Greg Vitali, a member of Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives, has made revisions to an energy conservation bill in the state. As part of the amendments, a proposed two-year ban on crypto mining permits has been dropped. The initial Cryptocurrency Energy Conservation Act, introduced by Vitali, included the mining ban in response to concerns about the significant energy consumption associated with crypto mining. However, in an effort to increase the bill’s chances of advancing, the ban has been removed. According to a report by CoinDesk, Vitali explained that there is not strong support for strict environmental policies. The revised bill now primarily focuses on introducing reporting requirements for specific crypto mining facilities and requesting an impact study from the state’s Department of Environmental Protection. This shift in approach reflects the ongoing debate surrounding the energy implications of crypto mining, as legislators grapple with environmental concerns and the crypto industry’s calls for more favorable regulations. Pennsylvania’s decision follows New York’s example by imposing a two-year moratorium on new mining facilities that use carbon-based fuel starting in 2022.
Long-standing opposition to mining
Vitali has previously expressed strong opposition to crypto mining. In an opinion piece published in The Philadelphia Inquirer earlier this year, he stated that Pennsylvania should follow the White House’s lead in regulating the cryptomining industry before it’s too late. He also claimed that crypto mining companies in Pennsylvania are using waste coal and fracked gas to power their operations, resulting in the release of harmful air pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide.
Cryptocurrencies that rely on mining for their operation are those that use the proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism. This includes major coins like Bitcoin (BTC), Litecoin (LTC), and Ethereum Classic (ETC).
