting it could help win the AI arms race and resist central bank digital currencies.

But that ambition is also facing other economic pressures, partly caused by Trump himself.

Trump’s trade war has hit miners hard, with tariffs on Chinese mining equipment climbing as high as 131%.

Since March, Bitcoin mining profitability has plunged, with hashprice dropping to $40, a level Luxor CEO Nick Hansen described as a “bear case.”

Put simply, this metric refers to the amount of revenue miners earn per unit of computing power.

“Most miners were looking at $40 as their worst-case scenario,” Hansen told DL News, noting that firms are now scrambling to cut costs or shift operations.

The proposed emissions bill could further squeeze margins, especially for miners relying on coal or gas, even as others argue it may ultimately benefit firms with greener setups.

Kyle Baird is DL News’ Weekend Editor. Got a tip? Email at kbaird@dlnews.com.