The North Tonawanda Common Council voted 3-2 Tuesday against a proposal to hold a public hearing on a proposed moratorium on data mining facilities used for cryptocurrency transactions.
The vote means Digihost, a Canadian company with a sale agreement to buy the Fortistar natural gas-burning power plant on Erie Avenue, can proceed to try to win city Planning Commission approval for its plan to install 29 concrete pads on the plant’s front lawn and stack three shipping containers on each.
Computers powerful enough to carry out blockchain authentication calculations will be installed in each container, and the power plant will provide the electricity to run the computers – if the state Public Service Commission approves the plant purchase.
The Council vote came after a half-hour presentation by Digihost and a two-hour public comment period. Most speakers opposed the project for environmental reasons, but a few said the impact would be no worse than the power plant’s longtime operations.
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