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On March 28, 2026, CleanSpark announced the closure of its mining center in Tennessee. This site, capable of consuming 25 megawatts, has been operating here for five years. The termination of the facility is not due to financial or technical difficulties, but to an agreement reached with the local population. Residents of the nearby city of New Salem have been complaining about acoustic discomfort from the equipment for a long time and, as a result, achieved its decommissioning.

The history of this facility began long before it became the property of CleanSpark. The mining farm was originally owned by GRIID Infrastructure. CleanSpark completed the acquisition of GRIID Infrastructure in October 2024, planning to significantly increase its mining capacity. According to reports from that period, the integration of assets was supposed to increase the company's overall bitcoin mining potential by more than 400 megawatts. This transaction was seen as a significant step to expand our market presence and improve operational efficiency. However, along with the assets, CleanSpark inherited problems related to the operation of the facility in Washington County.

Shortly after the change of ownership, residents of New Salem began to send appeals to the company's management and local authorities. The main complaint was the constant noise generated by the cooling system of the mining equipment. It was not about temporary peak loads, but about the continuous low-frequency hum emitted by the fans cooling the ASIC miners. People reported that this noise interferes with sleep, disrupts the normal rhythm of life and negatively affects well-being. Complaints have been received continuously for several months, which indicates the seriousness of the accepted problem.

The situation developed in the legal field and ended with the signing of a settlement agreement. According to its terms, CleanSpark has committed to completely cease the operation of the facility in this location. The company must dismantle all equipment within 120 days of the conclusion of the agreement.

It is worth noting that this incident in Washington County is not an isolated one for CleanSpark. In the same state of Tennessee, in the city of Mountain City, the company faced similar resistance from residents due to another project. It was planned to place a mining farm with a capacity of 30 megawatts there, but this project caused a clear rejection among the local population. A petition was initiated against the construction, which was supported by more than 1,700 people.

Issues related to acoustic pollution, heat recovery, and the impact on utility networks are becoming as important as hashrate indicators or the cost of electricity. Companies that ignore these aspects are at risk of legal and reputational losses that may exceed the economic benefits of operating individual sites.