William Shatner Captains First Solar Powered Bitcoin Mining Operation

William Shatner’s latest role is being the spokesman for a Vancouver based company that is about to open the world’s first solar powered Bitcoin mining operation.

Shatner, who is idolized by Trekkies the world over for his portrayal of James T. Kirk, Captain of the starship Enterprise, may not be quite as current on burgeoning technology today as he was back in the sixties when he was beaming people up with a tractor beam, but he knows a good idea when he hears one.

The 87-year-old actor initially came into contact with the Canadian company Solar Alliance when he contracted them to put solar panels on his California home. The company which specializes in alternative energy solutions has since announced plans to build a solar-powered Bitcoin mining operation in an abandoned Illinois factory and have asked Shatner to be their spokesman.

Bitcoin mining uses computer networks to solve complex problems for which the miners are awarded Bitcoin as payment. One of the major criticisms of Bitcoin recently is the massive amount of electricity an operation uses in order to mine each coin, which also hampers miners from operating in areas where electricity costs are high. This is where Solar Alliance CEO Jason Bak found inspiration.

The project which will be based around a huge solar array to be built on the abandoned factory’s 14-acre footprint. The old factory itself will be leased out as a mining pool with some parts reserved as a teaching center for solar panel installation. The company has been welcomed by the town of Murphysboro mayor, Will Stephens, who was quoted in the Chicago Tribune as saying “We, like a lot of Middle America, have seen job losses because of a change in the worldwide economy.”

Whether using solar energy proves to be cost effective enough for Bitcoin Mining companies or not Illinois’ utility companies are compelled by state policy to buy renewable energy which makes the project economically viable with or without the mining aspect. Mayor Stephens is undeterred by Bitcoin’s many outspoken critics as he told the Tribune;

“From my perspective, we’re going to have someone who will occupy a previously derelict property, and whatever development comes out of it will just make it more marketable if the project is not successful,”

Shatner plans on visiting the project as he has homes in both Chicago and Kentucky. The actor who doesn’t pretend to understand how cryptocurrency works referred to the concept as both “bizarre” and “esoteric” but delivered a very Kirkian explanation of Bitcoin when he said,

“You have to blank your mind and say, ‘What is blockchain, again? How does mining operate, again?’ The concepts are really strange, and yet when you begin to grasp it, it makes sense.”

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