FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 17, 2013
Press Release #2
On Friday June 14th two appeals were filed with the Michigan Court of Appeals concerning the May 15th decision of the Michigan Public Service Commission to allow DTE to implement its advanced (smart) meter opt-out program. The first appeal was filed by Linda Kurtz , Cynthia Edwards, and Leslie Panzica-Glapa. Kurtz and Edwards are co-intervenors in the opt-out case before the MPSC and organizers of the Smart Meter Education Network. Panzica-Glapa joined the case because the health of both herself and her son, who is diabetic, have been affected by smart meters. Panzica-Glapa removed the smart meter from her home in order to protect her son’s health. The second appeal was filed by Dominic and Lillian Cusumano. The Cusumanos have been in the news several times recently because they removed a smart meter from their home, also for health reasons, and are being sued by DTE for having done so. The Cusumanos are members of a group called Michigan Stop Smart Meters, based in Ferndale, which is covering the cost of their appeal.
DTE is offering so-called nontransmitting meters to customers who do not want a smart meter. These opt-out meters are simply advanced meters with the radiofrequency turned off. Appellants contend that these opt-out meters do not fulfill the MPSC Staff’s recommendation in its report on smart metering (Report on U-17000). In that report, the staff recommended that the opt-out address customers’ concerns. including those regarding health, power quality, and privacy. The opt-out meter approved by the MPSC does not address those concerns. Even with radio-transmitters turned off, the advanced meters cause power quality issues, sending harmonics and pulses (commonly called “dirty electricity”) through a home’s wiring, causing health problems for many, including most of the appellants. Like the smart meters, the opt-out meters still record in detail how and when electricity is used within the home, thus not addressing the privacy issue.
Appellants contend that the dirty electricity problem is caused by the “switched mode power supply” that is in all advanced digital electronic meters. Only analog (electro-mechanical) meters do not have this problem. They maintain there is a wealth of peer-reviewed science to support their position that “dirty electricity” in a home 24/7/365 can make people ill. Some of them have personally become ill because these non-transmitting opt-out meters.
Dave Sheldon, organizer of Michigan Stop Smart Meters, said: “The detailed monitoring would still go on with the non-transmitting advanced opt-out meters because each such meter contains all the circuitry necessary to measure electrical usage in fine increments, to store that information in its memory, and to permit a monthly meter reader to upload that information into a hand-held device. People’s heretofore private habits would still be available for sale to the highest bidder.”
Michigan Stop Smart Meters: Media contact: David Sheldon
Smart Meter Education Network: Media contact: Linda Kurtz