Category: PG&E

PG&E hands over even more emails

deathmeterEvidence of smart meter corruption

PG&E has handed over another batch of emails that expose days long meetings between PGE’s Brian Cherry and CPUC president Michael Peevey.   Peevey provides information, direction and advocacy on utility projects, instead of regulating PG&E to protect the public to ensure safe utility service.

The majority of the emails are about Oakley Power Plant, a windmill project called Manzana and San Bruno.  However one small section gives a peek into Michael Peevey’s intentions on smart meters.

On July 2, 2010 PGE’s Brian Cherry wrote to Tom Bottorff about having spent a “good few days with Peevey and Bohn” (former Commissioner).  Cherry’s description of what took place included smart meters.

“SmartMeters-Mike grumbled about the CCSF PFM* and the folks in Sebastopol who want to delay SmartMeter implementation. He implied that this wasn’t going to happen and that by the time the Commission got around to acting on it, we would have installed all of our meters.”

Exhibit 2 SmartMeter Upgrade Proceeding A.07-12-009 link to the emails:  PGE Letter to Mr. Sullivan Exhibits 1 – 17_ 12-22-14

Click to see the screen shot:

Screen shot 2014-12-28 at 10.35.39 AM

The “folks in Sebastopol” are the EMF Safety Network.  We had a formal proceeding before the Commission in 2010 asking for a moratorium on smart meters.  A.10-04-018. President Peevey dismissed that proceeding deferring authority to the FCC. * CCSF is the City and County of San Francisco who asked for a moratorium, and illustrated smart meter problems. http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/EFILE/PM/119424.PDF

The Structure Report was issued two months after Cherry wrote about this, and its conclusions were the same as Cherry reported, smart meters were claimed to be accurate, and PGE was faulted for how they handled smart meter problems.

Peevey has done exactly what Brian Cherry said he implied.  Peevey dismissed and ignored the substantive issues, created a pay to opt out program, and delayed… meanwhile PGE installed almost all their  smart meters.  The utilities forced smart meters onto property without consent and without honest disclosure of how the meters work.

Wasn’t that just our experience?

PG&E forcing smart meters on customers!

Tearing down signs, and installing ahead of schedule!

CPUC ignoring cities and counties requests for a moratorium and safety studies!

CPUC and PG&E ignoring local laws that banned smart meter installation!

CPUC ignoring the science!  ignoring doctors requests! ignoring disability rights!

Charging punitive fees to avoid smart meters!

Not allowing communities to decide! Not allowing businesses a choice!

Excluding health and safety from the smart meter opt out proceeding!

More from the email:

“He [Peevey] was concerned about the Structure SmartMeter Audit.  He said he could not go into details, but that we would like their conclusions on the viability of the technology and infrastructure that supports it. He did say the Structure Audit report would be very critical of the way we handled the problem and communicated with our customers. He was also highly critical of Helen and her handling of the Senate hearing in Sacramento.”

“Miscellaneous- Mike couldn’t hide his disdain for Mark Toney and TuRN. He was particularly incensed, along with Clanon, about TURN’s refusal to modify their website about opposition to Smart Meters.  I’m not too concerned about TURN and the GRC at this point. I don’t believe we need them as a settlement partner with Peevey as the assigned Commissioner….”

This is the stuff of crooks!

CPUC approves extortion smart meter fees

What really happened at Peevey’s last CPUC meeting

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Peevey’s last meeting: Reading of names and smart meter victim complaints the CPUC is ignoring.

IMG_5384Before noon on Dec.18, a Bay City News reporter published  a rare media account of Peevey’s last meeting at the CPUC titled “San Bruno blast: PUC’s Peevey presides over final meeting, receiving scorn and praise”.  During untimed public comments 30 speakers droned on with accolades for his twelve years at the CPUC, one calling him the “greenest Commissioner”.  After a couple hours the scorn began.  21 speakers had signed up to speak, most on smart meters.  Robert Ernst read the names and smart meter complaints told to the CPUC judge at public hearings. (see video below)

Within hours the news article covering the scorn was censored, and almost all mention of smart meter opposition inside the CPUC meeting was removed. Here’s what was taken out:

“Armed police guarded the meeting, which at one point was interrupted by shouts when it appeared that Peevey intended to adjourn the meeting before all members of the public had a chance to speak.

“Be quiet,” Peevey told those who were shouting. Eventually, Peevey decided to continue the meeting through lunch and speakers continued to offer comments.

Numerous people offered opposition to the controversial PG&E smart meter program.

Robert Ernst of San Rafael offered Peevey “a dark rose for dark times” that he claimed smart meters pose for California. People held up signs that read “Listen to the Smart Meter injured.

