PORT ORANGE — The world is more efficient and complex because of technology.
Americans routinely cook with microwave ovens and communicate with cell phones and computers.
Now, the monitoring of electrical usage is entering the 21st century with the so-called smart meter — a device that’s both revered and feared.
In recent months, contracted crews hired by Florida Power and Light have been installing smart meters throughout Volusia and Flagler counties, often without the knowledge of the occupants.
Proponents promise more modernized electrical distribution, monitoring and system repairs, while opponents warn of potential health, safety and privacy risks. Many Americans as far away as California and Maine are calling for controls or outright discontinuation of smart-meter installation.
The meters are a key component in modernizing the nation’s electrical grid — something President Barack Obama has compared to the interstate highway system. They track electricity usage and even pinpoint outages wirelessly.
The Federal Communications Commission maintains smart meters comply with federal radio frequency (RF) emission standards, and FPL says concerns are based on fear, not facts.
Proponents and opponents of the technology point to scientific research that backs their position, fueling already held emotional convictions.
But research done last year by the top public health official in Santa Cruz, Calif., discovered that health risks exist with RF exposure, and that smart meters transmit pulsed radiation throughout the day. The report also found disparities between independent and industry studies, and that “there is little basic-science funding for this type of research, and it is largely funded by industry.”
Lee Shavers, the owner of Peggy’s Discount Health Foods, is a vocal opponent of smart meters on his morning radio show at WELE. Away from the station, he has hosted several meetings at his Ormond Beach and South Daytona stores to warn of what he considers the dangers of smart meters.
In addition, Shavers has consulted an attorney about going to court to stop the metering in this and other areas of Florida.
“We hope to accomplish, at a minimum, the right to say no to it. At the best, we hope to get the whole smart meter program exposed for what it is,” he said, pointing to successful efforts in other states where customers can opt out. “In California, Maine and Texas, they’re finding out that what they’re telling us in (power company) brochures is not true. These things are a possible danger to health.”
Fred Gruner, of Daytona Beach, decided to do his own research, and discovered “everything was false” in an anonymous pamphlet he received warning of the health risks of smart meters.
“When you first read it, it scares the pants off you,” he said.
So Gruner, a retired Connecticut school administrator, bought a radiation detector and placed it on a newly installed smart meter outside of his home for 10 days.
“There was no radiation whatsoever. It detected nothing,” he said. “You’re always going to have a lot of hysteria like this when there’s something new.”
A POLITICAL CHARGE
Many cities in Volusia and Flagler county aren’t waiting for the definitive smart-meter study to be done, supporting residents who vehemently oppose the meters.
South Daytona recently passed a resolution banning smart meters for its 7,800 customers. City leaders are in the process of buying Florida Power & Light’s electrical distribution system, an issue that goes before voters Nov. 6.
FPL’s executives say customers can “temporarily postpone installation” after notifying the power company. Port Orange recently used its City Hall as a clearinghouse for just that, passing along to the company the names of more than 70 residents who don’t want a smart meter.
Meanwhile, Florida’s Public Service Commission, which oversees investor-owned power companies, is weighing policy options after a September public hearing regarding smart-meter installation, which continues in cities throughout the area. FPL wants to be reimbursed for reading traditional meters if the PSC rules in favor of customers and offers an opt-out choice — although the cost of keeping a meter reader hasn’t been established yet.
“It’s not fair for the other 4.6 million customers who have smart meters to subsidize a small number of people (who won’t),” said FPL spokeswoman Elaine Hinsdale, who specializes in smart meters.
She said about 14,000 customers have declined installation so far in FPL’s 35-county service area.
Brandon Young, a South Daytona city councilman, said his board acted unanimously to ban smart meters after residents complained about potential health, security and privacy risks.
“It allows information to be tracked about your usage, determining when you’re there and when you’re not there,” he said. “And there are some concerns out there related to what people might be able to do with that kind of information.”
Young said South Daytona will not install smart meters if the city buys FPL’s electrical system.
“But there’s some talk people actually will be charged not to have them installed,” he said, which is the case in some parts of California. “That’s another concern for us.”
Another concern being raised about smart meters involves potential fires.
