San Francisco cannabis grower using 100% renewable energy

Marijuana cultivators have become an increasing burden on power grids across the country, especially where cannabis is legal.

But in the heart of San Francisco, at least one cultivator has made the switch to completely renewable energy through a partnership with the city’s utility department.

Sense, which runs a small, 2,000-square-foot grow in the city, is using the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission program CleanPowerSF, Greenstate reported.

Under the city’s program, the grow gets 100% of its power from renewable sources, a trend that could see a big upward swing in other markets depending on how much electrical demand indoor grows begin to account for in coming years.

Other San Francisco MJ companies plan to follow suit, including vertically integrated retailer SPARC (San Francisco Patient and Resource Center) and grower GoldSealSF, Greenstate reported.

The problem of power costs is not a new one.

Plenty of indoor growers have long been eyeballing shifts to technology that will help them save on the price of electricity, such as LED lights or other efficiencies.

And some indoor growers, in states like Colorado and Massachusetts, are already facing government mandates to lower their carbon footprint and energy use.