Greenidge Bitcoin Mining

Greenidge is an old coal power plant with an already bad environmental history. Once mothballed, it was converted to a gas fired plant for use as a “peaker plant”- to only be used when excess energy was needed by the public, and not run continually. Now, its out of state owners at Atlas Holdings want to expand operations for a privately owned bitcoin operation which would consume enough power to fuel 93,000 homes. That’s bigger than 2 of Amazon’s immense data centers. This facility threatens the health of our air, our water, and the Finger Lakes’ thriving agricultural and tourism-driven economy.

But Greenidge is not an outlier. Proof of Work (PoW) cryptocurrency mining is extremely energy intensive. It can use the same amount of energy as entire countries like Argentina.

Parts of China and India are banning Bitcoin because it is hampering their climate goals, and taking power (electricity) away from the public to use for private Bitcoin operations. Crypto mining’s energy use has increased by 320% in the past 5 years. Nature completed a study in 2018 stating that Bitcoin mining could single-handedly tip us over that 2 degree tipping point that climate scientists warn about.

Energy-intensive, climate busting crypto mining is sweeping through the US as more countries move to ban it. New York is host to nearly 20% of all crypto mining where there is no regulation on this polluting industry.

Seneca Lake Guardian has lead the charge in educating and informing statewide environmental organizations who have formed a coalition to make this a top environmental priority for New York. We’re laser-focused on this issue and our relatively small sized organization lends itself to being nimble enough to act rapidly, when other larger environmental orgs cannot. Seneca Lake Guardian continues to connect with impacted communities across the US and seeks to inform regulations that would prevent this industry from derailing our critical climate goals.

Title Date

Greenidge Ruling

We wanted to share with you the news of the  Judge’s Ruling on Greenidge’s appeal of its Title V Air Permit Renewal Denial by the DEC.

Join Us In Geneva

Please join us TOMORROW, Wednesday June 28th in Geneva at the gazebo in front of the Geneva Welcome Center, 35 Lakefront Drive* at 11:30 to say GET OUT GREENIDGE!

Greenidge Bitcoin Mining / Seneca Meadows Landfill

Urgent: Important Action Updates and Resources!

Public comments on Greenidge's air permit appeal are due on October 31, and the public hearing is this coming Monday, October 24. We encourage all of you to send in written comments and/or sign up for Monday's hearing! 

Watch: The Environmental Impacts of Crypto Mining

Crypto mining is worsening the climate crisis. We discuss how and why we won’t let the cryptocurrency industry mine our future for profit.

DEC Just Approved a Large Garbage Transfer Facility in Schuyler County

SLG is Challenging This Permit!

Seneca Lake Guardian has been hard at work, so we wanted to provide you with some updates on what we've been doing to keep our region's air and water clean.

VICTORY! DEC Denies Greenidge Generation’s Title V Permits

After a year+ of advocacy, enviros, electeds, winemakers, and more celebrate precedent-setting decision; urge Governor Hochul to sign moratorium.

A Personal Message From SLG VP Yvonne Taylor

This is your call to action. Adding YOUR voice is the only way.  Each one of you needs to make noise, if we are to preserve this region, and prevent it from succumbing to the Greenidge facility that harms our clean air, water, and thriving agri-tourism economy.

Urgent: We need All Hands On Deck Monday 6/27 11:30 Geneva

Please take an hour of your time to join us at the Gazebo in front of the Finger Lakes Welcome Center in Geneva on Monday June 27th at 11:30 am. We'll be holding a press conference and rally urging Governor Hochul to stop delaying the signing of the bill into law and to deny Greenidge's Title V Air Permit Renewal. We need YOU there, and please bring 100 of your friends.

BREAKING: NYS Senate Passes First in the Nation Cryptomining Moratorium

Watch the Press Conference

We're excited to announce that the NY Senate passed the crypto moratorium bill at 2:00 am today. This was despite the fact that the pro crypto lobby spent millions to oppose it.  A very heartfelt THANK YOU to all who put effort into this victory!!! 

URGENT! Crypto to jeopardize CLCPA - need S6486D passed in Senate!

I am writing with an urgent request for a show of support for S6486D, which would put in place a 2-year moratorium on crypto mining that is done in fossil fuel power plants and directs DEC to conduct an environmental review.
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