The local environmental group Seneca Lake Guardian, which has been publicly denouncing the state’s recent decision to renew Greenidge Generation’s air permit held an online press conference on Wednesday, Nov. 12, to express its outrage over the decision. Attendees included representatives from Seneca Lake Guardian, Assemblymember Anna Kelles, local Finger Lakes business owners, a coalition of environmental advocates and Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado.
Delgado, who serves as Governor Kathy Hochul’s second-in-command, spoke about his disappointment with Governor Hochul’s decision to allow the renewal, but stated that this is not an issue he believes should be politically divisive.
“I would rather frame it as an issue that affects every single New Yorker across this state, on moral terms and on economic terms,” Delgado said. “What’s happening at Seneca Lake is about more than one facility. It’s about whether we still believe our climate laws actually mean something, and whether we still believe [the] government should work for actual people, as opposed to powerful corporations.”
Representing Seneca Lake Guardian at the conference was Vice President Y’Vonne Taylor, who has long been a leading voice in opposition to Greenidge Generation — both during the recent permit renewal process and in response to its broader environmental impacts.
“For 15 years, I have fought tirelessly alongside my community and statewide advocates to protect the clean air and water in the great state of New York,” Taylor said. “We demand a future that doesn’t force us to succumb to crypto or oil and gas bullies and permit them to get even richer on the backs of the great people of New York. Governor Hochul must follow the law, not sell us out.”
The law Taylor referred to is New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) — a landmark legislation passed in 2019 that commits the state to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent by 2050 and achieving a 100 percent zero-emission electricity sector by 2040.
Environmental groups argue that renewing Greenidge’s permit directly contradicts these goals, allowing a private cryptocurrency mining company to continue burning fossil fuels on the shores of Seneca Lake.
When asked how the state’s decision aligns with the standards outlined in the CLCPA, Delgado expressed frustration.
“There’s a track record where these permits have been denied based on the law, based on the standards. And what I do know is that the science around that has not changed,” Delgado said.
Among those most concerned about the plant’s environmental effects are farmers and vineyard owners whose livelihoods depend on Seneca Lake’s ecosystem. Mike Penn, owner of Ria’s Winery on Seneca Lake, said the decision threatens both the local economy and the region’s identity.
“People come here because of the lakes, beauty, its clean air, and our world class food and wine,” Penn said. “If we let a private crypto mining company degrade these, we’re risking the very foundation of our regional economy.”
Along with many others who spoke during the conference, Penn said the renewal felt like a step backwards in the wrong direction for climate policy.
“Like so many of my wine growing friends and colleagues, we have built our business around one simple idea: that great wine starts with a healthy environment and a special place to grow grapes,” Penn said. “The CLCPA was created to prevent this kind of harm, to move New York away from fossil fuels, not to make exceptions for corporate polluters.”
Environmental groups say they plan to continue challenging the decision and calling on state leaders to uphold the standards of the CLCPA.
Seneca Lake Guardian has urged Governor Hochul and the DEC to revisit the permit and reconsider its implications for both climate accountability and community trust.
“This isn’t the climate leadership we were promised. It is a betrayal, a violation of the law and a devastation,” Taylor said. “[Governor Hochul] must honor the climate act, stand with New Yorkers and put people over polluters, until she does, we will not back down. We will keep fighting for our health, our families and our future.”
