Thread: Angry Customers Return SmartMeters

Power Takeover: Are smart meters part of the largest corporate scam in history?

Published October 5, 2013

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By Josh del Sol
Producer & Director, Take Back Your Power

On January 17, 2008, President Barack Obama famously said, “Under my plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.”[1] It’s now clear that the so-called “smart” utility meter is the core culprit technology in the scheme to which Obama was referring. But this is just the tip of the rather alarming iceberg unveiled in our new feature film Take Back Your Power (www.takebackyourpower.net).
Billions of tax dollars… no benefits?

In a time of economic crisis, the US government allocated $11 billion from taxpayer funds[2] from the 2009 bailout package to develop a “smart” grid, including “smart” meters for every home’s electricity, gas and water. And recently, the European Union has announced plans to spend a mind-numbing $700 billion on building out this centralized control grid.[3] The stated reasons for “smart” metering and grid technology:

• to save energy and thus aid the environment;
• to increase power reliability; and
• to give you more control of energy use in your own home.[4]

It is now easily demonstrated that all three of these claims are patently false. “Smart” meters and grids typically use more energy[5], they are extremely hackable[6] (making the entire power grid vulnerable[7]), and customers suffer increased utility bills virtually across the board immediately following a “smart” meter installation[8] – a fact even openly acknowledged now by some utilities.[9]
In the words of Dr. Timothy Schoechle, a leading digital technology engineer and author of Getting Smarter About The Smart Grid:

“The smart meter is a canard—a story or a hoax based on specious and grandiose claims about energy benefits ostensibly derived from the promise of “two-way” communication with the customer… There is essentially no possibility that most smart meters or meter networks will lead to greater sustainability.”[10]
-Dr. Timothy Schoechle, “Getting Smarter About The Smart Grid“

Smart spy state

As if all this is not enough, “smart” meters – in combination of “smart” appliances also chronically transmitting low-level microwave radiation – are functionally designed to collect swaths of in-home private data on everyone. According to a US Congressional Research Service report,

“Police will have access to data that might be used to track residents’ daily lives and routines while in their homes, including their eating, sleeping, and showering habits, what appliances they use and when, and whether they prefer the television to the treadmill, among a host of other details.”[11]
-US Government Congressional Research Service report, “Smart Meter Data: Privacy and Cybersecurity”, 2012

But it gets worse. Utilities and public utilities commissions (such as California’s PUC) are actually encouraging the sale of this private data – everything you do in your own home – to 3rd-party corporate interests, for a profit.

“I support today’s decision because it adopts reasonable privacy and security rules and expands consumer and third-party access to electricity usage and pricing information. I hope this decision stimulates market interest in the data.”[12]
-Timothy Alan Simon, CPUC Commissioner

And incredulously, even former CIA Director David Patraeus boasted (in Wired, March 2012) that government will be routinely spying on through their “smart” appliances[13]. Thus, with CISPA’s focus on legalizing private data transfer deals for corporations to government agencies, the primary motivation behind the push for such legislation starts to become clear.[14]
And not only would every detail of your life be tracked, but your access to electricity would be totally controlled: your appliances or entire home could be shut down at any time – without notice – by any utility, or government agency, or as another former CIA director James Woolsey stated, “a hacker on a cellphone in China.”[15]
Newsflash: the NSA phone spying scandal is just the tip of the globalist iceberg.
The good news: the “smart” plan of control and order-out-of-chaos cannot be achieved if enough people simply refuse to participate in this federally-sponsored voluntary microwave and surveillance program.
Mounting evidence of health damage

