Utility warns: Legal marijuana grows can trigger blackouts

Legal indoor marijuana growing operations are a new electrical safety concern in both Oregon and Washington, as they can overload the power grid and even cause blackouts, Pacific Power officials said Wednesday

“What most people don’t realize is that growing marijuana is a very intense power use,” said Roger Blank, Pacific Power’s director of safety. “From a power use standpoint, even a small operation of four plants with standard lights is like hooking up 29 refrigerators that run 24/7.”

However, officials don’t want to keep people from having grow operations.

“There is no reason that it should be (a stigma) any more,” said Tom Gauntt, a spokesman with Pacific Power. “Grow what you want to grow, under the law. It shouldn’t be anyone’s reason to say, ‘I’m just going to run an extension cord and plug it into my kitchen.’ That’s not a safe thing to do.”

Outside your home or business, the issue is possibly overloading the local power grid.

Pacific Power said it has had seven incidents in Oregon since July 1 where the added usage attributed to home-based growing operations have overloaded local equipment and caused outages.

In these cases, after an investigation, the utility has billed those responsible an average of $5,000 each for the outsized load which overburdened and damaged local equipment.

Blank advised caution to those setting an indoor grow operation.

“Hire a licensed electrician,” he said. “You will probably need a dedicated circuit, just as you would for a dryer or a hot tub. Don’t use extension cords and be careful about generating excess heat in an enclosed space, which is an extreme fire hazard.”

Depending on the capacity of transformers and other equipment which supplies a local area, one or two in-house grow operations on the same circuit can overtax the local grid, damage equipment and cause an outage in the area.

Having a commercial growing operation, like any new business use, requires formal requests so that Pacific Power can assess electrical needs.

“Whenever you are contemplating greatly increasing your energy use, you should give us a call,” said Blank. “This goes for adding a sauna or some shop equipment. With the law changes, this whole new area is opening up. We just want to urge caution. A grow operation, with intense lights and ventilation, is using electricity around the clock.”

If you are planning to expand your energy use, for whatever purpose, it is always a good idea to call your local electric utility. Pacific Power can be reached anytime at 888-221-7070.

The customer representative will set you up with a simple questionnaire in which you outline the new equipment you are installing and estimate how many hours a day it will be in use. If needed, an estimator will pay a visit and analyze the equipment near your home to see what might be needed to accommodate the added usage.

In most cases, no capacity upgrade is required. If new equipment is needed, it is possible there may be an additional charge to help pay for the upgrade.

“That isn’t anyone’s favorite part,” said Blank. “But hoping to sneak in under the fence can be expensive if you end up damaging equipment and inconveniencing your neighbors.”

Being energy efficient is also important. Stores that sell the specialized equipment used for in-home grow operations can offer advice on efficiency. Insulating and ventilating spaces can be designed for maximum efficiency.

“No one should be shy about seeking advice on how to do your in-house grow safely and efficiently,” said Blank. “And that includes letting us know when your power needs are about to expand greatly.”