Pot grow houses eat 8 percent of California's residential electricity use [View All]

[Liberal_in_LA]

Source: sf gate

The study estimates that indoor pot-growing operations in the United States burn about $5 billion worth of electricity a year, or about 2 percent of national residential power consumption. The carbon emissions from these operations equal those of about 3 million cars.

In California, indoor cultivation is responsible for a whopping 8 percent of household electricity usage. But, California grows only about a fifth of the nation's bong hits and much of what we grow goes to out-of-state consumers.

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The study, written by Evan Mills on his own (non-government-funded) time, makes the case for legalizing and regulating grow operations, suggesting that if marijuana didn't have to be grown in secret and indoors, efficiency could be improved by as much as 75 percent.

Because marijuana production is secret, its electricity demand tends to confound energy forecasts and obscure savings from energy efficiency programs. And more than one person has told this blogger that much of the seemingly bizarre opposition to smart meters comes from growers who fear that their energy usage data will expose their illegal activities.

TGL has also addressed the environmental costs of alcohol and cigarettes.




Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?entry_id=87663#ixzz1KaaOceZ6