Bitcoin Miner Greenidge Sues NY Regulator over Permit Renewal

Greenidge Generation has sued the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to prevent the agency from shutting down its bitcoin mining operation next month.

On Friday, Greenidge announced that it had filed an Article 78 petition and complaint on Aug. 15 against the DEC, seeking “declaratory and injunctive relief” regarding the DEC’s denial of Greenidge’s Title V Air Permit renewal application for its Dresden power generation and mining facility.

An Article 78 petition is a legal mechanism used by individuals or entities in New York State to challenge administrative agency decisions, seeking judicial review of whether those decisions were lawful.

The DEC initially denied Greenidge’s Title V air permit renewal for the Dresden facility in June 2022, citing the site’s greenhouse gas emissions as non-compliant with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

Greenidge engaged in an appeal process but was ultimately denied in May of this year. This denial granted the company a four-month grace period, allowing it to operate the Dresden facility under its existing air permit until Sep. 8, according to Greenidge’s Q2 filing last week.

The 106-megawatt Dresden power plant forms a major revenue source for Greenidge, supporting its power generation, proprietary mining, and data center hosting operations. In addition to its New York operations, Greenidge is expanding into South Carolina, Mississippi, and North Dakota.