CPUC Agrees To PG&E Smart Meter Opt-Out Plan

CPUC Agrees To PG&E Smart Meter Opt-Out Plans

Feb 1, 2012

In the best of all possible worlds, the California Public Utilities Commission decision today to approve Pacific Gas & Electric's smart meter opt-out plan for customers who don't want them would be the end of the story. But it's incredibly unlikely to turn out that way.

While PG&E's plan gives smart meter opponents the option of getting their analog meters back, it's going to cost them: a $75 upfront fee and a monthly charge of $10 and for low income customers, a $10 up front fee and $5 a month.

After what the San Jose Mercury News described as a "raucous" commission meeting in which the proposal was approved, one woman was quoted as screaming, "This is a crime against humanity!" The clamor from meter opponents during the meeting apparently was so disruptive that CPUC President Michael Peevey called for security guards to clear the room. Another opponent said customers would refuse to pay the fees and that personal injury and class action lawsuits would be on the way.

Smart meter opponents from Maine to California have long contended that the meters are health, privacy and safety hazards.

"The standard for metering has been transitioning worldwide from the older technology of using analog meters to today's smart meter technology," Peevey was quoted as saying. "We are not reversing that transition by allowing for an analog opt-out, but we are recognizing that certain customers prefer an analog meter."

The controversial opt-out fees are intended to cover the cost of installing analog meters at homes that already have smart meters and the labor costs of monthly meter readings. PG&E has said it should be able to recover its related costs without forcing all of its customers to pay for those who choose to opt-out.

Commissioner Mark Ferron said before casting his vote that the decision provides a fair balance.

Citing a World Health Organization review and other studies, the Environmental Defense Fund's Lauren Navarro wrote that they conclude "current evidence does not confirm the existence of any health consequences from exposure to low level electromagnetic fields." She added that given the benefits of smart meters, the CPUC ruling "strikes the proper balance."

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