Denton’s story is a tale of how a small town government embraced something to which it first seemed ideologically opposed. It’s a schematic for how the burgeoni

Denton’s story is a tale of how a small town government embraced something to which it first seemed ideologically opposed. It’s a schematic for how the burgeoning crypto industry — which promises to solve climate change, repair crumbling infrastructure, and fix all manner of societal issues by putting them on the blockchain — is literally remaking communities, hedging their futures on its own unforeseeable success. Crypto companies looking for cheap energy showed up in Northern New York as well, where there are relatively few people but lots of power thanks to hydro and wind - the St. Lawrence River, which empties from the Great Lakes, powers the Moses-Saunders Power Dam, and big wind farms have sprung up in Franklin County. The crypto people promised the moon in terms of jobs and real estate investments, but they quickly wore out their welcome. This article is from 2018: Plattsburgh went over its power allotment and was forced to purchase electricity on the open market for far higher prices. This cost was distributed among the city’s residents, some of whom ended up paying between $100 and $200 more for their electricity than usual. https://www.vice.com/en/article/8xk4qv/bitcoin-ban-plattsburgh-coinmint-mining https://www.vice.com/en/article/8xk4qv/bitcoin-ban-plattsbur... It's gotten so bad that local cities are planning moratoriums on further cryptocurrency mining development, and any increase in electricity prices is blamed on crypto, regardless of the cause: Some residents also voiced concerns at the previous town board meeting, stating their electric bills jumped 40-60% from one month to another, saying they have never been charged so much by MED. Some believe that crypto mining operations are the leading cause. Though Town Attorney Eric Gustafson assured residents that crypto mining operations buy market power based on tariffs set and negotiated by Massena Electric, some residents remain skeptical. “We ensure everything is done at the market rate for these companies. The tariffs are already in place with Massena Electric and market power is sold to them pursuant to MED tariffs,” Gustafson said during the meeting. Town officials voted to extend a moratorium on new crypto mining operations in the town during a recent meeting following significant push back by town residents. Many voiced displeasure with the town for allowing established operations to utilize sea box containers, while others voiced environmental concerns, noise concerns and cited a lack of job and economic stimulation for the region. The moratorium expires on April 30, though officials can vote to extend it again at any time before the deadline. https://www.northcountrynow.com/news/massena-town-officials-concerned-state-legislation-mandating-electric-heat-only-0315997 https://www.northcountrynow.com/news/massena-town-officials-...