California Regulator Asks Cannabis Companies to Use Less Energy During Heatwave
Once again, it’s wildfire season in California. Four fire-related deaths have already been recorded and thousands of acres of land have been scorched.
The record-smashing heatwave (116 Fahrenheit – 46.7 Celsius – was recorded in Sacramento) now threatens the state’s power grid, as millions rely more on their air conditioners. Hundreds of thousands of residents have been warned to expect rolling blackouts and many more have been asked by the governor, Gavin Newsom, to conserve their power.
And the state’s cannabis industry is no exception to these requests.
From September 5, California’s Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) has been sending alerts to cannabis companies to use less energy. Companies have been advised to turn their thermostats to 78°F (25.6°C), unplug unused devices, start using a backup generator, and save “energy-heavy” tasks for later.
Like many sectors on the west coast of the US, California’s cannabis industry has had to adapt to increasingly dangerous wildfires in recent years.
Speaking to Marijuana Business Daily in the midst of the 2020 wildfire season, Nathan Howard, co-founder of Oregon’s East Fork Cultivars, said that many neighboring farms had already been consumed by the blazes.
“A lot of farms are completely destroyed. A lot of our friends have lost everything down there.”
