Opinion ID: 675820
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Electrical consumption

Text: 14 According to the affidavit, marijuana cultivators often consume excessive quantities of electricity because of the need to provide light and heat to growing plants. The affidavit detailed Clark's monthly electrical consumption and asserted that it was unusually high. It is barren, however, of any information about the average residential electric consumption of homes in rural Alaska or other homes in the vicinity. In short, it provides no basis for a magistrate judge or this court to evaluate whether the usage was high. 15 Even assuming, however, that Clark's electrical consumption was high, such consumption is consistent with numerous entirely legal activities. This evidence, which is equally consistent with both legal or illegal activity, coupled with an entirely uncorroborated anonymous tip, is simply not sufficient to establish probable cause for searching a home. We conclude that the affidavit was insufficient to support the magistrate judge's finding of probable cause. We next must decide whether Clark is entitled to suppression of the evidence obtained under the warrant.