Category: Commentary

PG&E’s spying may cost them

Wiliam “Ralph” Devereaux, was the Senior Director of the PG&E Smart Meter program from October 2009 to November 2010.  Devereaux was the public face for the PG&E Smart Meter program and he appeared at many community meetings throughout PG&E’s service territory. Devereaux resigned from PG&E in November 2010 after he was caught trying to infiltrate an EMF Safety Network online discussion list.  Prior to being caught he had infiltrated other anti smart meter groups, including Stop Smart Meters and posted comments to discredit their views, using the fake name, “Ralph.”

PG&E tried to characterize Devereaux as a rogue employee who acted alone.  But the lengthy investigation by the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) Consumer Protection and Safety Division revealed that Devereaux forwarded emails that he collected using the false identity to his boss and other senior managers at PG&E, including a member of the legal department.  The EMF Safety Network was involved in a legal proceeding at the CPUC against PG&E at the time of PG&E’s spying.

Today the CPUC ordered an investigation into PG&E’s activities to determine if PG&E engaged in deceitful conduct towards consumer groups. The Consumer Protection and Safety Division of the CPUC concluded that:

1. PG&E violated PU Code Section 451 by failing to furnish just and reasonable service when Mr. Devereaux lied about his identity to infiltrate online smart meter discussion groups in order to spy on their activities and discredit their views; and

2. PG&E senior management knew of Mr. Devereaux’s deceit before it was reported in the press and failed to prevent and stop his inappropriate behavior.

The CPUC states, “Mr. Devereaux’s actions are considered the actions of PG&E.” and “PG&E lost the public’s trust when Mr. Devereaux was caught using a false identity to join the EMF Safety Network.”  PG&E is now notified that fines may be imposed in this matter and hearings will be held at the CPUC.

Here’s the email exchange between William Devereaux and Sandi Maurer, who received a notice from Google that manasota99@gmail.com, wanted to join the CA EMF Safety Coalition, an online anti smart meter discussion list. This is the string of emails where the computer outed the real identity of <manasota99@gmail.com>:

On Mon, Oct 4, 2010 at 10:08 AM, EMF Safety Network <EMFSafe@sonic.net> wrote:

Hello,

Please let me know more about your interest in joining the CA EMF Coalition. This discussion group has been set up for county leaders focused on EMF, specifically RF Smart meters.

Please include where you live, what aspect of smart meter issue you are working on and how you came to be involved in this issue. There may be a better group that I can help connect you to, or you may be our next county lead. Please let me know.

Thanks,

Sandi

Sandi Maurer

EMF Safety Network

www.emfsafetynetwork.org

On Nov 4, 2010, at 3:23 PM, William Devereaux wrote:

Hi Sandi,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, I’ve been travelling a lot.

I live in Oakland where Smart meters have been sweeping across town and wanted to learn more about them and join the conversation to see what I can do to help out here.

Thanks,

Ralph

From: EMF Safety Network <EMFSafe@sonic.net>

Date: November 4, 2010 7:10:36 PM PDT

To: William Devereaux <manasota99@gmail.com>

Cc: california-emf-safety-coalition <california-emf-safety-coalition@googlegroups.com>

Subject: Re: Your interest in joining the California EMF Coalition?

Hi,

Aren’t you the head of the Smart Meter program at PG&E? We’d love your help!

Can you help us obtain a Smart Meter moratorium ASAP? People who are asking for meters not to be installed are being bullied, signs on meters are being disregarded and the CPUC has received 2000 Smart Meter complaints from Aug 15-Oct 15. We need a moratorium ASAP and the opportunity to be heard at the CPUC.

Your help would be invaluable. Thanks for contacting us.

Sandi

PG&E smart meter assessment report

In a recent Smart Meter Semi-Annual Report PG&E provides an overview of their current smart meter deployment status.

