One resident broke into tears as she told county supervisors how she and her disabled husband have suffered at the hand of wireless “smart meters,” and another in the packed chambers spoke loudly about how the controversial utility program violates his constitutional rights. The comments came as the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors took more than two hours of testimony Tuesday from nearly 45 people — none of whom supported the new technology.
“Having this many people show up, to me is a validation that this was
“Government and large agencies dictating almost every part of our lives has become more than burdensome,” 2nd District resident Sandra Owens told the board. “It’s become invasive. This has become somewhat of a line in the sand for me.” At the end of the three-and-a-half hour hearing, the board voted unanimously to send a letter to the CPUC requesting a free opt-out option for both PG&E and Southern California Edison customers, the utilities that cover most of Santa Barbara County. As part of the informational hearing, supervisors also heard from representatives of PG&E and Edison, who addressed concerns including the meters’ accuracy, privacy, radio frequencies and customer choice. “I’m not going to stand here today and pretend there aren’t issues and questions, so I thought I’d spend some time in those areas proactively,” PG&E spokesman Dell Evans told the supervisors. Evans said that of the 8.1 million meters that have been installed, less than 0.5 percent have had accuracy problems, and those have been removed or replaced. He also cited studies that attest to the health-safety of the meters and attempted to soothe people’s concerns about choice by noting that the utility has requested an opt-out program for those who don’t want the meters. That program, which is hung up in a legal challenge, involves costs such as an upfront fee of $135 with a monthly charge of $20 or a one-time fee of $270 with a monthly fee of $14.
In the meantime, customers can delay installation of the meters by calling PG&E at 877-743-7378.
something we needed to take on,” said 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino, who had put the item on the agenda along with 3rd District Supervisor Doreen Farr. Supervisors said they’ve received hundreds of emails, faxes and letters about the SmartMeter program, which was rolled out in 2005 by Pacific Gas & Electric as part of an effort approved by the state Public Utilities Commission to upgrade California’s energy infrastructure with automated metering technology. The meters wirelessly send information about electricity use to utility billing departments and, while proponents tout them as a way to help consumers control energy use and help the utility move toward the future, detractors fear the electromagnetic frequencies they use and ask why they have no choice in the conversion. PG&E has converted about 47,000 of its 64,000 customers in Santa Barbara County to smart meters since November 2010 and expects to be finished by September. SoCal Edison, which serves primarily the South Coast, expects to begin its conversions in the county during the first quarter of 2012. Smart meters were first installed in Bakersfield in 2007, and PG&E plans eventually to install 8 million in its service territory from Gaviota and Bakersfield north to the Oregon border. Many of the speakers Tuesday asked the board to seek a moratorium on installation of the meters or to demand that residents be allowed to opt out cost-free.
“Having this many people show up, to me is a validation that this was
“Government and large agencies dictating almost every part of our lives has become more than burdensome,” 2nd District resident Sandra Owens told the board. “It’s become invasive. This has become somewhat of a line in the sand for me.” At the end of the three-and-a-half hour hearing, the board voted unanimously to send a letter to the CPUC requesting a free opt-out option for both PG&E and Southern California Edison customers, the utilities that cover most of Santa Barbara County. As part of the informational hearing, supervisors also heard from representatives of PG&E and Edison, who addressed concerns including the meters’ accuracy, privacy, radio frequencies and customer choice. “I’m not going to stand here today and pretend there aren’t issues and questions, so I thought I’d spend some time in those areas proactively,” PG&E spokesman Dell Evans told the supervisors. Evans said that of the 8.1 million meters that have been installed, less than 0.5 percent have had accuracy problems, and those have been removed or replaced. He also cited studies that attest to the health-safety of the meters and attempted to soothe people’s concerns about choice by noting that the utility has requested an opt-out program for those who don’t want the meters. That program, which is hung up in a legal challenge, involves costs such as an upfront fee of $135 with a monthly charge of $20 or a one-time fee of $270 with a monthly fee of $14.
In the meantime, customers can delay installation of the meters by calling PG&E at 877-743-7378.
something we needed to take on,” said 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino, who had put the item on the agenda along with 3rd District Supervisor Doreen Farr. Supervisors said they’ve received hundreds of emails, faxes and letters about the SmartMeter program, which was rolled out in 2005 by Pacific Gas & Electric as part of an effort approved by the state Public Utilities Commission to upgrade California’s energy infrastructure with automated metering technology. The meters wirelessly send information about electricity use to utility billing departments and, while proponents tout them as a way to help consumers control energy use and help the utility move toward the future, detractors fear the electromagnetic frequencies they use and ask why they have no choice in the conversion. PG&E has converted about 47,000 of its 64,000 customers in Santa Barbara County to smart meters since November 2010 and expects to be finished by September. SoCal Edison, which serves primarily the South Coast, expects to begin its conversions in the county during the first quarter of 2012. Smart meters were first installed in Bakersfield in 2007, and PG&E plans eventually to install 8 million in its service territory from Gaviota and Bakersfield north to the Oregon border. Many of the speakers Tuesday asked the board to seek a moratorium on installation of the meters or to demand that residents be allowed to opt out cost-free.
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