Flagler County Fire Rescue Chief Don Petito received a new meter within the last month at his home. He says the meters are not a fire hazard. It’s an opinion shared by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office that “there really is no proof supporting such accusations,” although the Internet is “full of articles making all kinds of claims.”
Petito said the state fire marshal’s office is currently tracking nine incidents reported since 2011 involving fires with smart meters. He said none were attributed to smart meters.
Eric Silagy, FPL’s president, said only a “tiny fraction” of customers statewide have opted out of installation — currently four hundredths of one percent.
“There are 35 million smart meters installed in America. This is not just FPL. We weren’t the first. We wanted the technology proven out. We did pilot projects for years,” he said. “This is technology that allows people to be informed. We can give people almost real-time information online on their electricity usage.”
As for privacy, he said employees must go into yards to read most traditional meters, which might be more intrusive for customers.
“And right now if you have an old (traditional) meter, we don’t know the power’s out at your house until you call us,” he said. “With a smart meter, we’ll know instantly that you’ve lost service at your home and business. And we’ll be able to respond that much faster.”
Silagy said a great deal of the opposition to smart meters is based on fear fueled by what he considers unsubstantiated information spread on the Internet.
“People are complaining about the RF issue while they have a cell phone right next to their brain. The direct TV remote control I have at home is RF. The microwave. Wi-fi,” he said. “The smart meter is on the outside of the house. It’s dormant 99 percent of the time . . . I’m sure there are people who were afraid of any change going back in history, whatever it was. Like the car or the airplane.”
Staff writer Julie Murphy contributed to this story.
Smart Meters Reliable?
Massachusetts Utilities Continue Widespread Implementation of Smart/Wireless Meters Despite Poor Response to Recent Storm Power Outages & Continued Warnings By Medical Experts…
Published: Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012 – 8:39 am
BOSTON, Nov. 1, 2012 – /PRNewswire/ — Corporate and municipal utilities in Massachusetts continue building the wireless utility grid with new meters, distributed wireless antennae,
(DAS), relay boxes, remotely operated transformers and other communications components amid increasing warnings from the medical community and despite lackluster performance in responding to
power outages statewide.
Many utilities, including NStar and National Grid, have touted improved response times to outages as a key consumer benefit to
smart meters and automated wireless meters. However, following Hurricane Sandy’s recent course through the Bay State, many residents were without power for more than twelve hours. For some, the power went out before the storm had even started. “There was barely any wind at all and no rain when we lost power,” said one resident of Bedford, “It was very strange – out for 12 hours, then the next evening, it went out again.” Another resident in Andover, spoke of a losing power for more than 24 hours.
Ongoing Expert Medical Warnings
Additionally disconcerting is the utilities’ refusal to consider or accommodate customer’s legitimate
health concerns given the myriad medical warnings about the pulsed, high frequency radiation that
smart meters emit into resident’s homes:
“Patients are reporting the development of symptoms and adverse health effects after new wireless digital meters are installed on their homes,” says Dr. Amy Dean, President Elect of the
American Academy of Environmental Medicine.
More and more people are complaining of ringing in the ears, headaches, agitation,
heart palpitations, and insomnia after wireless meters have been installed. “Immediate action is necessary – Our research shows chronic
RF and EMF exposure to be very harmful,” continued Dr. Dean. In some areas, ambient radiation levels in homes with meters was magnified 100,000 times.** The meters have also caused a spate of fires on homes throughout the US leading to investigations and legal battles, most recently in Pennsylvania and Chicago.
Lack of Savings in Results.
Numerous new meters have appeared all over the state regardless of evidence emerging of lack of savings or positive cost benefit in this type of electricity load balancing. In the Crain’s Chicago Business article: ‘Smart grid test underwhelms’, it was stated that “In pilot, few power down to save money”, indicating that fewer that 9% of customers exhibited any amount of peak usage reduction and that the overall amount of reduction was “statistically insignificant.” The data came from a report by the
Electric Power Research Institute. The report shows zero statistically different results compared to business as usual.
**Source: Peter Sierck, Baubiologist, Industrial Hygienist and Principal of Environmental Testing & Technology, Inc.
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