Tens of thousands of individuals are reporting officially, to governments and utilities, that they are experiencing illness or functional impairments following the installation of “smart” meters. Reported symptoms include headaches, sleep problems, ear ringing, focus difficulties, fatigue, heart palpitations, nausea and statistically abnormal recurrences of cancer.[16]
According to court-ordered documentation[17], and independent testing[18], utilities have been proven to be lying about how often “smart” meters transmit bursts of microwave radiation. Depending on the utility their claim is typically something like “4-6 times per day” (Pepco), or “45-60 seconds per day” (PG&E) — whereas courts and independent testing reveal that meters are transmitting in the range of 10,000 to 190,000 pulsed microwave transmissions per day.[19]
The amount of transmitted microwave radiation has been measured up to 200 times greater[20] (if one is standing next to the meter) than the Building Biology standard threshold for “extreme concern”.[21] The radiation standards set by national agencies such as the FCC[22] are literally thousands of times higher than science-based levels, because they actually assume that harm can only be done from electromagnetic radiation (EMR) if cells heat up by a certain amount. This is called a “thermal effect”. The reality is that more than 6,000 peer-reviewed, published studies have indicated functional impairment, symptoms of illness or disease (ie. “non-thermal effects”) from levels of EMR as much as 10,000 times lower than “safety” standards set by organizations such as the FCC, Health Canada, ICNIRP, etc.[23]
But the health effects don’t end with the pulsed microwave radiation – from the meters and all future “smart” transmitting appliances – under this multinational plan of total control. Every “smart” digital electric meter has what’s known as a “switching mode power supply”, which is proven to directly create large amounts of dirty electricity (DE) – or high-frequency energy radiating throughout your home’s electric circuits, essentially creating an antenna cage. The levels of DE caused by “smart” meters can be several hundred times higher than some international safety standards. When confronted, one government agent would not talk about this on his work phone, but on a private call he confirmed the awareness and concern of the DE health hazard.[24]
As stated by Dr. De-Kun Li, a respected Kaiser Permanente scientist whom I interviewed, “I am not aware of any studies that have shown that exposure to smart meters is safe for the human population.”[25]
In this complete void of responsibility or conscience, independent research is now starting to clearly show negative biological effects. One such example is demonstrated in our film – the effects of a single “smart” meter on live human blood – and the visual results are staggering, to say the least.[26]
Additionally, by many reports there are now well over a thousand home fires[27] linked to “smart” meters, and tens of thousands have experienced other appliance breakages in their home. Incredulously, almost none of these meters, made mostly in China[28], have been tested or approved by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or an equivalent standards body.[29] Thus, the homeowner has no guarantee of coverage, and is often left to deal with the damage and expense to repair.[30]
Crisis or awakening?

This is the first time in known history that either governments or corporations are attempting to force a device (on entire populations) which has been openly proven to cause direct harm to health, rights, security and property.
In the US, where federal bill introduced in July 2013 would – if passed – eliminate local decision-making and mandate “smart” grid deployments nationwide[31], this agenda rips apart the 4th, 5th and 10th Constitutional Amendments.[32],[33],[34] Mandated or not, the installation of “smart” meters is either underway or planned in virtually all western countries, despite existing foundational laws which have heretofore served as protection for the people from tyranny.
By forcing this centralized control grid while ignoring an avalanche of evidence indicating catastrophic downsides – and all the while, completely ignoring democratic processes – the picture is becoming clear that the corrupted establishment is truly going for broke on this one folks.
However, as documented in Take Back Your Power, there is a growing widespread awareness and resistance to this anti-freedom, anti-life program. Hundreds of local governmentshave issued moratoriums on the installation of “smart” meters, and in California alone, 15 councils have criminalized the installations.[35] Several, such as the City of Sebastopol, have additionally issued an ordinance fining PG&E in the range of $500 fine per installed meter in their city.[36]
But PG&E and other utilities around the world still are not backing down. In almost all regions where people are beginning to rise to their feet, utilities are moving toward an extortive “opt-out” program, charging customers through the nose for the privelege of not being microwaved and surveiled in their home. Two weeks ago the rogue British Columbian government floated the idea to more than 60,000 households declining the new meter, to fork over an initial fee of $100, and then pay them an ongoing fee of $35 per month, just to keep their analog meter.[37]
To pay for the privilege of not being irradiated and surveilled upon.
No legal requirement, pulling back the curtain

