DEC delays Greenidge decision until June 30

NEW YORK STATE--The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation provided an update Thursday, March 31 about the permit process for Greenidge Generation on Seneca Lake. The March 31 date was previously stated as the date when a determination would be made about air permits that impact the power generation facility. The decision will now be June 30.
Greenidge was originally a coal-powered power plant that converted to natural gas in 2017. In 2020, some of the power generated at the facility was used to power computers for the digital mining of Bitcoins. According to company reports, some 17,300 miners were in operation in New York at the end of 2021. 49,000 miners are expected by the end of 2022 between Greenidge's New York and Spartanburg, South Carolina locations.
Greenidge acquired 750,000 square feet of building space and 175 acres of land in December of 2021 at their second location in South Carolina. Seventeen percent of their computer power is now located there.
In New York, Greenidge's Title V and Title IV permits were issued on Sept. 7, 2016, and expired on Sept. 6, 2021. These permits were extended because the renewals were submitted to the DEC in a timely basis and the facility may operate under the terms of its existing permit while the DEC considers the renewal application.
In an update posted last week on the DEC website, "DEC has advised the applicant, Greenidge Generation, LLC, of the need for additional greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation measures to meet the requirements of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. On March 25, the applicant, Greenidge Generation, LLC, proposed GHG mitigation measures for the facility as part of the current Title V and IV permit renewal process. DEC has not made a determination regarding the sufficiency of the proposed GHG mitigation measures in meeting these requirements DEC is reviewing additional information submitted by the applicant, as well as all application materials and the approximately 4,000 public comments received. DEC has not made a final decision on the application and will ensure that any final decision is in compliance with all applicable standards and requirements to protect public health and the environment, including the Climate Act. DEC and Greenidge Generation, LLC mutually agreed to further suspend the Uniform Procedures Act (UPA) timeframe for permit reviews. The new UPA schedule is June 30, 2022."
In a letter to the DEC, Greenidge reiterated their compliance with all applicable permits to their operation and the significant investment they have made in New York and the Finger Lakes.
"Our facility in Dresden makes up a fraction of the state's electricity generation capacity -- and even less of the statewide emissions reduction target for 2030," the letter says. "Therefore, we believe the text of the [Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act] CLCPA -- coupled with the indisputable facts about our operation -- confirm that our facility's pending application is not at all 'inconsistent' with the CLCPA's statutory language, and renewal of our existing permit does not interfere with the attainment of statewide 2030 Greenhouse Gas ("GHG") emissions limits."
Greenidge also voluntarily offered a 40 percent reduction in GHG emissions from current permitted levels by the end of 2025 and that Greenidge would be a zero-carbon emitting power generation facility by 2035. Both of those timelines are five years before the statewide target, according to Greenidge.
"The statewide GHG emissions limits in the CLCPA need to be achieved five years and fourteen years after the date this permit would expire. It defies logic that a permit expiring years before the CLCPA limits take effect can be an obstacle to achieving compliance," Greenidge said in the letter to the DEC.
With the decision for the air permits extended to the summer, two additional permits will be upcoming for Greenidge's continued operation in Yates County. These include the State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit and the Water Withdrawal Permit. Both were issued in 2017 and expire on Sept. 30, 2022. The SPDES permit allows for 134 million gallons per day to be discharged into the Keuka Lake Outlet that directly goes into Seneca Lake. The withdrawal permit allows the facility to withdraw 139,248,000 gallons per day from Seneca Lake for processes associated with power production. The DEC notes the renewal of the water withdrawal permit is due Aug. 21, 2022.