FortisBC Inc. (FortisBC) Application for a Certificate of Public ...

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Response
FortisBC Inc. (FortisBC or the Company)
Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity
for the Advanced Metering Infrastructure Project
Response to British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC or the Commission)
Information Request (IR) No. 1
Submission Date:
October 5, 2012
Page 189
The assumption that the number of marijuana production sites at FortisBC is proportional to the
provincial number of residential electric customers is based on the following:
• The majority of confirmed paying and non-paying marijuana sites are located in privately
owned residences or out buildings versus commercial establishments.
• The rationale is endorsed in Professor Neil Boyd’s Opinion (Please BCUC IR1 Q86.1).
• The 2004 Public Policy Paper by Stephen T Easton calculates an implied number of
grow houses by region from the number of RCMP busts. Based on Table 5 in the
paper, the proportionate share of the provincial estimate in the FortisBC service territory
ranges from 5-8% when allowances are made for municipal utilities and geographical
overlap with BC Hydro. Please see BCUC IR1 Q74.1.
The research article, “The Marihuana Indoor Production Calculator” filed by Commission staff as
Exhibit A2-2 estimates 10,000 marijuana grow sites existed in BC in 2003. The 2011 Plecas
report filed as Exhibit A2-1 calculates the number of sites at 13,206 in 2010. The growth in the
estimated number of sites from 2003 to 2010 does not seem to indicate downward pressure
from the 2006 Amendment on the number of marijuana grow operations in BC. This is not
surprising given the lucrative nature of this illegal business.
Response:
83.3 Is it FortisBC’s experience that the marijuana grow operations involving electricity
theft are generally the same size as marijuana grow operations that do not
involve electricity theft? Please explain why or why not.
FortisBC does not have information that would allow it to compare the size of paying and
stealing marijuana grow operations.
FortisBC has limited experience with paying marijuana grow operations since it is interested
primarily in detecting and deterring theft. FortisBC does not request information from the RCMP
for marijuana sites that have been busted and are paying for electricity.
FortisBC does ask the RCMP for the number, size and timer settings of the lights at busted
grow operations stealing electricity in order to invoice for losses.