This marks the first time a North American county has created explicit zoning categories based on cryptocurrency mining power consumption (1MW threshold). This regulatory framework demonstrates how digital currency is forcing traditional land-use policies to evolve, creating new categories of industrial classification that merge digital and physical infrastructure requirements.
Westlock County: Crypto Mining Zones Signal Digital Currency Shift
📰 What Happened
Westlock County in Canada is revising its Data Processing Facilities Bylaw to accommodate larger cryptocurrency operations. The amendment, presented by Julie McLean on July 8, creates two facility categories: Major Facilities using 1+ megawatt must operate in industrial zones, while smaller operations under 1MW have fewer restrictions. The changes respond to increasing proposals for high-powered crypto facilities, specifically addressing digital currency, NFT, and blockchain processing needs.
📖 Prophetic Significance
The Westlock regulations reveal three unprecedented developments: 1) The 1-megawatt threshold creates a new class of industrial-scale digital currency facilities, pointing to Revelation's economic control systems, 2) The explicit inclusion of NFTs and blockchain in municipal zoning laws shows how digital assets are becoming institutionalized at local government levels, and 3) The separation into major/minor facilities suggests a two-tier digital economy emerging, potentially foreshadowing the division between those who can and cannot participate in future economic systems.