According to some legal experts we interviewed, the trick is to realize that it’s just a poker game. There is no law requiring you to accept a so-called “smart” meter on your home, or to participate in extortion, even though utilities and governments are intimidating people into believing they have no choice.[38]
And for the masses who do not yet know the facts about this shocking issue, corporate utilities operate under tacit acceptance, or implied consent[39] – in other words, if you didn’t say “no”, you just said “yes”.
Lawsuits and claim-of-right actions against installations are sprouting up and becoming almost ubiquitous. In many local governments that are still not listening to the people, individual councilors and mayors are now beginning to be on the receiving end of civil and criminal litigation.[40] Though, with so much on the line, and the bottomless corporate pockets of a trillion-dollar industry, would a fair trial even be possible?
Whether or not this vast trail of corruption extends into the courts (in the opinion of the writer: it does, but proceedings with a jury may be more fruitful), people are increasingly becoming aware of their rights, and white-collar criminals are beginning to be called out.[41] As one rights group put it:

“No longer can a department head say they were just following orders. No longer can a mayor or city council member say they didn’t know, especially when an avalanche of information is presented to them indicating their position on an issue is detrimental to the health their constituency.”[42]

Because virtually all of us have utility meters, we all now have direct leverage against a central pillar of the planetary control system, perhaps for the first time in any social movement, ever. And it all starts with saying “no” to your utility. If you have a so-called “smart” digital surveillance meter, demand to have it be replaced with a safe analog meter. And do not pay any extortive fees.
Participating in extortion condones criminality, and is pathetically ineffective – anyone remember Chamberlain’s attempt to appease Hitler? Germany does, and they remember unbridled fascism, too. The world’s technology and renewable energy leader is taking a position against “smart” surveillance meters.[43]
This is why we made Take Back Your Power: to let people know – in a highly credible, inspiring and hugely entertaining way – that you no longer have to be silenced by a faceless, soulless enemy. And to provide a tool that can be used like a light saber of awakening for personal networks, or entire regions.
The curtain’s pulled back. Time to connect-the-dots and turn the tables. Let’s each start by deciding what we are ready to stand for, and then reaching out to family, friends and community.
High stakes, huge opportunity

What’s at stake is nothing less than our basic rights to life, health, choice and freedom itself. When finally understood, this situation is a crisis, but it is also a truly momentous opportunity to claim power back into the hands of the people, by decentralizing energy production within the community, and vetoing the old dinosaurs of leechlike extraction. The insanity of these systems is becoming evident, no matter how well-trained the oligarchy’s <acronym title="Google Page Ranking">PR</acronym> department.
What helps to make sense of this whole thing, is coming to the understanding that governments have become corporate puppets and have been systematically suppressing any tangible solution for decades. The Federation of American Scientists acknowledges that more than 5,000 technology patent applications have been “secretized”.[44] And the US Patent Office actually has a publicly-visible internal law for the suppression of inventions.[45] With 6 of the 7 world’s richest companies in the oil/gas/energy industry[46], should it be surprising that corporate governments have (in Spain) actually passed laws to prohibit the “illegal use of sunlight for energy generation”, setting a fine of $30M Euro for violating homeowners?[47]
The fact is, in order for human civilization to make it through this time of terrible corruption – and to realize a world of decentralized power and restoration of rights to health, privacy and life itself – we are now required to transition to higher awareness of our situation. We are being asked to confront our existential fear of authority; to go through the proverbial eye of the needle. This requires a realization of the tremendous magnitude of fraud that has been perpetrated by the corporate-government power centers – and then a willingness to take a stand and move our innate Creative force through this awareness.[48] And in doing so, to contribute to a solution that burns off the parasite, and benefits the living.
In the end, there is no other way but to stand against corruption, and reveal who we are.
* * *
BE PART OF THE SOLUTION!
Watch online and share the film ‘Take Back Your Power’, at www.takebackyourpower.net. Free community screenings and bulk DVD discounts are available.

