New York has been the home of some battles against crypto-miners who have set up shop at dormant fossil fuel plants. The Greenidge Bitcoin mining operation near Seneca Lake has been the locus of some particularly bitter battles against the industry: a dormant coal power plant that was converted to natural gas and devoted to Bitcoin mining in 2019, its permit renewals have been the focus of fierce protests. It will not be affected by this particular legislation, which only bans mining operations who have not already submitted applications for new or renewed permits.
New York institutes two-year ban on new crypto-mining operations at fossil fuel plants
Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation to ban for two years the issuance of permits to new crypto-mining operations at fossil fuel plants. This seeks to cut down on the enormous energy costs of proof-of-work crypto-mining used for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.
- "New York Enacts 2-Year Ban on Some Crypto-Mining Operations", The New York Times