Highlights of this report include:

  • By the end of 2011 PG&E had nearly 9 million electric and gas smart meters installed in California. (roughly 91% of its customers)
  • There are 835,711 meters remaining that have not been replaced with smart meters.
  • PG&E claims to have “pioneered” an opt out alternative for their customers.
  • Customers protesting smart meters are principally concerned with the radio frequency (RF) smart meters emit.
  • In April 2011 PG&E established an extended delay list that includes customers who:    1) refused PG&E’s attempts to install;  2) notified PG&E that they intended to remove their smart meter upon installation;  3) failed to provide PG&E with access to their residences (e.g. locked gate, unleashed dog), despite multiple attempts;  4) called PG&E to request the smart meter be removed;  5) removed their smart meter on their own.
  • Roughly 175,000 customers were sent a certified letter informing them of the opt out program.
  • 14,904 customers have asked to opt out of smart meters, and 6,730 have agreed to have a smart meter.
  • 5,042,000 smart meters are “activated” which means the wireless data is transmitting and recording properly. [That leaves over 3.5 million smart meters  NOT performing as intended]
  • The PG&E smart meter program is expected to exceed the CPUC authorized cost cap of 2.206 million.
  • 22,000 customers showed an interest in accessing their utility data online.  [In the CPUC Decision that authorized smart meters the CPUC expected a 21% customer participation in monitoring utility use through the Home Area Network ]
  • [Supposed] Benefits of “activated” smart meters totaled just under $2.00 per meter per month for electric and just over $1.00 for gas.  [The benefits is mainly due to “meter-reading savings”, ie:  jobs lost]
  • In 2011, roughly 33,000 electric smart meters were removed due to suspected hardware failures, and approximately nearly 16,000 gas smart meters have failed.  (see chart p.26)
  • PG&E is also having problems with billing and data collection failure. They note thousands of meters where complete data was not retrieved.  [Although they point out that an “accurate bill can be generated in most cases.”

[In all the PG&E documents I have read they always put the best case scenario on paper.  I believe we are now starting to see an indication that millions of CA customers have footed the bill for a program doomed to fail,  due to cost overruns, consumer revolt and disinterest, and poor equipment performance…and there’s no mention of the inevitable security problems, yet…]

Health risks of nuclear and wireless radiation compared

An article recently published in the Environmentalist, by Cindy Sage, compares the biological effects of nuclear radiation to biological effects of common everyday wireless radiation exposures.

Nuclear radiation fallout is expected to recirculate in the environment from the Fukushima Japan disaster for another 40 years.  Meanwhile, we are surrounded with ubiquitous and harder to avoid levels of wireless radiation from cell towers, cell phones, wi-fi, DECT phones, etc.  Sage concludes that both types of  exposures present similar biological effects:

“There is long-standing scientific evidence to suggest that low-dose ionizing radiation (LD-IR) and low-intensity non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation (LI-NIER) in the form of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields and radiofrequency radiation share similar biological effects.”

“Reducing preventable, adverse health exposures in the newly rebuilt environment to both LD-IR and LI-NIER is an achievable goal for Japan. Recovery and reconstruction efforts in Japan to restore the communications and energy infrastructure, in particular, should pursue strategies for reduction and/or prevention of both kinds of exposures.”

Sage writes, “In both kinds of exposure (chronic, low-level), these effects include genotoxicity and DNA fragmentation with chromosome aberrations; immune and inflammatory reactions (allergic reactions and development of hypersensitivity); reduction or suppression of the immune system or disregulation of the immune system; effects on lymphocytes and increased risk for lymphoproliferative diseases;and increased risk of other cancers in adults and in children.”

Link to the science: The similar effects of low-dose ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation from background environmental levels of exposure

SMUD smart meter shenanigans

Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is implementing a smart meter opt-out program that’s intentionally designed to intimidate and discourage customers from opting opt.  The audiotape from SMUD is a unique inside look into industry plotting against their customers.

SMUD is charging $127 upfront and $39.40 per month, and they will cut off customer rights to opt out by Dec. 31, 2012.  They plan to only notify those who’ve already complained, which is 2,500 of their 600,000 customers.   SMUD will not notify the rest of their customers, nor post about the smart meter opt out program on their website, because they don’t want them to know about it.  In addition the ‘radio-off’ smart meter is their only opt out option, and if you move, you lose the right to opt-out.

