Trending Topics

Maine regulators reject utility proposal to report suspected marijuana grow operations to police

Versant Power proposed a plan to proactively report high energy consumption, stating it has the ability to find marijuana grow houses but cannot report them to police

Illicit Marijuana Operations Utilities

This image provided by the Somerset County, Maine, Sheriff’s Office, shows a rural home that was converted into a sophisticated marijuana grow operation on May 17, 2024, in Norridgewock, Maine. A Maine utility wants to assist investigators by proactively providing electrical usage data to police. (Somerset County Sheriff’s Office)

AP

Associated Press

AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine utility regulators unanimously rejected on Tuesday an electric utility’s proposal to proactively report high consumption that signals a marijuana growing operation to law enforcement officials in an attempt to aid police crackdown on illicit operations.

Trending
Virginia Beach Police Officers Cameron Girvin and Christopher Reese were shot at close range and while on the ground after stopping a vehicle with an expired inspection sticker
West York Borough Police Officer Andrew Duarte died in a shooting inside UPMC Memorial Hospital
Hit your fitness goals without breaking the bank
The exodus of officers from Detroit had been a problem for years, reaching a frenzy in 2022, when the department was losing an average of one per day

The three-member Public Utilities Commission cited concerns about customers who use large amounts of electricity for legitimate reasons being targeted because of the reports. Commissioners opted to stick with the status quo in which utilities provide consumer data only when presented with a formal law enforcement subpoena.

Versant Power floated the idea because it says it has a high success rate of identifying marijuana grow houses but no ability to communicate that to police. Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster called it a “good first step.” Other supporters included Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, who has aggressively pressed the FBI about the illegal marijuana operations.

Versant spokesperson Judy Long said Tuesday the utility promoted the discussion “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,” she said.

The proposal was part of wide-ranging deliberations on Tuesday.

It came as law enforcement officials target marijuana grow operations in which rural homes in Maine are purchased, gutted and transformed into sophisticated, high-yield indoor farms.

Twenty states that legalized marijuana have seen a spike in illegal marijuana grow operations, and law enforcement officials have busted dozens of them in Maine. The FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration are investigating any ties these operations might have to criminal syndicates including Chinese-organized crime.

NEXT: In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley speaks with Mike Sena, Executive Director of the Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area and the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center, who provides a candid look into the ongoing fight against drug trafficking organizations and the societal impacts of drug-related crime. Can we turn the tide? Listen to the full podcast to find out.