Last week, New York state regulators approved the continued operation of a cryptocurrency mining operation in Seneca Lake. Let me be clear: Crypto mining is polluting our lakes and land. It drains water from the lake and returns it at high temperatures, contributing to harmful algae blooms, leaching chemicals into vineyards, and consuming energy that the region desperately needs for residential and business development.
The natural beauty of our lakes, vineyards, and farms attracts visitors from all over the country, generating billions of dollars in tourism revenue and supporting our quality of life. But with the Finger Lakes being used as cryptocurrency mines, waste disposal sites, and energy sources, the future of these important lakes is at risk. These lakes are the source of water pollution, not our homes and businesses.
The Greenwich Generation power plant and cryptocurrency mine at Seneca Lake is the most obvious example of this threat. They reported that nearly 30,000 additional tons of carbon dioxide will be emitted in 2024. Local modeling shows the chemicals spreading to 32 nearby vineyards and farms. And state permits allow it to pump millions of gallons of lake water each day and return it at temperatures as high as 108 degrees, which can promote harmful algae growth.
That’s not the only damage to our region. Siphoning energy resources is exacerbating a severe housing shortage and driving up housing costs for all of us in the Finger Lakes. In Ontario County alone, more than 1,000 urgently needed homes are being held up because energy infrastructure upgrades go unmet. In Canandaigua, a 600-unit development is on hold because it would cost $15 million to $25 million to power the site. Meanwhile, state regulators have negotiated an agreement with a cryptocurrency mine that will generate 107 megawatts, enough to power 75,000 homes at full capacity.
Don’t be fooled. There is nothing “green” about crypto mining. Catchy and environmentally sounding names and logos do not change the fact of what crypto mining does or who profits from it. The beneficiaries are not the people who live and work in the towns and villages of the Finger Lakes, but individual investors, many of whom are not even New Yorkers. They use our resources and get state subsidies to make a profit.
These are our lakes, our land, and our lives. We must protect them through smart policies and common-sense regulation. There is nothing sensible about last week’s agreement. We must stand up for our lakes by demanding stronger environmental protections for these types of plant operations. Because what will happen to our lakes and what will happen to our lives?
Michael Mills is a member of the Canandaigua City Council, owner of Involvement Inc. (involvementinc.com), and the 2026 Democratic candidate for New York State Senate District 54.
