A Morro Bay resident has reported that PG&E refused to abide by the city-approved moratorium on the installation of a Smart Meter at her residence, which, along with other such experiences, has prompted a state watchdog organization to accelerate its efforts to convince the state to investigate possible health risks from the meters and impose its own moratorium until that information becomes available.
The Morro Bay resident, Anne Aschmann, said PG&E informed her that the installation of the Smart Meters is not optional. Based on her inquiries to PG&E and the city of Morro Bay, she said it appears the meters are scheduled to be installed in the community between February and December of this year, despite the city moratorium. After the City Council approved the moratorium on December 8, a PG&E spokesperson refused to respond to a question about whether the corporation would comply with the moratorium.
Aschmann said she had been informed later by a city representative that the moratorium had not gone into effect. No one could be contacted on the city staff to confirm that information.
The EMF (electromagnetic fields) Safety Network, which is leading the effort across California to rein in the installation of Smart Meters, asked the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC) last month for a rehearing on its request for a moratorium and investigation. A previous request was rejected as being "unreasonable," said Sandi Maurer, head of EMF and its founder. (See Stop Smart Meters! Exclusive: Interview with the Wellington Energy Whistleblower)
But now that Governor Jerry Brown has appointed new PUC members who are expected to be strong consumer advocates, EMF has resubmitted its request. The commission oversees companies supplying electricity, natural gas, telephone and cable television service in California, including PG&E's natural gas and electrical services and the Smart Meters.
The two new members are Michael Florio, an attorney with the Utility Reform Network, known as Turn, which is the most prominent independent monitor of the PUC and state policies and practices involving utilities services. Catherine Sandoval, a law professor at Santa Clara University and telecommunications expert, was also appointed by Brown. Their appointments could begin to change the traditional pro-business outlook of the PUC, or at least create rare voices that may speak on behalf of consumers.
EMF's efforts are emboldened by the fact that more than 22 cities and three counties in California have launched formal objections to the mandatory deployment of Smart Meters because of complaints of significant overbilling, health hazards from electromagnetic fields exposure, interference with household electronics, privacy and security risks, and fire hazards, according to Judy Vick, a local activist seeking to win the support of the county Board of Supervisors for a moratorium.
Maurer said Mendocino, Marin, and Santa Cruz counties have adopted moratoriums, and PG&E reportedly has respected those moratoriums. But those are larger political jurisdictions with many more residents than in Morro Bay. And PG&E has indicated in other cities that it may be willing to compromise on installing the meters, according to media reports.
She said whether property owners have the right to prohibit PG&E from installing the meters is "an open legal question. Cities and counties are asking that question. We do have consumer rights."
Maurer noted that some people are "putting utility locks on their existing meters to prevent them from being removed (and replaced with Smart Meters) and are putting cages over them." She emphasized that neither she nor EMF is recommending that action, but it may be working at least in some cases.
Also pending is a bill, AB 37, authored by Assembly member Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, that would require the PUC to provide an opt-out alternative for customers and require utilities to provide a wired alternative to the wireless meter. It has yet to be heard in the Assembly.
