Residents and officials from Plattsburgh, NY have voted in favor of imposing a new set of regulations on the crypto mining industry. Thanks to the new regulations, crypto mining farms have to be no louder than 90 decibels at a distance of 25 meters. Residents of the town have been complaining about the noise these farms are creating for some time, and as more crypto mining firms flock to the area, residents are becoming more concerned.
Impacting Local Life
Crypto miners are heading over to upstate New York in the hope of finding cheap hydroelectric power, but most grids are either maxed out or close to maximum capacity. The enormous number of crypto miners in the area means a huge amount of noise is being generated, to the point where it’s beginning to impact local life. Residents are complaining that sleep patterns are being disrupted, children are being kept awake, and that wild animals are being disturbed by the incessant humming of the crypto mining farms. While the noise isn’t too bad unless you live right next door, the gentle humming can be heard over quite a large distance – similar to the noise of living near a highway.
Washington State Already Fed Up
Plattsburgh, NY residents aren’t the only ones fed up with the noise. Over on the east coast, citizens from Ephrata have voted to end the city’s crypto mining activities. No more firms will be permitted to open up shop in the city due to the huge amount of noise and commotion the crypto mining industry has created. Miners flocked to the city following news of its low-cost hydroelectric power, but are now being kicked out of town following the vote.
Move to the Desert
While it’s not as green and clean as hydroelectric power, crypto mining firms could be given the ultimate incentive to move to the desert. The Permian Basin in Texas is once again churning out thousands of barrels of oil, and that means there is natural gas too. This is currently being burnt as there is no demand for it in America, but if it’s captured and used to power crypto mining farms then we could see a new wave of low-cost power. This would then allow crypto mining farms to move out of the sleepy cities and into the desert where their noise won’t bother anyone.
The low cost of power makes these sleepy towns very attractive to crypto miners, but residents are quickly getting fed up with the industry. While local businesses are no doubt benefitting from the extra trade the crypto mining industry brings in, store owners will once again be able to sleep at night, as the last few crypto miners leave town and set up shop elsewhere.
