POWER AUTHORITY WILL BE COMPELLED TO TURN OVER DETAILS OF HIGH POWER
USERS

Heavy users of electricity will be reported to police under a new
bill introduced in the legislature.

Near the end of this month, municipalities will have BC Hydro records
on demand, data which will be turned over to police to determine
whether spikes in power use were caused by a marijuana grow operation.

Marijuana grow ops require high power consumption, typically three to
10 times the amount used by a normal home.

"This amendment will help local authorities target and shut down
marijuana grow operations more quickly and more efficiently,"
Minister of Public Safety John Les said in the legislature as he
introduced Bill 25. "With these amendments, municipalities will now
be able to obtain information from electricity companies about
residences with unusual power consumption."

The names and addresses of the account holders will now be given to
local authorities to investigate whether their homes contain a grow
operation, he said.

It's the latest tool in a revolutionary program launched by the
Surrey fire department that sees high energy users put on notice for
inspection.

Non-compliance results in power to the home being shut off.

One of the main impediments to the program, investigators say, has
been the time-consuming process of acquiring BC Hydro information
through the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
(FOI). To obtain an FOI request, the city first had to have tips from
neighbours. Now the investigation process will be reversed: power
records first, then assessment.

Launched last year, the Electrical Fire Safety Initiative involved
fire, police, bylaw and building inspectors tracking high energy use
and posting a notice that the home will be inspected in 48 hours.