The man connected to a controversial bitcoin mine in the eastern Upper Peninsula defended data centers during a recent campaign event as part of his bid for a Florida Congressional seat.
Michael Carbonara, whose name is on the mine’s permit, is running on the GOP ticket in Florida's 22nd Congressional District.
This comes as locals in the UP have tried to make contact with him for months amid an ongoing legal feud between a school in Dafter Township and the web of companies who own and operate the mine.
Origins of the dispute
The operators of the mine are being sued by Lake Superior Academy, who say the mine is too loud.
The K-12 school holds classes outside, and say the noise is around 70-75 decibels, somewhere between a washing machine and a blender.
Lake Superior Academy says the noise makes it harder for their students to learn, and paused an expansion project because of the mine. That project would have welcomed 40 new students.
Carbonara is also on the business filings of Odessa Partners LLC, the company that owns the land the mine is on. They're one of two companies being sued, along with AlphaWatt, who own the mine itself.
The companies are countersuing the school, seeking financial relief because the bitcoin mine was temporarily shut down after a judge issued a restraining order. According to court filings, the mine operators said the restraining order cost the company $183,889.39.
In legal filings, the mine operators also said they stacked hay bales in front of the mine in an effort to mitigate the noise, bringing it down to about 43 decibels, or the sound of a street.
Locals have not had any known direct contact with Carbonara after community members grew concerned about the noise coming from the mine in the spring of 2025. Two men with AlphaWatt took questions at a township meeting last year.
"It's our first mining operation. It's a new venture for us," said Jon Balar, from AlphaWatt who said he "managed operations for the site"
Lake Superior Academy Superintendent Susie Schlehuber told WCMU last year that “The longer we learn about them, the less we know, the more questions we have."
Carbonara’s name appears on the listings of several companies, some active and others inactive, linked to Odessa. His campaign is largely self-funded and fueled by crypto investments, out of over $5 million in contributions, over $3.7 million are self-made loans, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
"I believe I'm the first candidate to invest campaign funds into cryptocurrency," he said on the Founder2Founder podcast. "I expect anywhere from $300 to $500,000 in extra value, which obviously saves time and money because the campaign needs it."
"I have built a data center”
Carbonara was moved into Florida's 22nd Congressional District after the state vote to redraw their electoral map. The 22nd is home to Palm Beach. A local data center proposal, Project Tango, has drawn pushback from locals there. The 202-acre site was put on pause by the county commission following concerns over noise pollution, safety and potential ecological damage.
At a campaign forum in south Florida, Carbonara said he opposes the development and called for more local control. The forum was reported on by The Floridian, a local news outlet
He also alluded to having built a bitcoin mine but did not name the Dafter Township mine by name.
"I have built a data center, but it's not an AI data center. It's actually a bitcoin mining operation,” he said. “I've been attacked by the George Soros and the No Kings people... so it's been quite a ride because they want to attack innovation."
He also defended bitcoin mining, saying it can bring down energy costs. Power for the Dafter mine is provided by Cloverland Electric, a nonprofit utility co-operative.
The co-op said in a statement last year that high-volume users like the Dafter mine help offset declining sales, keeping rates stable.
"We actually help the community. It's a nonprofit cooperative electrical company, so we actually save the community cost of electricity, and we don't use any water whatsoever," Carbonara said.
While Carbonara's name is on the permit, he did not directly confirm his connection to the Dafter mine during the event, his comments regarding opposition to it are echoed in a blog post made by Alpha Watt in 2025.
The post condemned what Alpha Watt called “the damaging actions of Indivisible, a billionaire-funded activist group reportedly backed by George Soros. Known for its involvement in the violent No Kings riots around the country.”
The local Indivisible chapter, EUP Solidarity, has been a critic of the mine since its inception.
Cloverland has said they are not connected to mine's operation.
“While Cloverland does not control the operations of these facilities, and cannot stop service due to those concerns, we understand and take seriously the concerns raised by members regarding noise levels,” they said in 2025.
Carbonara's campaign did not reply to WCMU's multiple requests for comment. The lawsuit between the owners of the bitcoin mine and the school remains ongoing in Chippewa County's 50th Circuit Court.
According to a Facebook post made by Lake Superior Academy, the next hearing is Aug. 17 at 10:00 a.m.
