PG&E, Northern Calif. Utility, Signals Willingness to Restore Analog Meters

A major step occurred this week that will help rid our neighborhoods of wireless, radiation-emitting "smart" utility meters. On December 20th, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), the state's largest utility, informed the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) that it would like to offer analog (electromechanical) meters for its customers who want these, in addition to radio-off smart meters, as an option to its embattled smart meters.

The bad news is PG&E is still planning to charge extra for this "privilege." Their proposal now includes the analog as an opt-out. This has not been accepted yet by the CPUC, the opt-out proposal was simply expanded today to include it.

The CPUC is expected to rule on this PG&E proposal in January and this is anticipated to drive the rulings for the rest of the opt-out proceedings that will finalize in mid-January (for SCE and SDG&E). The CPUC's Division of Ratepayer Advocates (DRA) has recommended that the final rulings on smart meter opt-outs be consistent across California.

Is this a final solution for all? NO. Is this a beginning of a series of solutions we seek? YES. Is this a major foot in the door to stop smart meters from harming people and intruding upon our privacy? YES.

Will we quit now? NO. Will we seek no-cost, healthy, safe solutions for energy delivery and measurement? YES. Is this the solution for those in group living situations such as apartments or condos? NO.

Will this rid us of pulsed microwave radiation wireless networks in our neighborhoods? NO. But all of that, too, shall come, with perseverence and your support of the organizations and individuals working on these areas, I have no doubt.  

We owe this decision in great part to the activism of the Northern California groups, in particular, that of Stop Smart Meters, the EMF Safety Network, Ecological Options Network, CARE, and others; the 47 municipalities in CA that took a strong position against smart meters, those people who held candlelight vigils at the home of the PG&E CEO, and who took part in concerted efforts, such as returning their smart meters en masse, participation in demonstrations in public that included arrests for some, those who wrote, filed complaints, attended endless numbers of public meetings in person (often traveling as much as 3-7 hours to do so, each way, twice a month for over a year), and who called the CPUC, PG&E, and the media; the CA county governments who took major stands including but not limited to Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, and the additional Parties to this PG&E opt-out proceeding who have all caused extreme pressure on this company and the CPUC.

The rest of us in CA and in other parts of the United States and beyond will benefit from these people's courageous and relentless support of the public health and welfare, at great cost to their own private lives.    

In Southern California, we must continue to apply pressure - call, write, file complaints with the CPUC and utilities, and get our local gov'ts to take positions. We can demand to have the same choices as PG&E but at no extra cost.

From PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY’S (U39M) REPLY
COMMENTS ON PROPOSED DECISION OF COMMISSIONER
PEEVEY MODIFYING ITS SMARTMETER PROGRAM TO INCLUDE
AN OPT-OUT OPTION, Application No. 11-03-014, 12/19/2011:

"I. INTRODUCTION Pursuant to Rule 14.3 of the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC or Commission) Rules of Practice and Procedure, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) hereby responds to other parties’ comments on Commission President Peevey’s Proposed Decision Modifying PG&E’s SmartMeter Program to Include an Opt-Out Option (Proposed Decision or PD).

II. DISCUSSION A.
Consistent With Many Parties’ Opening Comments, PG&E Supports Offering Customers an Analog Meter Opt-Out Alternative in Addition to the Radio-Off Alternative Set Forth in the Proposed Decision PG&E supports approval of an analog meter option, in addition to the non- communicating radio-off option, in response to customers’ and parties’ continued requests for an analog meter alternative in Opening Comments, as well as in customers’ direct communications to PG&E and the Commission. (emphasis added) PG&E took note that in Opening Comments many parties assert that the only acceptable alternative to communicating SmartMetersTM is an analog meter opt-out alternative."

The full text of PG&E's document is found above in Media, as are additional Parties comments and proposals for smart meter opt-outs in California.

