Local businesses in New York pressure its Governor, Kathy Hochul to halt crypto mining licenses in the state following environmental-climate issues. Cryptocurrency mining continues to pose environmental-climate threats. Local businesses in New York have asked Governor to halt the decision of the state to turn the Greenidge Generating Station and the Fortistar North Tonawanda power plants into crypto mining facilities.
In the letter directed to the governor, the businesses request that the New York’s Governor not only halt crypto mining licenses but also carry out an environmental assessment for crypto mining in the state. According to the letter, “Proof-of-Work cryptocurrency mining use enormous amounts of energy to power the computers needed to conduct business — should this activity expand in New York, it could drastically undermine New York’s climate goals established under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.”
The businesses believe that following through with the plan to turn facilities into crypto mining sites will undermine the progress the state has made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the state. Also, according to the letter, one of the proposed facilities for the crypto mining site doesn’t comply with New York’s climate law. With energy consumption and emission still a tag attached to crypto mining worldwide, local businesses in New York have called on Hochul’s administration to deny permits for the two fossil-fuel facilities.