Plattsburgh weighs 12-month crypto mining ban

• Plattsburgh has proposed a 12-month moratorium on new and expanded high-energy computing facilities.
• The proposal covers crypto mining, blockchain validation and AI facilities using at least 300 kilowatts.
• The city says the pause would give officials time to update zoning rules for power use, noise and safety.

Plattsburgh, New York, has proposed a 12-month moratorium on new and expanded high-energy computing facilities using at least 300 kilowatts.

The proposal covers cryptocurrency mining, blockchain validation, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other high-density computing operations.

The Common Council held a public hearing on September 3, but the proposed law has not yet been adopted.

The moratorium would block building, zoning, site-plan and occupancy approvals for new facilities, expansions and conversions, while existing lawful operations could continue.

No publicly traded miner or data centre operator has disclosed a project directly affected by the proposal, so there is no verified market reaction.

Plattsburgh introduced the proposal while reviewing zoning rules for high-energy facilities and their effects on electricity, infrastructure, cooling, noise and fire safety.

The city previously imposed an 18-month moratorium on commercial Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) mining in 2018 after mining demand increased pressure on its low-cost power supply.