New York has denied a permit to a controversial crypto mining plant
— Job, Air quality permit, Administration, Appeal, Step, Debate earlier, Climate leadership, Emissions, Extend, Science — 1 min read
State Department of Environmental Conservation declines to extend air quality permit to bitcoin mining facility. The DEC says the plant does not comply with state's climate laws. The company says it will appeal the decision and its operations will continue. Greenidge converted the decades-old plant to natural gas in 2017 and began mining bitcoin from the facility in 2019. Lawmakers passed a bill placing a moratorium on new permits for gas-powered crypto mining earlier this year. Gov. Kathy Hochul has yet to sign that bill, but the DEC has now ruled that the plant is out of step with state climate laws and declined to extend a permit to the facility's air quality. The decision marks a victory for local environmental and other advocacy groups who led the push against using greenhouse gas-emitting plants to power crypto mining. Source