PG&E to hold it's own Smart Meter forum next Wed 4/28

[Efren Carrillo]

We just received a letter, hand delivered at 5pm, from PG&E. The CPUC has been contacted, and will be sending staffers to observe the SmartMeter Open House being held next Wednesday, April 28th from 5-10pm

The most recent version of the Press Democrat's story on PG&E's cancellation of their scheduled appearance at our forum last Wednesday night is here:

Sonoma County officials angry at PG&E's decision to skip forum | PressDemocrat.com (https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100423/ARTICLES/100429760/1350?p=1&tc=pg)

I hope that all of you with questions or concerns about the SmartMeter forum will come on Wednesday night. Efren

https://www.waccobb.net/forums/waccobb/ImagesforMembers/2010-04-23_1817.png

[2Bwacco]

PG&E holding its own forum?

Something has to change. This company provides electricity to the customers. We go to them to purchase a commodity. PG&E has a monopoly and tells us, the customers, what they will or won't do.

This just isn't right.

Not only that, but they have taken steps to try to prevent customers or citizens of the State of California from weakening their stranglehold.

PG&E has gotten way too big. It is almost to the point there is no space in the room for anybody else.

I remember a remark on another site that said (as a company) PG&E is dysfunctional and shoots from the hip. Recent events seem to demonstrate this is true.

Like a pouty child: if I can't have it my way, I won't do it at all.

Something has to change.

Hearings are to be held this coming Monday in Sacramento (according to Anna Werner, investigative reporter for CBS - TV channel 5 -- she will report to us on those hearings I'm sure).

Does anyone else notice no mention is ever made about the hackability of these meters? Do you want a hacker to be able to turn off your electricity remotely? According to a tester in Rhode Island (see Press Democrat article) this capability exists.

[Bryan]

PG&E has the gall to put a measure on the ballot supposedly based upon democratic principles. They FAIL to understand that public players have to show up to places that are often uncomfortable. That at least the vote must be done in public! How can they claim to be in favor of representative democracy when they are afraid to represent themselves? Oh, I know why! This is merely an episode of the Daily Show playing itself out in real life!

[Barry]

I'm OK with PG&E holding a SmartMeter forum based on its own format. It's certainly better than nothing after they bailed out of the one the county organized at the last minute.

There's a lot of emotion around this issue and I can understand their desire for a more controlled format.

I'm hoping that all those who have questions and concerns about Smart Meters will show up and present those concerns in the appropriate manner at this new forum. Additionally, I hope that PG&E addresses all these concerns forthrightly, even if they don't agree.

The bottom line answer to all this, in my opinion, is there needs to be a way of opting out.

It seems that Smart Meters are all about efficiency. If that's the case, then I recommend that customers who accept the Smart Meters be given a discount ($5/month?) on their PG&E bill and then customers who opt out don't get the discount (and thus pay for the additional cost to read the meter and not cooperating with community load balancing). That way people have a choice and are responsible for their choice.

It's so unfortunate that PG&E is showing itself to be a bad corporate citizen through its reluctance to address the Smart Meter concerns and failure to allow a choice, and worse yet, by its greedy and deceptive Prop 16.

I think the Smart Meter's ability to load-balance peak needs (and thus avoid building another power plant) is a fine example of community cooperation that consciously trades away some personal autonomy to achieve a larger common environmental benefit. However that requires a trustworthy and benevolent power company which, most unfortunately, PG&E is blatantly demonstrating that it is not. So sad.

[Recycleman]

Barry, what is the time and location of this Wednesday PG&E meeting? Recycleman.


I'm OK with PG&E holding a SmartMeter forum based on its own format. It's certainly better than nothing after they bailed out of the one the county organized at the last minute.

There's a lot of emotion around this issue and I can understand their desire for a more controlled format.

I'm hoping that all those who have questions and concerns about Smart Meters will show up and present those concerns in the appropriate manner at this new forum. Additionally, I hope that PG&E addresses all these concerns forthrightly, even if they don't agree.

The bottom line answer to all this, in my opinion, is there needs to be a way of opting out.

It seems that Smart Meters are all about efficiency. If that's the case, then I recommend that customers who accept the Smart Meters be given a discount ($5/month?) on their PG&E bill and then customers who opt out don't get the discount (and thus pay for the additional cost to read the meter and not cooperating with community load balancing). That way people have a choice and are responsible for their choice.

It's so unfortunate that PG&E is showing itself to be a bad corporate citizen through its reluctance to address the Smart Meter concerns and failure to allow a choice, and worse yet, by its greedy and deceptive Prop 16.

I think the Smart Meter's ability to load-balance peak needs (and thus avoid building another power plant) is a fine example of community cooperation that consciously trades away some personal autonomy to achieve a larger common environmental benefit. However that requires a trustworthy and benevolent power company which, most unfortunately, PG&E is blatantly demonstrating that it is not. So sad.

[Barry]

Barry, what is the time and location of this Wednesday PG&E meeting? Recycleman.

It's this Wednesday, April 28th, from 5-10pm, at the Sebastopol Vets Hall on High Street (same place as the earlier county organized forum that they failed to show up for).