Plattsburgh, New York considers new crypto mining and AI data center moratorium

crypto mining moratorium — The town of Plattsburgh, New York, is considering a 12-month moratorium on new cryptocurrency mining and artificial intelligence data center operations.

Mayor Wendell Hughes and the town council held a public hearing on Thursday to discuss a proposed law that would temporarily halt approvals for land use related to “certain high energy computing facilities.” The ban would apply to operations requiring 300 kilowatts or more of power.

Plattsburgh was one of the first U.S. jurisdictions to ban Bitcoin mining in 2018, implementing an 18-month moratorium at the time due to resident concerns over electricity costs. The mayor had not approved the new measure as of Tuesday, and the council is scheduled to hold another meeting on September 17.

The potential local regulation comes as many crypto mining firms have shifted focus toward AI and high-performance computing amid industry challenges including rising power costs and falling token prices.