CPUC Smart Meter opt-out workshop follow up

On September 14, the CPUC held a Smart Meter opt-out workshop to discuss the different technologies and opt out options.

The workshop was tightly run, with two armed guards posted at the entrance and many comments sent in, or questions posed were dismissed as being “beyond the scope” of the workshop.

The judge threatened to shut down the workshop when David Wilner challenged a utility vendor statement that the meters were only one watt. Later in the day the vendor announced that it is one watt with an antennae gain which effectively can double the radiated power.

• SCE said they will now allow opt out and set up a delay list.
• Silver Springs representative admitted that power line carrier (PLC) adds microwaves (RF) (aka dirty electricity) to the home’s wiring.
• The truth about how Smart Meters transmit data finally has been publicly exposed and admitted by the utilities. Smart Meters “chatter” all day, all night long. PG&E said transmissions occur 6X a day, but the Silver Springs representative admitted the network needs to talk to itself to function well.
• I pointed out according to an ITRON study the pulses could be as many as 2 per second, the rep did not consider that “constant” (as defined by the FCC). They time average the RF peak pulses, minimize the duty cycle (rather than 100%) and claim they only transmit for a minute or so a day. What do you think…is 2 pulses per second constant?
• Jim Meadows who represented PG&E stated that if anyone was on the delay list and got a smart meter (SM) that PG&E would “make it right”.
• Utilities stated that an analog cost $20 and a SM cost $100.
• SM have a shelf life of 20 years according to ITRON and Silver Springs.
• There was not a lot of support for fiber optics, telephone or wired meters.

The Judge said she will meet next with the “staff” (President Peevey and the energy division who are promoting SM) and we would be able to comment and reply comment to their decision. That likely means no evidentiary hearings, no cross examination, just a proposed decision followed by comments.