HYDRO LOSING MILLIONS ANNUALLY TO MARIJUANA GROW-OPS

B.C. marijuana growers are now stealing electricity worth $100
million a year - a number that has skyrocketed in the past four years.

That's a preliminary estimate disclosed by B.C. Hydro officials in
advance of a formal report to the B.C. Utilities Commission later this fall.

"We're convinced theft has almost doubled since 2006," said Fiona
Taylor, BC Hydro's acting director of smart metering and infrastructure.

The amount of power stolen in 2006 was worth $30 million then - or
$40 million at 2010 rates - equivalent to one per cent of what all
legitimate customers pay. Taylor said the numbers are still being
finalized but it's thought thieves now tap between 900 and 1,100
gigawatt-hours of electricity a year, up from 500 in 2006.

She spoke after disclosing the $100-million loss estimate at a clean
energy forum at last week's Union of B.C. Municipalities convention.

Safety is a serious issue with grow-ops because meter tampering to
disguise power use or illegal bypasses to tap outside wires can spark
fires or worse. Hot wires left by power thieves on a pole are one example.

"If one of our guys doesn't know it's there and touches it, or your
car crashes into it, you're fried," Taylor said.

Smart meters that will roll out to every household over the next two
years are expected to help BC Hydro pull the plug on many indoor pot
growers. The devices are intended to give consumers real-time
information on their power use to promote conservation and
energy-saving tricks, such as setting smart appliances to run at
night to take advantage of lower rates that are to be offered at
off-peak times. But the gadgets will also give BC Hydro instant data
on outages and much more accurate information on locations where
unusual amounts of power are vanishing from the system.

Taylor admits grow-ops may well adapt, noting they are often power
conservation superstars.

"They're very innovative customers," Taylor said. "They are doing
everything possible to reduce their consumption so they don't get caught."