Plattsburgh Puts Its Foot Down On Commercial Cryptomining Operations

[kcarbotte]

The city council of Plattsburgh, New York, unanimously voted for an 18-month moratorium on commercial cryptomining operations so that the city can figure out how to manage its limited power resources.

Plattsburgh Puts Its Foot Down On Commercial Cryptomining Operations : Read more

 

[Giroro]

"$4.50 per mWh"

Plattsburgh, New York... where it costs $13,500 to charge your phone.

 

[vern72]

Ha ha ha Giroro! What a difference a capitalize letter can make!

 

[redgarl]

Power is coming from Quebec and Ontario.

 

[mrmez]

"...whereas most of the country pays upwards of $0.10 per kWh"
Wow. Complaining about 10c/Kwh.
AUS pay ~40-70c/Kwh :/

 

[Zaporro]

Kiill it with fire, root out these cryptominers like pests.

 

[cryoburner]

It doesn't sound like they really put their foot down, seeing as the existing large-scale crypto-mining operations are still allowed to operate there, and are still apparently drawing more than 10% of the city's available power. And are there any limitations in place to keep them from further increasing their energy use? Since the homeowners and businesses are getting impacted by the energy overruns, their rights should have precedence over the money printers that moved into town.

 

[alextheblue]

"...whereas most of the country pays upwards of $0.10 per kWh"
Wow. Complaining about 10c/Kwh.
AUS pay ~40-70c/Kwh :/

Nobody was complaining about that. Re-read the article. They're complaining that when they exceed their power budget, rates SPIKE far above their normal rates (read: what you're used to paying) and indeed spike well above the national average.

Imagine you're not living in Australia... you're someplace far colder. Now imagine it's winter, and your power rates went from less than half the national average to 3X or so above national average - with spot rates rocketing sky high, several times even what it costs Down Under . Electric heat draws a lot of power. Better go chop more wood, and if you're old, I hope you have friendly neighbors.

Also, if you have issues with how expensive everything is in Australia (Aussies constantly complain about unfair prices compared to US), ask some former Soviets for their take on the problem. I'm sure they'll have some interesting information for you, comrade.

 

[alextheblue]

It doesn't sound like they really put their foot down, seeing as the existing large-scale crypto-mining operations are still allowed to operate there, and are still apparently drawing more than 10% of the city's available power. And are there any limitations in place to keep them from further increasing their energy use? Since the homeowners and businesses are getting impacted by the energy overruns, their rights should have precedence over the money printers that moved into town.

I don't want to jump to conclusions and say the council members are probably being bribed... but the council members are probably being bribed. The mayor is the only one that sounds like they give a flying fark about what is happening, but they have to fight with the council.

It's not just Plattsburgh. Local politicians everywhere are just about as scummy as national ones. With less eyes scrutinizing them.

 

[Spock_rhp]

being an ex-employee of a northwoods electric utility, this is how it works -- Plattsburg municipal power [and other city owned municipal systems like Burlington's] receive a share of the hydro power produced at Niagara falls. The entire output of that government facility is shared by municipal power utilities from Vermont through New York and into Pennsylvania [and maybe Ohio -- who knows?]. The amount of cheap power so produced is constant and can not be increased.

When Plattsburg, etc. exceed their allotted cheap hydro power, they have to buy or make own power at whatever it costs. Some [Burlington, for example] have other dedicated power sources and/or agreements -- Plattsburg apparently does not. Thus, their excess needs come from whatever source available, even if that's a gas turbine plant located in Quebec which charges free market, for profit rates to American buyers.

Eventually, the Plattsburg "deal" will be remade more like the Burlington deal -- residential use gets first call on the cheap hydro power and commercial use pays more like free market rates ... at which point the cryptocurrency miners may look for another location that isn't yet that smart and still lets these commercial ventures that don't serve the local people in any way take part of the super cheap power for their private profit.

 

[Plumboby]

Its worse in NZ damn auuzies complain just as expensive in NZ or worse power food technology etc, we are the country where if your a big company that wanna makes easy $ sell over priced jusnk u make a killing.