ARTICLE REFERENCES:

1) Obama on cap and trade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlTxGHn4sH4
2) Time Magazine: http://business.time.com/2012/07/26/...cal-grid-plan/
3) European Commission wants another $700 billion for smart grid upgrades: http://www.smartgridnews.com/artman/...ades-5868.html
4) California Public Utilities Commission: Benefits of Smart Meters: http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/energy/De...e/benefits.htm
5) CBS5 News Report, Feb 2010: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csvmw2frBws
6) Krebs on Security, 09 Apr 2012: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2012/04/...ely-to-spread/
7) US Government Accountability Office Report “Challenges in Securing the Electricity Grid”, 17 Jul 2012: http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-926T
USA Today, 23 Jun 2010: http://content.usatoday.com/communit...1#.UWs0dcpYXTo
9) Toronto Hydro: 80% seeing increases on bills http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toront...ition-1.938350
10) Getting Smarter About The Smart Grid, by Dr. Timothy Schoechle: http://gettingsmarteraboutthesmartgrid.org/
11) US Government Congressional Research Service report, “Smart Meter Data: Privacy and Cybersecurity”: https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42338.pdf
12) California Public Utilities Commission press release, 28 July 2011: http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/word_pdf/NEW...ASE/140316.pdf
13) Wired, “CIA Chief: We’ll Spy on You Through Your Dishwasher”, Mar 2012: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012...eus-tv-remote/
14) RT.com, “We’ll protect your private data’: CISPA-embracing Facebook tries to calm users’ fears”, 14 April 2012: https://rt.com/usa/cispa-facebook-pr...violation-061/
15) Former CIA Director James Woolsey – “Stupid Grid”: http://www.energynow.com/video/2011/...-james-woolsey
16) EMF Safety Network, Smart Meter Health Complaints: http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?page_id=2292
17) Court documentation, State of California, 1 November 2011: http://takebackyourpower.net/wp-cont...-to-190000.pdf and http://takebackyourpower.net/thurs-a...h-and-privacy/
1 WUSA9 report, “Smart Meters May Emit Radiation More Frequently than Pepco Admits”: http://www.wusa9.com/video/default.a...=2176584039001
19) PG&E Court Documentation: http://takebackyourpower.net/wp-cont...-to-190000.pdf
20) Take Back Your Power original trailer, 2 Jan 2012: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pcGAv4rTko
21) Baubiologie / Building Biology guidelines, http://www.baubiologie.de/downloads/...8_englisch.pdf
22) Powerwatch.co.uk, “International Guidance Levels”: http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/science/intguidance.asp
23) EMFWise.com, “Effects by Power Density”: http://www.emfwise.com/tableofeffects.php
24) Take Back Your Power (film): http://www.takebackyourpower.net
25) TheTruthAboutSmartGrids, “No Studies Show Smart Meters Are Safe”: http://thetruthaboutsmartgrids.org/2...t-meters-safe/
26) Take Back Your Power (film): http://www.takebackyourpower.net
27) EMF Safety Network: Smart Meter Fires and Explosions: http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?page_id=1280
2 GreenBiz, “China’s Smart Meter Boom Will Lead to 1B Installations by 2020″: http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2011/08...allations-2020
29) Smart / Meter / Matrix, “UL – The Underwriters Laboratories® Question”: http://www.smartmetermatrix.org/node/39 also http://stopsmartmeters.org/2011/02/1...-ul-certified/
30) GlobalTV (BC), “Two Smart Meter Fires, Appliances all blown”, Aug 2012: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0WiCDtk8Dw
31) “McNerney Introduces Bill To Invest In Smart Grid Technologies”: http://mcnerney.house.gov/media-cent...d-technologies
32) Cornell Law Dictionary, Fourth Amendment: http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitut...urth_amendment
33) Cornell Law Dictionary, Fifth Amendment: http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/project...aw/takings.htm
34) Cornell Law Dictionary, Tenth Amendment: http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/tenth_amendment
35) www.stopsmartmeters.org
36) EMF Safety Network, “Sebastopol makes Smart Meter installations illegal- $500 fine”: http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?p=9360
37) Vancouver Sun, “BC Hydro wants $35/month extra from thousands of smart meter holdouts”: http://www.vancouversun.com/technolo...477/story.html
3 YouTube, “Opt Out from BC Hydro?”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVte2vDUEA8
39) Cornell Law Dictionary, “Implied consent”: http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/implied_consent
40) Convicted Crestwood chief may resign Thursday: http://southtownstar.suntimes.com/ne...-thursday.html
41) YouTube: “The Crucifixion of San Carlos – Smart Meters Agenda 21 Iclei & The City Council – Anthony J Hilder”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7R0fnocey8
42) Could Naperville Be The Next Crestwood: http://citycouncilwatchdog.com/2013/...ext-crestwood/
43) RenewableEnergyWorld, “Will Germany Reject Smart Meters?”: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/...t-smart-meters
44) Federation of American Scientists, Invention Secrecy: https://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/invention/
45) US Patent Laws Appendix L (see 35 USC 181 “Secrecy of certain inventions and withholding of patent”): http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac...15-appx-l.html
46) Wikipedia, “World’s Largest Companies (By Revenue)”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ies_by_revenue
47) Mining.com, “Spain Taxes Sunlight”: http://www.mining.com/spain-taxes-sunlight-91423/
4 YouTube, “RISE UP”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOiUrF74F14


