NYS DEC Finalizes Scoping of Generic Environmental Impact Statement for POW Miners

April 17th, 2024

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) issued the Final Scope for the proposed Cryptocurrency Mining Operations that use Proof-of-Work Authentication Methods to Validate Blockchain Transactions Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS). The Digital Power Network provided comments to the NYS DEC regarding the Draft Public Scoping Document for GEIS which are directly addressed in the Final Scope.

The Final Scope outlines the scope of analyses that can now be fully undertaken and how the NYS DEC will inform its conclusions regarding environmental impact and alternative actions. The analysis will consider mitigation measures for (1) GHG emissions, (2) air quality impacts, (3) water quality and thermal impacts, and (4) socio-economic impacts.

Under a 2022 cryptocurrency mining law, the NYS DEC is required to post a draft GEIS to its website and provide 120 days of public comment from the date of issuance. The law also requires DEC to conduct at least one public hearing on the draft GEIS in eight regions and issue a final GEIS after the close of the public comment period and hearings.

The Digital Power Network will provide comments to the NYS DEC following the publication of the draft GEIS. We look forward to continuing our engagement in New York State in an effort to create a clear and consistent regulatory landscape for the Bitcoin mining industry.