The Maine Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday rejected an electric utility’s proposal to proactively report high electricity consumption – which could signal unlawful cannabis cultivation – to police, the Associated Press reports. The three-member panel declined to implement the proposal due to concerns that customers using large amounts of electricity for legitimate purposes could be targeted by police because of the reports.
The scheme was proposed by Versant Power, who told the panel that the company has a high success rate of identifying illegal cannabis cultivation based on electricity consumption but have no way to communicate that to the police.
Following the decision, Versant spokesperson Judy Long said the plan was “strictly in the interest of public and worker safety.”
“After the discussion and today’s ruling in that docket, we have clear direction from the commission, and we will remain vigilant in protecting customers’ private information while continuing to work as mandated with law enforcement.” — Long via the AP
The proposal was backed by Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster and Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins. Law enforcement officials in Maine have been attempting to target illicit cultivation operations in the state in which rural homes are gutted and turned into high-yield indoor cannabis farms, the report says, adding that dozens of the illegal grows have been busted in the state.
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