“The PUC is clearly a captured  agency, working on behalf of, and in collusion with, the utility it is supposed to be regulating,” said Sandi Maurer.”

IMG_5344IMG_5352Prior to the meeting we met on the steps of the CPUC in protest. The grim reaper held a wireless kills sign, black roses were handed out and a smart meter victims coffin was raised.

 

IMG_5367_2_2

The alternate smart meter decision is APPROVED

After a lunch break, the CPUC approved Peevey’s alternate decision, which charges opt out fees of $75 initial fee and $10 a month ($10 and $5 for low income) for no more than three years. The decision excluded health and safety and disallowed community and business opt out. The Commissioners did not discuss it, only offered gratuities to those involved.

Thanks to everyone who coordinated the actions and participated, and to Steve Zeltzer for the following video:

PG&E denies smart meter fires

Despite evidence that smart meters cause fires and explosions, in the following Stop Smart Meters video, a PG&E spokesperson says, that of all the nine million smart meters deployed in California PG&E has no reports of smart meters causing fires.

KO says a smart meter exploded-with a pop-pop-pop, flames and a big KABOOM- on her house.  She has pictures showing the fire damage.

BurnedSMIn Bakersfield, media reports “a smart-meter blows up at a business”. The PG&E technician told the employee that he had replaced at least 15 meters around town due to the same problem.

Mr. Patrick Wrigley, a former PG&E meter reader told a Public Utilities Commission judge that he was fired because he was not wiling to be quiet about the smart meter problems he saw.  He said, “These meters catch fire. They know it, and they are covering it up.”

The Berkeley fire department reported finding a smart meter “… hot to touch and smoking, with a orange glow inside the meter housing”.

IMG_2199Ms. Moskow, a PG&E customer stated,  “I had terrible electric problems in my house once the smart meter was installed,  fire coming out one of the outlets, many outlets not working.”

Two California fire department captains contacted the EMF Safety Network to report fire hazards associated with smart meters.  We also know that PG&E settled out of court in a wrongful death suit where Larry Nikkel lost his life in a smart meter fire.

In January of 2010 PG&E admitted smart meters interfered with GFI’s and AFCI’s which are devices designed to protect from shock and fire. More smart meter fire stories here: http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?page_id=1280

Fires related to smart meters are reported in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Pennsylvania, Texas, Australia, and Canada.

Mass tort lawsuit filed over smart meter health injuries

gavel-judgementAttorneys David Kyle and Paul Overett have filed a mass tort lawsuit against two California utilities:  Southern California Edison (SCE) and Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) for health damages from exposure to smart meters, and or smart grid.  Also named in the lawsuit are smart meter installer companies, Corix and Wellington and smart meter manufacturers, Itron and Landis and Gyr, with possibly more defendants to be added as the lawsuit progresses.

Attorney David Kyle has previously won a small claims lawsuit against SCE over smart meter installation, and  settled with PG&E in a wrongful death suit involving an alleged smart meter fire.

Sixteen plaintiffs, ten SCE customers and six PG&E customers allege they suffered health effects ranging from headaches, insomnia, chronic fatigue, ringing in the ears, dizziness, heart palpitations, to heart attacks and medical implant interference from exposure to smart meters.

The suit alleges the defendants withheld important safety information associated with the use of smart meters as well as multiple violations of CA laws, including California Civil Code section 1710 which defines deceit as an untrue assertion or suppression of a fact so as to mislead.

Plaintiffs allege negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, fraud and deceit, and products liability.

Elizabeth Barris, organizer for the lawsuit invites customers from other California utilities, including municipally run utilities, whose health has been effected by smart meters or smart grid to join the lawsuit. Elizabeth can be contacted at 310-281-9639 or email: contact@thepeoplesinitiative.org

Where the public gets burned and corporations get rate increases

Earlier this month California state legislators grilled the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on it’s lax safety oversight and financial problems. President Michael Peevey was caught by a TV investigative reporter at a winery conference, instead of answering questions at a senate hearing in Sacramento: Peeveys Priority: Senate Hearing or Napa Winery?  Legislators voted to wipe out the CPUC’s $1.4 billion budget to “force the regulatory agency to justify how it spends its money.”

On Thursday May 23, PG&E customers continue to demand safe utility oversight from the CPUC. President Peevey started off the CPUC business meeting by saying since everyone had been there before he’d skip the safety instructions for the building.

Garril Page, of Marin County was one of a group of PG&E customers who spoke at their business meeting during public comments.  She said this:

“Lax oversight and failure to regulate too-cozy utilities… How often does this require restatement before there is corrective action? 

