Greenidge Generation has ended a long-running dispute with New York State regulators, reaching an agreement to renew the Title V Air Permit for its natural-gas power plant and Bitcoin mining operation in Dresden. The settlement secures the facility’s operations for another five years and concludes all pending litigation between the company and the state.

Stricter Environmental Mandates

The agreement with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) introduces stricter emissions limits for the Dresden facility. Under the new permit, Greenidge must reduce its permitted greenhouse-gas emissions by 44 percent by 2030. It also has to cut its actual emissions by 25 percent over the same period, a threshold that surpasses the statewide 40 percent reduction goal set by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).

In the company’s statement, Greenidge President Dale Irwin said the voluntary agreement demonstrates a commitment to being a responsible partner with the state. He added that the company was pleased with the tough but fair new permit and was happy to put the lengthy process behind them.

The Path to an Agreement

This resolution follows years of legal and administrative challenges. The conflict escalated in 2022 when the NYSDEC denied Greenidge’s permit renewal, marking the first time the agency used the CLCPA to block a facility’s operations based on greenhouse-gas emissions. However, a New York Supreme Court ruling in November 2024 overturned that denial, finding the agency had not sufficiently justified its decision under state law. That court decision paved the way for the settlement talks that led to the current agreement.

The Dresden facility, a former coal-fired plant that Greenidge acquired and converted in 2016, began supplying electricity to the local grid in 2017 and integrated Bitcoin mining operations in 2020. The company confirmed the new permit allows it to continue providing power to the New York grid while also supporting its on-site data center.