The California Public Utilities Commission will consider smart meter opt-outs for PG&E customers who don’t want the wireless devices installed on their properties, and directed PG&E to bring a customer opt-out proposal to the March 24 meeting.
Note that this exemption is only for individual PG&E customers. The CPUC has not addressed the official opposition of many local governments in Northern and Central California to smart meter installations within their jurisdictions. Pressure’s On the CPUC as 32 CA Cities and Counties Say NO, reports on the issues and protest actions up north.
The CPUC claims there are no concerns or complaints in other parts of California. According to this report on the controversy in Smart Grid Electronics Forum, CPUC Chair Michael Peevey said:
“We have not had complaints about radio frequency emissions or other concerns about smart meters from customers of other utilities in California.”
Peevey is misinformed. Burbank residents have asked detailed questions about its smart meter rollout, created this smart meter concerns page, and sent comments to the CPUC. San Diego utility customers have sent in complaints as well. This editor has posed a number of detailed questions to Glendale Water and Power, and received two responses, posted here and here. Sunroom Desk is still awaiting a response to its third set of questions posed to GWP.
Activists in the Bay Area believe the CPUC’s belated concession is inadequate, and contend that utilities should never have undertaken these installations. They continue to call for a complete moratorium on installations, and independent studies on the privacy, health, and other impacts of wireless smart meters.
Residents in Southern California who believe CPUC opt-out provisions should be offered state-wide (i.e., to Edison, Glendale Water and Power, and other customers), can send a comment before March 24 to the CPUC at Public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov.
Recently two transmitter Smart Meters, PG&E and SMUD have been installed on my house without my consent.
The Smart Meter issue has been of great concern for me. I find the data errors reported in billing a very serious issue. The possibility for misuse by these errors, data manipulation, hacking, or mismanagement to be potentially staggering in it’s cost to the consumer. The idea of having yet another set of wireless transmitters to be more unwanted invisible pollution.
I also don’t feel safe knowing that my every home need, in power and heat is recorded by the minute. This is a clear violation of my 4th Amendment right to be “secure in my person, home, effects and papers…”
I gave SMUD a 30 day ultimatum to replace with the analog meter or I would destroy their meter for my own protection even though they might turn off my power. It was removed after 4 days.
PG&E so far has refused to remove the Smart Meter. I will remove it on August 24th if they do not as I find it a threat to my personal data and security. Stay tuned!