Video of PG&E’S Helen Burt on why they proposed analogs

http://www.pgecurrents.com/video/analog-meters-requested-for-customer-smartmeter-choice/

Several articles about PG&E’s change of heart regarding analogs:

PG&E To Allow Customers SmartMeter Opt-Out

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -- In response to a backlash and battle with anti-SmartMeter customers, Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced on Monday that it is now willing to allow customers to replace their wireless SmartMeters with alternative options for recording energy use. (read more http://www.ksbw.com/money/30033116/detail.html)

PG&E proposal OKs SmartMeter opt-out - for a fee

After years of insisting that its customers would receive SmartMeters whether they wanted the wireless devices or not, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. reversed course on Monday and proposed giving people the choice of keeping their analog meters. (read more at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/19/MNHS1MEGPQ.DTL)

CURRENTLY, ALL CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS WITH ANALOG (OLD-STYLE, ELECTROMECHANICAL METERS) ARE ALLOWED TO KEEP THEM ON THEIR HOMES OR BUSINESSES BY REQUESTING TO BE ON THEIR UTILITY'S DELAY LIST.

 THIS DELAY IN INSTALLING A SMART METER WILL BE TEMPORARY, UNTIL THE STATE CPUC DECIDES WHAT ITS OPT-OUT POLICY WILL BE. THEN, IMMEDIATELY, THE DELAY LIST WILL BE ENDED.

DELAY LIST CUSTOMERS MAY BE INFORMED THAT THEY COULD TRANSFER TO THE OPT-OUT LIST AND MAY THEN REQUEST AN ANALOG METER IF APPROVED AS AN OPTION BY CPUC. OTHERS NOT ON THE DELAY LIST, WHO CURRENTLY HAVE SMART METERS MAY ALSO THEN REQUEST TO BE ON AN OPT-OUT LIST AND REQUEST ANALOG METERS. COMMUNICATIONS ON THE PART OF CA’S UTILITIES HAVE BEEN LESS THAN FORTHRIGHT, WITH CUSTOMERS REPORTING BEING KEPT IN THE DARK OR NOT GIVEN CORRECT INFO. THEREFORE, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER AND THIS INFORMATION MAY HELP YOU SELECT A HEALTHFUL CHOICE FOR YOUR HOME.

SDG&E AND SCE MAY ALSO TAKE OPT-OUT REQUESTS NOW. IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO MAKE THESE IN WRITING AND ON THE PHONE. GO TO YOUR UTILITY'S WEBSITE TO FIND CONTACT INFORMATION.

TO FILE A COMPLAINT (RECOMMENDED), REGISTER FOR THE DELAY LIST, OR ASK TO BE ON A SMART METER OPT-OUT PLAN:

If you are a California resident with SDG&E services:

To file a smart meter complaint, delay request, or opt-out request with SDG&E, go to www.sdge.com and email them and send hard copies by mail, certified return receipt.You may also wish to call them, see contact info on their website.

To file a smart meter complaint or opt-out request with the San Diego County nonprofit UCAN, go to www.ucan.org

To file a smart meter complaint with CPUC, go to www.cpuc.ca.gov.

To file a smart meter complaint with EMF Safety Network and Stop Smart Meters, go to http://smartmeterhelp.com/

(all of the above are recommended)

For California residents outside SDG&E territory, go to your utility's website and file a complaint and/or opt-out request with them, complaints to the CPUC above, and EMF Safety Network and Stop Smart Meters (at one shared site - http://smartmeterhelp.com).

For US or other citizens not residing in CA: file a complaint with your state's public utility commission (PUC), your utility, and http://smartmeterhelp.com. There is a list on EMF Safety Network's Smart Meter page that includes all known smart meter activist websites and contact information for the USA, Canada, and other countries. Lobby your state PUC and state governmental officials for opt-out options that are no-cost to consumer analog options as alternatives to radiation-emitting smart meters.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." (Margaret Mead)

Susan Brinchman
Director and Founder, Center for Electrosmog Prevention
P.O. Box 655
La Mesa, CA 91944
director@electrosmogprevention.org
www.electrosmogprevention.org
Smart Meter Dangers http://www.smartmeterdangers.org/
Southern Californians Against Smart Meters
American Coalition Against Smart Meters www.causes.com/acasm
No2SmartMeters@Twitter.com