Power Theft

Utilities are realizing as much as a 35% line loss, a large percentage of the loss is due to theft. In particular in India, South America, and Latin America, theft is a combination of a large amount of smaller residential and larger commercial bypasses.  In Canada the main source of electrical theft derives from Indoor Marijuana Cultivations.  The proliferation of Indoor Marijuana Cultivations in urban Canada is staggering.  Estimates in Ontario, Canada alone list over a $500 million power theft loss.  In reported seizures of large indoor grow operations list over a 90% electrical theft/bypass rate.  Empirical evidence suggests well over 100,000 indoor marijuana cultivations in Canada.

The United States is now seeing a vast increase in Indoor Marijuana Grow Operations, in particular in the Western United States and Florida.

dTechs enables electric utilities to monitor their entire distribution grid, allowing the detection, monitoring and preventing energy losses, whether they are the result of technical loss (i.e. poor infrastructure) or non-technical loss (i.e. theft and/or fraud).
Power Theft    

“cannabis eradication and marijuana seizure data all indicate that marijuana production in Canada has recently increased, perhaps significantly”. National Drug Threat Assessment 2006 – National Drug Intelligence Center US Dept of Justice.

“The influence of Asian criminal groups in high potency marijuana distribution is likely to increase in the near term.  Law enforcement reporting indicates that these groups are increasingly gaining control over much of the high potency marijuana production and distribution in Canada and now appear to be extending their influence in the United States”. National Drug Threat Assessment 2006 – National Drug Intelligence Center. U.S. Dept. of Justice

CALGARY – Russell McDougall, 33, pleaded guilty today to eight charges of arson by negligence, and one charge of production of a controlled substance, after a massive $3.8-million fire in the community of Citadel in December destroyed five homes.

The case had been set for a preliminary hearing this week, but McDougall’s lawyer Adriano Iovinelli requested the case be adjourned in light of discussions with the Crown about resolving the case. McDougall was originally charged with 16 counts of arson by negligence and has been in jail since February.

Police allege the fire started inside a basement marijuana grow operation in a home on Citadel Forest Place N.W. shortly before 4 a.m. on Dec. 5.

Investigators said they believe a man connected with the illegal drug operation discovered the fire and went into the house to rescue his two dogs — but then fled without calling 911 or alerting neighbours.

Neighbours fled to safety with little more than the clothes on their backs, but by the time it was put out, the fire had destroyed or damaged a total of eight homes and did $3.8 million in damage.

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