It is not Jack Hagan’s military mind we need, but a surgical strike at the head of the CPUC,  to stop unsafe, unreliable conditions, abuse of funds and fiscal improprieties.  

The public is threatened by deferred maintenance of utility infrastructure,  improperly regulated,  radiation-spewing devices,  overburdened power poles loaded with snooping, profit-producing,  data collectors that topple and burn. 

The CPUC used bureaucratic box-checking to conceal the number of exploding underground vaults. How will the truth about power pole fires be hidden?

The truth about Smart Meters is being revealed despite the CPUC’s apparent indifference to scientific research and aversion to public testimony. 

No amount of a carcinogen is safe, radiation effects are cumulative, the damage is irreversible, and for the privilege of toxic exposure we are charged opt-out  fees.

The California Public Utilities Commission: where the public gets burned and corporations get rate increases.”

Bravo Garril! There were many other terrific speakers too.

Injured by smart meters? Class action lawsuit forming

9/2015 UPDATE to this post. The video has been removed. The lawsuit was unsuccessful.

——–

In this video Jerry Day interviews Liz Barris about the upcoming class action lawsuit she’s coordinating against California utilities SCE and PG&E for health damages from smart meters. This lawsuit may be extended to other CA utility companies soon.

“Those industries, businesses and individuals who profit from wireless technologies, such as your power company, are suppressing information about the hazards of wireless technologies. They are attacking proponents of responsible wireless management and they are knowingly exposing the public to harm and damage hoping that the general public and the media will refuse to believe the obvious and proven connection between electromagnetic radiation and biological damage. Because of the wireless industry’s irresponsibility and wrongdoing, unfortunately, legal actions have become necessary.”

PG&E fined $390,000 for spying

CPUC logoToday the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved a settlement in its investigation into Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) for spying on anti-Smart Meter groups.  PG&E will be required to pay $390,000 to the state’s General Fund.

This infiltration by PG&E was part of an on-going surveillance program conducted by PG&E and Edelman, a public relations firm PG&E hired in January of 2010 in response to escalating Smart Meter complaints and problems.

As part of this program, the director of the PG&E Smart Meter program, William “Ralph” Devereaux, other PG&E employees and third parties spied on groups with the knowledge of senior PG&E staff.  PG&E employees and senior management exchanged emails insulting and demeaning the members of the anti-SmartMeter groups.  For example, these PG&E customers were referred to “insurgents.”

PG&E coordinated moving an entire Smart Meter deployment yard to derail a non-violent protest and sent an employee to surreptitiously observe and report on the reactions of the protestors, who also transmitted pictures of them to PG&E.  This “spy” expressed his pleasure in observing and taking photos of anti-SmartMeter activists.

ralphDevereux resigned from PG&E in November 2010, after he was caught trying to infiltrate an EMF Safety Network discussion list using the false alias, “Ralph”.  He wrote to Sandi Maurer, moderator of the list, “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”

Maurer’s email program revealed his true identity as William Devereaux. She responded, “Aren’t you the head of the Smart Meter program at PG&E? We’d love your help!…”

CPUC Commissioner Mike Florio said ,“We will not tolerate consumer abuses in any shape or form. We expect our utilities to treat their customers with respect and compassion and engage with their customers in a transparent, ethical, and productive manner.”

More info: PG&E’s spying may cost them

Legal filings in this case: CPUC Investigation of PG&E for Spying I.12-04-010

PG&E to escalate Smart Meter deployment in Sebastopol?

Sebastopol banned Smart Meter installation and the police have enforced the ban by warning an installer who left the premises.  If the installer does not leave, it’s a $500 fine.

Meanwhile PG&E and the CPUC are using intimidation against Sebastopol to force the Smart Meter deployment.  The CPUC attorney Frank Lindh sent this letter (re:Sebastopol City Council Res. 1057  to the City.  This is wrong, especially considering there is a proceeding before the CPUC (A.11-03-014) to evaluate community wide Smart Meter opt-out.  Furthermore, the CPUC statutory mission is to ensure safe and reliable utility service, which they have not done.

Recent news (told to a EMF Safety Network member by a meter reader) is that PG&E plans to have a corporate security meeting tomorrow with the goal of ramping up Smart Meter deployment in Sebastopol.

If you see either PG&E or Wellington or other Smart Meter installers in Sebastopol:

  • Call the Police 829-4400
  • Carry a camera and record the situation.
  • CALL THE PRESS:
  • Sonoma West Times and News: 823-7845
  • Press Democrat: news tip: 526-8585 Derek Moore: 521-5336
  • KTVU 510-874-0242

Please let other people in Sebastopol know about the ban and the actions they can take!