Even though SMUD is very concerned about their ‘reputational risk’ at [01:51:54] the directors make fun of people who don’t want utility smart meters on their property.

One director says, “The $166 upfront will convince them they can really afford a lot of tin foil hats” [laughter]…Another director says, “But they are already wearing them!”

In closing Director Posner says, The less that’s said about this, the better off we are.”  The last thing they want is a social media campaign that exposes them as unfriendly to their customers.

La Soupe Electro- Serge Andre Jones

Unfortunately, this video by pianist and composer Serge Andre Jones is no longer available. This wonderful song, the original version in French can be listened to here:

The song illustrates the electronic soup we are consuming daily. Here’s the translation in English.

My name is Thérèse Cash.

I prepare and sell delicious homemade dishes.

One of them, my best-seller,

is full of good organic ingredients.

Teens love it!

It’s my Electro Soup.

In it, I put healthy greens … and a cell phone,

Potatoes … and a compact fluorescent light bulb,

A nice big WIFI router, marinated in garlic,

Ham and a telecommunications antenna.

To improve the taste of all that

I add a flat-screen TV and a wireless video game control pad.

That helps to sleep soundly!

I finish the cooking in the microwave oven.

Everything becomes nice and tender.

I serve the soup with white bread

Generously covered in Smart Meter spread.

And Smart Meters, we can put a whole lot!

3,8 million, why not?

Recipe Canada states that the Electro Soup causes no health risk whatsoever.

How delicious!

You’ll see! How delicious!

Delicious for lunch, supper, breakfast and before going to bed.

You can have some all day, it’s easy to sip.

I also sell it in pills and it can even be injected.

How delicious!

You’ll see! How delicious!

Come on! Buy some!

You’ll love it!

It’s even good for kids!

How delicious!

You’ll see! How delicious!

My delicious Electro Soup is even more fun than a party!

How delicious!

My delicious Electro Soup is especially good … for my wallet!

Ha! Ha!

Shady smart meter cop-out

Another great video from Jerry Day, who offers his current advice on tackling utility smart meter problems. His advice- continue to refuse the meters, refuse the fee opt outs and keep detailed records of your health since installation. He encourages people to enforce the truth and stand up for our rights to safety in an environment of criminality.

College project: 90 days without cell phone, social media

Jake Reilly, a college student gave up his cell phone and computer for 90 days. No texting, facebook, email, twitter etc. What he learned changed his life. He writes, “Everything was so much simpler, I had relationships with people, not profiles.”
“I had nothing but time on my hands.” “I was immeasurably more calm and peaceful.”
After doing it for 90 days, I didn’t want it to be over.” Here’s his video:

 

Smart Meter SCAM

PG&E’s recent comments to the  California Public Utility Commission that customers could have an analog meter option is a ‘better late than never’ concession, but we still have a long way to go to ensure public safety and restore consumer rights.

There has been no cost evaluation, no hearings, no fact finding and no cross examination by anyone on PG&E’s proposed fees to opt out.

The fees are ARBITRARY and intentionally PUNITIVE to discourage customers from opting out.

Considering customers were not provided full disclosure about the RF technology (which is an FCC rule) and the meters were forced upon consumers without consent or choice, there should be NO CHARGE to have the smart meters replaced with analogs.

The utilities removed perfectly functional equipment with an inferior product with a shorter expected “usefulness” and charged every customer through rate hikes.

If you have managed to fend off installation and kept your analog meter now they are trying to charge you again, $90 more, to keep what you already have!

This is a SCAM and a SCANDAL!  

They also want to charge a monthly fee of $11-15 ($5 CARE customers) to cover the costs of a meter reader.   In town it takes a meter reader a couple of minutes to read a meter per house per month.  It outlying areas, people have self read their own meters for years.   These fees are UNREALISTIC, ARBITRARY, AND INTENTIONALLY PUNITIVE!