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Early last year Plattsburgh New York announced that it is starting a 18 month ban on new crypto mining operations after an influx of crypto miners flocked to the area for some of the cheapest industrial power in the world. This influx of miners to the area caused electricity prices to soar in price as well as cause a lot of unwanted noise in the city. Today the ban still stands however Patrick McFarlin, a City Councilor has a solution that would lift the restriction and hopefully solve the problem for both the miners and residents of Plattsburgh, as reported by the Press Republican.
McFarlin’s solution was presented at a recent city council meeting. He hopes that the city does not keep ignoring the issue however he still wants people to “contact the council with their own concerns,” which they will have plenty of time to do, if his solution passes. The decision to halt the operations of the crypto miners was a matter for state agencies, not city officials, McFarlin argues. McFarlin also states that ban can be abolished before the 18 months is up if the issues are resolved, that led up to the ban.
The ban was introduced to make sure that the issues around miners in the area, does not skyrocket and reach a point that the city cannot handle.
Before the introduction of crypto miners, electricity was extraordinarily cheap for residents, due to the abundance of hydroelectric dams in the area. Once miners moved into the city, some residents saw their electricity bill rise by up to 50%.
The other concern that has not been addressed or solved is the issue of mining noise in the area. McFarlin, along with other city councillors plan to update noise ordinances before lifting the ban. The city councillor indicated “we have had proposals from local entrepreneurs who have novel business ideas that cannot go forward until the moratorium is lifted.”
Read More: New York state negotiates power costs with crypto miners