Mandy DeRoche, Deputy Managing Attorney, Clean Energy Program, Earthjustice: “Greenidge’s operations conflict with New York’s climate law and represent significant environmental risks. The communities around Seneca Lake have been vocal about the negative impact of this facility, and we support DEC’s authority to uphold the standards set by the CLCPA.”
The 2022 law required the DEC to produce a study into cryptomining’s environmental impacts by November 22, 2023; Without a completed environmental study, New York further delays meeting Climate Act goals
A group of Granbury community members, represented by Earthjustice, filed a lawsuit in Texas State Court, Hood County, against Marathon Digital Holdings, Inc., which operates a bitcoin mine in Granbury, Texas. The lawsuit alleges that Marathon creates a private nuisance by causing and then failing to mitigate excessive noise pollution caused by their 24/7 proof-of-work cryptocurrency mining operations, resulting in sustained harm to the surrounding community.
Major polluter Greenidge Generation files lawsuit in order to continue mining cryptocurrency and polluting the environment while challenging DEC’s permit denial in court
“Utilities and anyone who depends on reliable, affordable electricity should support the EIA’s effort to bring transparency to this energy-intensive industry”
Mandy DeRoche, Deputy Managing Attorney, Clean Energy Program: “Historically, Bitcoin miners go to the cheapest source of electricity with the least amount of regulation, and they do the cheapest thing possible. It’s one of the reasons why noise pollution from crypto mining tends to be so much worse than traditionally-operated data center operators.”
Mandy DeRoche, Deputy Managing Attorney, Clean Energy Program: “We have seen across the U.S. how energy-intensive crypto mining strains electric grids, restarts and unretires dirty coal and gas plants, raises electricity rates for others, increases local air and water pollution and is as noisy as planes about to take off. Crypto miners don’t need incentives…
The ruling confirmed DEC’s authority to deny permits, including renewal permits, for being inconsistent with the greenhouse gas emissions limits of New York’s Climate Law (the CLCPA) and upheld the denial of Greenidge’s permit on that basis.
Climate-killing crypto miner Greenidge Generation became a national story and test case for how states should handle the exploitative and extractive crypto mining industry
Mandy DeRoche, Deputy Managing Attorney, Clean Energy Program: “Every day is urgent. The incentives for mining are getting so much higher. Between the price of bitcoin and extreme weather, the combination is a danger to our grid and a danger to externalizing costs on other ratepayers and on the environment.”
The U.S. Energy Information Administration raises concerns about energy-intensive cryptocurrency mining operations, will seek comments on reporting requirements.
Hillary Aidun, Attorney, Northeast Office: “As the appellate court made clear, people who live near polluting power plants have every right to challenge the decisions that impact their health, safety, and quality of life. We look forward to proving that cryptocurrency miners can’t get a free pass to pollute, and the Public Service Commission can’t…
In the News: Denton Record-ChronicleFebruary 28, 2024
Thom Cmar, Attorney, Clean Energy Program: “The EIA collects this type information from every energy user in the U.S., so there is no question that they have the authority to collect this information. It’s just a question of whether this industry is willing to cooperate by making this information publicly available to the extent it…
Thom Cmar, Attorney, Clean Energy Program: “The EIA clearly has authority to collect this type of information from crypto miners, as it does from many other industries. The reporting burdens here are minimal, and this is information that the public has the right to know.”
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