Smart Grids: Update from Blake Levitt

By B. Blake Levitt

Things are move quickly with citizen/legislative actions regarding SmartGrids/Meters: A total of 32 California towns and counting now have either legal ordinances or resolutions banning SmartMeters. These include Seaside, Rio Dell, Fairfax, Watsonville, Capitola, Monterey and Ross; as well as three large counties, including Marin, Lake, Mendocino, and Santa Cruz, which include many towns. San Francisco filed a formal request with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for a moratorium based on billing inaccuracies with SmartMeters, which the CPUC rejected, but has not banned SmartMeters outright yet. The CPUC recently issued a ruling that calls for Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) to create opt-out possibilities for those who do not want SmartMeters for health reasons. Maine’s Governor has called for the same thing.

Meanwhile, in Western Canada, which has seen a SmartGrid/Meter buildout over the last year, ratepayers are being told to expect at least a doubling of their utility rates.

Related reading:

Refuse Smart Meter

San Francisco in PG&E’s Crosshairs for Exposure to “Extra Strength” Smart Meter Radiation

Stop Smart Meters (21 Jan 11)

Solari Report Blog Commentaries

CPUC Calls for Smart Meter Opt-Out
(11 March 11)

SmartGrid Technologies
(7 March 11)