HYDRO WILL HELP HUNT GROW-OPS

Heavy Users Of Electricity Will Be Reported To Police Under New B.C.
Legislation.

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.

"With these amendments, municipalities will now be able to obtain
information from electricity companies about residences with unusual
power consumption," Minister of Public Safety John Les said in the
legislature Thursday.

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 new program first used by the Surrey and
Abbotsford fire departments.