New York just became the first state to ban certain types of cryptocurrency mining in an effort to address environmental worries over the energy-intensive process.

“I will ensure that New York continues to be the center of financial innovation, while also taking important steps to prioritize the protection of our environment,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a message after signing the legislation into law on Nov. 22.

The new law temporarily freezes the issuance and renewal of air permits to companies that have transformed some of the state’s oldest fossil fuel plants into cryptocurrency mining hubs.

But the ban doesn’t impact individual cryptocurrency miners. 

The legislation is specifically aimed at cryptocurrency mining companies in the state that consume large amounts of energy by utilizing “proof-of-work” authentication — the process that uses sometimes millions of high-powered computers to track and secure transactions in bitcoin and other virtual currencies. 

Mining crypto can produce harmful emissions by generating electricity through burning coal, natural gas and other fossil fuels.

After China began cracking down on bitcoin mining in 2021, upstate New York became a popular hub for digital currency mining due to the availability of cheap energy derived from Niagara Falls and shuttered power plants.

However, as companies flocked to the region, climate advocates began ringing the alarm over crypto mining’s potential environmental harm. 

“Not only does crypto…