After years of hearings, delayed hearings, and litigation, Greenidge Generation announced on Friday that the State Department of Environmental Conservation has agreed to renew its Title V Air Permit for the next five years. The renewal allows its Dresden facility to continue supplying power to the Upstate New York electrical grid while operating under emissions limits consistent with the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
The full agreement between NYSDEC and Greenidge can be found below.
“This new permit includes historic emissions reductions that go far beyond anything required by the CLCPA or ever implemented in New York and validates our national model cryptocurrency operation, which does not pull power from the grid, but rather sends power to it daily,” said Greenidge President Dale Irwin.
“This voluntary agreement speaks to our commitment to being a responsible partner with the state – creating high-paying jobs and providing power to the electrical grid, while meeting the state’s nation-leading environmental goals. We will continue to produce badly needed power and send it to the local electrical grid, while operating our cutting-edge datacenter that has brought high-tech jobs and opportunity to a region of the state that has been economically underserved for far too long.
“While this process has been lengthy, we thank the Hochul Administration and the current team at NYSDEC for allowing the law and the facts to drive policy. We’re pleased with this tough, fair new permit, and happy to put this process where it has belonged for years – in the rear-view mirror.”
Greenidge Generation acquired the Dresden facility in 2016, converting the former coal-fired power plant to a natural gas operation and beginning electricity production for the local energy grid in 2017. In 2019, the company launched a small pilot cryptocurrency program and expanded to a cryptocurrency datacenter in 2020, using electricity generated on-site without drawing additional power from the local grid.
Since acquiring the facility, Greenidge has invested over $100 million in modernization efforts. The company says the upgrades have supported new jobs in the area and contributed to the local economy through partnerships with regional businesses. Greenidge now accounts for approximately 10 percent of Yates County’s local tax revenues.
This is a developing story. We will continue to update as more information is made available.
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