THE EMBATTLED REGULATORS - Energy Biz - NARUC ROUNDTABLE 7/18/2011
ENERGYBIZ: When consumers can elect not to have smart meters installed, how does that affect the integrity of the smart grid deployments?
SIMON: Consumers are going to have to pay to opt out on a monthly basis in order to maintain an electro-mechanical meter. Yes, a number of consumers, particularly in Northern California, are opting to opt out. We have a growing movement in California of people who feel that radio frequencies are having carcinogenic effects and other health impacts. Another issue is the distrust of the bills. My staff and PG&E are reviewing whether the smart meter deployment and scheduled rate increases have resulted in a disproportionate amount of bill increases. PG&E has taken the position that the analog meter was not working and bills are now more accurate. I don't like that answer, so we'll take a closer look. But yes, we will see a measurable amount of opt out in California. In PG&E's territory, right now we have 150,000 potential opt outs.
BIO-ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE
This is hardly a local movement or new information. Non-thermal health effects related to RF exposure have been understood for decades and the World Health Organization has declared radio frequency electromagnetic fields "possibly carcinogenic."
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