Smart meter deployment
State Rep. Paul Opsommer announced Thursday that the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) was launching an investigation into the deployment of wireless “smart meters” after his office received several calls from constituents who did not want them installed on their homes.
The MPSC has opened a docket to have regulated utilities submit information to the commission for Case No. U-17000 so that it can learn of a utility’s existing plans for deployment, the costs and sources of funding, whether customers may opt-out of installation, and the results of any privacy or health related studies the utilities have conducted.
“The use of smart meters in Michigan is still relatively new compared to other states”, said Opsommer. “People are coming home to find these have been installed on their homes while they have been away at work, and they don’t know much about them and feel like they are stuck even if they want them removed. There is currently little in law regarding smart meters, and I think we all want to avoid the controversies that they have had in places like California where thermostats could be remotely adjusted without a consumer’s permission. I’ve also talked to people who would simply like to opt out because of health or privacy concerns, and I think we need to find a way to accommodate these people given the monopolistic nature of utilities and the inability for most people to get their utilities from other sources.”
Consumers in California had banded together and were initially successful in stopping a California administrative rule that would have allowed people’s thermostats to be adjusted remotely, but it appears that a vote by the California Public Utilities Commission on whether people can opt out has been pushed back to February while decisions are made as to how much more such customers would have to pay. Opsommer said that in Michigan the people he has talked to have not been given the option to be able to opt out, regardless of price.
Interested persons have until 5pm on April 16th to file comments on the information that will be submitted by the utilities. Written comments should be sent to: Executive Secretary, Michigan Public Service Commission, PO Box 30221, Lansing, MI, 48909, and must reference Case No. U-17000.
Comments may be emailed to: mpscedockets@michigan.gov. Comments and other documents received in this proceeding will become public information, posted on the Commissioner’s website, and subject to disclosure.