Greenidge Generation Holdings Inc

In evaluating our company and our business, you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K together with updates to those risk factors or new risk factors contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q below and any other information in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including our condensed consolidated financial statements and the related notes and in the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”. The occurrence of one or more of the events or circumstances described in these risk factors, alone or in combination with other events or circumstances, may have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, revenue, financial condition, results of operations and future prospects, in which case the market price of our common stock could decline. Unless otherwise indicated, reference in this section and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q to our business being adversely affected, negatively impacted or harmed will include an adverse effect on, or a negative impact or harm to, our business, reputation, financial condition, results of operations, revenue and our future prospects. The material and other risks and uncertainties included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, summarized above in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and described below are not intended to be exhaustive and are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including the risks described below. Certain statements in the Risk Factors below are forward-looking statements. See the section titled “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements”.

Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which illuminate challenges that we face in connection with the successful implementation of our strategy and the growth of our business. Our business, prospects, financial condition or operating results could be harmed by any of these risks, as well as other risks not currently known to us or that we currently consider immaterial. There have been no material changes to the risk factors identified in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, other than as set forth below.

The bitcoin reward for successfully uncovering a block most recently halved in April 2024 and will halve again several times in the future, and bitcoin value may not adjust to compensate us for the reduction in the rewards we receive from our bitcoin mining efforts.

Halving is a process designed to control the overall supply and reduce the risk of inflation in cryptocurrencies using a proof of work consensus algorithm. At a predetermined block, the bitcoin mining reward is cut in half, hence the term "halving." For bitcoin, the reward was initially set at 50 bitcoin currency rewards per block, which was cut in half to 25 on November 28, 2012 at block 210,000, then to 12.5 on July 9, 2016 at block 420,000, and then again to 6.25 on May 11, 2020 at block 630,000. The most recent halving for bitcoin occurred on April 19, 2024 at block 840,000 and the reward was reduced to 3.125. The next halving is expected to occur in spring 2028. This process will reoccur until the total amount of bitcoin currency rewards issued reaches 21 million, which is expected to occur around the year 2140.

Bitcoin has had a history of price fluctuations around the halving of its rewards, and we can provide no assurance that any price change will be favorable or would compensate for the reduction in bitcoin mining reward in connection with a halving. If the award of bitcoin or a proportionate decrease in bitcoin mining difficulty does not follow these anticipated halving events, the revenue we earn from our cryptocurrency datacenter operations would see a corresponding decrease, and we may not have an adequate incentive to continue bitcoin mining.

We have material environmental liabilities, and costs of compliance with existing and new environmental laws could have a material adverse effect on us.

We and our affiliates are subject to extensive environmental regulation by governmental authorities, including the United States Environmental Protection Agency (the "EPA"), and state environmental agencies such as the NYSDEC and/or attorneys general, and have material environmental liabilities, including a coal combustion residual liability of $17.3 million as of December 31, 2023 associated with the closure of a coal ash point located on the New York Facility property and an environmental liability of $12.9 million as of December 31, 2023 associated with the Lockwood Hills Landfill. See "Business—Governmental Regulation—Environmental Liability" and Note 10, "Commitments and Contingencies—Environmental Liabilities", in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. We may incur significant additional costs beyond those currently contemplated to comply with these regulatory requirements. If we fail to comply with these regulatory requirements, we could be forced to reduce or discontinue operations or become subject to administrative, civil, or criminal liabilities and fines.

Existing environmental regulations could be revised or reinterpreted, new laws and regulations could be adopted or become applicable to us or our facilities, and future changes in environmental laws and regulations could occur, including potential regulatory and enforcement developments related to air emissions, all of which could result in significant additional costs beyond those currently contemplated to comply with existing requirements. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

The EPA has recently finalized or proposed several regulatory actions establishing new requirements for control of certain emissions from certain sources, including electricity generation facilities. In the future, the EPA may also propose and finalize additional regulatory actions that may adversely affect our existing generation facilities or our ability to cost-effectively develop new generation facilities. We can provide no assurance that the currently installed emissions control equipment at the natural gas-fueled generation facilities owned and operated by us will satisfy the requirements under any future EPA or state environmental regulations. Future federal and/or state regulatory actions could require us to install significant additional emissions control equipment, resulting in potentially material costs of compliance for our generation units, including capital expenditures, higher operating and fuel costs, and potential production curtailments. These costs could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

We may not be able to obtain or maintain all required environmental regulatory approvals. For example, in June 2022, NYSDEC denied our application to renew a Title V Air Permit for the continued operation of our natural gas power generation facility in the Town of Torrey, New York. In July 2022, we appealed the denial and requested an administrative adjudicatory hearing with NYSDEC, however, in May 2024, our appeal to NYSDEC and request for an adjudicatory hearing were ultimately denied and the June 2022 non-renewal of our Title V Air Permit was affirmed by NYSDEC's Regional Director for Region 7. We intend to take further legal action in a court of competent jurisdiction to challenge NYSDEC's denial of our permit renewal application and to continue to operate the facility as normal pending a final, non-appealable outcome regarding our permit renewal application, however there can be no assurance that our efforts will be successful. If there is a delay in obtaining any required environmental regulatory approvals, if we fail to obtain, maintain, or comply with any such approval, or if an approval is retroactively disallowed or adversely modified, the operation of our generation facilities could be stopped, disrupted, curtailed, or modified or become subject to additional costs. Any such stoppage, disruption, curtailment, modification, or additional costs could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

In addition, we may be responsible for any on-site liabilities associated with the environmental condition of facilities that we have acquired, leased, developed, or sold, regardless of when the liabilities arose and whether they are now known or unknown. In connection with certain acquisitions and sales of assets, we may obtain, or be required to provide, indemnification against certain environmental liabilities. Another party could, depending on the circumstances, assert an environmental claim against us or fail to meet its indemnification obligation to us. Such event could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.