Digital Power Network Opposes New York Assembly Bill 5353 as Anti-Innovation and Anti-Infrastructure
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Digital Power Network (DPN), representing over 50% of the U.S. Bitcoin hash rate and the largest coalition of digital infrastructure developers in the country, strongly opposes Assembly Bill 5353 introduced by Assemblymember Anna Kelles in the New York State Legislature. The bill seeks to indefinitely extend a moratorium on air permits for behind-the-meter electricity use at facilities supporting proof-of-work Bitcoin mining.
This legislation does not reflect the facts on the ground. It ignores the substantial environmental progress, grid benefits, and private-sector investment being driven by Bitcoin miners across the state and country. It would also set a dangerous precedent: targeting an entire class of digital infrastructure operators based solely on their computation method, rather than their actual emissions, energy efficiency, or contributions to the grid.
“This bill is not about environmental protection, it’s about discriminatory gatekeeping,” said Hailey Miller, Director of Government Relations & Public Policy at DPN. “It would bar innovation and economic development without offering any measurable benefit to New York’s climate goals or grid reliability. In fact, Bitcoin miners have increasingly partnered with renewable energy producers, stabilized volatile grid regions, and monetized stranded power that would otherwise go to waste.”
Assembly Bill 5353 continues a flawed and unjustified policy from 2022 by proposing an open-ended ban tied to a vague environmental impact review process. Worse still, it attempts to give state regulators sweeping authority to deny miners access to the grid based on speculative threats to rate affordability, despite a lack of evidence showing mining has raised consumer electricity costs in New York.
DPN urges New York lawmakers to reject this effort to single out one of the few industries capable of driving both digital and energy innovation simultaneously. The Bitcoin mining sector is already powering methane mitigation, rural revitalization, and renewable buildout across the country. New York should be leading that charge, not shutting its doors.
About The Digital Power Network
The Digital Power Network (DPN) represents the largest coalition of Bitcoin miners in the United States. DPN advocates for policies that enable Bitcoin mining to contribute positively to energy innovation, economic growth, and grid resilience. By promoting a balanced regulatory approach, DPN ensures that the U.S. remains at the forefront of digital asset technology.