Greenidge Generation Sues New York DEC Over Permit Denial, Claims Impact on Local Economy and Jobs

The owner of a gas-powered cryptocurrency mining operation, Greenidge Generation, has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in Yates County, New York, claiming that New York’s environmental agency cannot refuse to issue permits based on the state’s climate law. The company is challenging DEC’s attempt to shut down the plant, which has been denied an air permit renewal due to increased emissions due to the increased use of the plant to generate cryptocurrency. DEC has told Greenidge it must shut by Sept. 9, when its air permits expire. Dale Irwin, president of Greenidge, said the court case is an important case for Upstate New York for local businesses and unions, and local communities that benefit from the significant share of county tax revenue generated by the mining operation.