Marin County Enacts Moratorium on Smart Meters; “Small Markets” Like Glendale Forging Ahead 1

The Marin County Board of Supervisors unanimously enacted a one-year moratorium on smart meter installations, citing concerns about the meters’ accuracy, the lack of up-to-date safety standards for radiation from a multitude of wireless devices, and the lack of proven savings or consumer benefits from the meters. The vote took place yesterday, and the board also resolved to ask Governor Jerry Brown to select new board members for the California Public Utilities Commission who will be more responsive to public concerns.

The San Luis Obisbo County Board of Supervisors heard public requests for such a moratorium at their meeting yesterday as well, and board members stated that they would investigate the possibility.

Meanwhile, “small markets” like Glendale, California are embracing smart meters, according to this industry report.

Partial text of the Marin County moratorium enacted yesterday:

WHEREAS, concerns about the impact and accuracy of Smart Meters have been raised nationwide, leading the Maryland Public Service Commission to deny permission on June 21, 2010 for the deployment of Smart Meters in that state. The State of Hawaii Public Utility Commission also recently declined to adopt a smart grid system in that state. The CPUC recently had before it a petition from the City and County of San Francisco, and other municipalities, seeking to delay the implementation of Smart Meters until the questions about their accuracy can be evaluated; and

…WHEREAS, significant health questions have been raised concerning the increased electro magnetic frequency radiation (EMF) emitted by the wireless technology in Smart Meters, which will be in every house, apartment and business, thereby adding additional man-made EMF to our environment around the clock to the already existing EMF from utility poles, individual meters and telephone poles; and

WHEREAS, FCC safety standards do not exist for chronic long-term exposure to EMF or from multiple sources, and reported adverse health effects from electromagnetic pollution include sleep disorders, irritability, short term memory loss, headaches, anxiety, nausea, DNA breaks, abnormal cell growth, cancer, premature aging, etc. Because of untested technology, international scientists, environmental agencies, advocacy groups and doctors are calling for the use of caution in wireless technologies; and

WHEREAS, the primary justification given for the Smart Meters program is the assertion that it will encourage customers to move some of their electricity usage from daytime to evening hours; however, PG&E has conducted no actual pilot projects to determine whether this assumption is in fact correct. Non-transmitting time-of-day meters are already available for customers who desire them, and enhanced customer education is a viable non-technological alternative to encourage electricity use timeshifting. Further, some engineers and energy conservation experts believe that the Smart Meters program — in totality — could well actually increase total electricity consumption and therefore the carbon footprint…