The Okanagan is set to become a hotbed for marijuana grow-ops, but this raises questions about how much eletricity they'll require.
A report indicates at least one proposed cannabis plant will suck 22 megawatts - almost half the 51 megawatts produced by FortisBC's Cora Linn Dam.
On the Early Edition today, Fortis spokesperson Nicole Bogdonovic says the utility should be able to provide all the power grow-ops need.
"We're committed to working with all industrial and agricultural customers to make sure that they have the capacity to meet their needs," says Bogdonovic. "But they do need to reach out to us as early as possible in their planning and development phase, because we need to assess the feasibility of the site."
She says if industrial marijuana grow-ops want power upgrades, they'll have to pay for them.
"It's no different than if you needed a bigger road to get to your facility," she says. "For the most part, the operation does have to realize that any upgrades that they require to increase capacity will have to be something that they incorporate into their budget."
In case they need more capacity to meet the power needs of these facilities, Fortis has power purchase agreements in place to do just that.