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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 14, 2015 12:17 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Mike Reese |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Consumer “Opt-Out” of Smart Meter Usage |
| In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation to amend Title 66 (Public Utilities) to permit consumers to “opt-out” of having smart meter technology deployed at their premises. Act 129 of 2008 requires electric distribution companies to develop energy efficiency and conservation plans. The Act also requires electric distribution companies to deploy smart meter technology throughout their service territories according to a 15-year depreciation schedule. Smart meter technology transmits usage data to an electric distribution company and to the consumer on an hourly basis. I and other legislators have been contacted by constituents that have expressed their desire to not have smart meter technology at their homes or businesses. Their concerns range from securing sensitive and personal information to the health impacts of radio frequency (RF) waves. My perspective is one that questions if a government mandate was appropriate at all. This legislation, one of three bills addressing smart meter technology that I intend to introduce, would provide consumers the ability to “opt-out” of having a smart meter and require the Pennsylvania Utility Commission to create a fair surcharge system that would be paid by these consumers. This is similar to laws recently passed in Maine, Nevada and California. During the 2013-2014 Legislative Session, this bill was introduced as House Bill 902. The following memebers served as co-sponsors: BLOOM, R. BROWN, V. BROWN, CAUSER , DAY, DUNBAR, EMRICK, EVANKOVICH, EVERETT , GABLER, GROVE, C. HARRIS , KAUFFMAN , F. KELLER, LAWRENCE, MALONEY, MARSHALL , METCALFE , METZGAR, MOUL , MUSTIO , O'NEILL , PETRARCA , SACCONE, SONNEY , SWANGER , TAYLOR , WHITE , ROCK , BENNINGHOFF , MAHER , BARRAR , MILNE , MIRANDA, M. K. KELLER , KRIEGER, HACKETT, CRUZ , REGAN and SNYDER |
Introduced as HB394