Given The PG&E Pubic Relation Track Record Lately I Am Sure Happy To See That Senator Florez Continues To Looking Out For California Consumers. In all honesty, I hope the PG&E Smart Meter mess is fixed before they come knocking on my door with my Smart Meter! Much of the history of the PG&E Smart Meter mess I posted in the last three months on Calitics. Key Word Smart Meter should get you to the posts.
SACRAMENTO – Amid consumer concerns over the accuracy of so-called “Smart Meters” and ongoing delays in promised independent testing of the devices, the Senate Rules Committee has established a Select Committee on the Smart Grid to provide legislative oversight for implementation of the technology throughout California.
Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez (D-Shafter), who led a series of hearings on Smart Meters last fall as Valley residents’ PG&E bills soared inexplicably, will chair the new committee. Some of those who saw their bills triple had even installed energy efficient appliances or received increased bills for homes which were vacant.
Florez has continued to push for public recognition of problems with the meters, which ultimately are supposed to help residents monitor and adjust their energy usage to save money. He called for independent testing and a moratorium on further Smart Meter installations until such testing is complete.
The California Public Utilities Commission agreed to require PG&E to conduct independent testing of the digital meters, but declined to implement a moratorium. Meanwhile, PG&E is attempting to speed up installations while it delays testing.
PG&E indicated in a recent letter to Florez that it would prefer to meet in person rather than respond in writing to his concerns. To that end, Florez will soon hold a Sacramento hearing of the Select Committee on the Smart Grid to discuss the latest on Smart Meters.
“This committee will finally put the tools at our disposal to compel PG&E and the CPUC to provide consumers with the answers they need and deserve,” said Florez. “It concerns me greatly that there is such a rush to install these meters while so many questions loom.”
In a letter requesting the select committee, Florez indicated the body would “investigate and review the development of the Smart Grid throughout the state; the use of American recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for Smart Grid purposes; the integrity and reliability of new Smart Grid and Metering technologies; privacy and security standards for Smart Grid data; and the consumer protections in place with regards to utility billing, disconnection and real-time pricing.”
The newly formed select committee will include Senators Florez, Roy Ashburn (R-Bakersfield), Mark Leno (D-San Francisco/San Rafael) and Curren Price (D-Los Angeles).