New York Implements Crypto Mining Surcharge – Mirrors Net Neutrality Repeal

The state of New York has just implemented a new policy that will allow power companies to add a surcharge onto the cost of electricity for known crypto miners. Their reasoning is that crypto mining consumes resources, driving up price, but doesn’t produce jobs like other industries.

What's interesting to me is this is the exact case that many arguments for net neutrality are base on. You have a powerful party (in this case government) dictating that someone less powerful who they don't like (miners) pay more for the same services everyone gets for less. You could also argue the miners are competitors with the state, since the state functions on fiat and happens to run one of the country's 4 active mints.

And it's ironic this is happening with a utility, since utilities were used to model net neutrality, being seen as a system that was regulated to guarantee fairness.

I'm not saying that power consumption for crypto mining isn't a problem, but the policy hardly seems fair.