Rollout Underway

Despite town meeting votes, Smart meters ready for rollout - Manchester Journal

Despite anti-smart meter votes that were passed by the public in the towns of Bennington, Dorset, Manchester, and Sandgate at this year's Town Meeting, CVPS (Central Vermont Public Service) officials said the smart meter rollout will continue as scheduled.

According to Director of Public Affairs for CVPS, Steve Costello, it is expected that the installation of smart meters will begin in the Northshire sometime in the next couple of months and continue into the winter. The program has already received approval from the state's Public Service Board, which has jurisdiction over it. However, Clerk of the Vermont Public Service Board, Susan Hudson, said that an investigation was currently underway that was examining the health risks and security and privacy issues posed by the use of smart meters. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, Hudson said there could be consequences for the parties - such as CVPS - who were installing smart meters.

There is currently a bill in the State Senate, introduced by State Senator Robert Hartwell (D - Bennington) to require the public service board to establish terms and conditions related to the installation of smart meters. If passed, the bill aims to require electric companies to receive a customers written consent before installing a smart meter on their property or to remove one that had previously been installed - at no cost to the customer - if it is requested.

In a telephone interview Wednesday afternoon, Hartwell said this week's decision by the PSB to approve CVPS's $10 opt-out fee would not change his plans to push the bill forward, which was reported out of the Senate finance committee this week. The bill would overturn the fee until the system is fully deployed and the true cost of implementing the system can be fully determined, he said.