Note: Variations of this article have appeared recently on:
http://www.infowars.com/power-takeov...-smart-meters/
http://sciencetosagemagazine.com (see article a la carte)



http://www.takebackyourpower.net/new...am-in-history/




- See more at: http://www.takebackyourpower.net/new....9DTEoTHs.dpuf

REFERENCES:

1) Obama on cap and trade: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlTxGHn4sH4
2) Time Magazine: http://business.time.com/2012/07/26/obamas-smart-electrical-grid-plan/
3) European Commission wants another $700 billion for smart grid upgrades: http://www.smartgridnews.com/artman/publish/Business_Markets_Pricing/European-Commission-wants-another-700-billion-for-smart-grid-upgrades-5868.html
4) California Public Utilities Commission: Benefits of Smart Meters: http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/energy/Demand+Response/benefits.htm
5) CBS5 News Report, Feb 2010: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csvmw2frBws
6) Krebs on Security, 09 Apr 2012: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2012/04/fbi-smart-meter-hacks-likely-to-spread/
7) US Government Accountability Office Report “Challenges in Securing the Electricity Grid”, 17 Jul 2012: http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-926T
USA Today, 23 Jun 2010: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/07/smart-meters-draw-complaints/1#.UWs0dcpYXTo
9) Toronto Hydro: 80% seeing increases on bills http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/end-smart-meter-hydro-program-ont-opposition-1.938350
10) Getting Smarter About The Smart Grid, by Dr. Timothy Schoechle: http://gettingsmarteraboutthesmartgrid.org/
11) US Government Congressional Research Service report, “Smart Meter Data: Privacy and Cybersecurity”: https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42338.pdf
12) California Public Utilities Commission press release, 28 July 2011: http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/word_pdf/NEWS_RELEASE/140316.pdf
13) Wired, “CIA Chief: We’ll Spy on You Through Your Dishwasher”, Mar 2012: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/03/petraeus-tv-remote/
14) RT.com, “We’ll protect your private data’: CISPA-embracing Facebook tries to calm users’ fears”, 14 April 2012: https://rt.com/usa/cispa-facebook-privacy-violation-061/
15) Former CIA Director James Woolsey – “Stupid Grid”: http://www.energynow.com/video/2011/08/10/preview-mix-james-woolsey
16) EMF Safety Network, Smart Meter Health Complaints: http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?page_id=2292
17) Court documentation, State of California, 1 November 2011: http://takebackyourpower.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Smart-Meter-Health-14000-to-190000.pdf and http://takebackyourpower.net/thurs-april-26-smart-meters-public-conference-call-health-and-privacy/
1 WUSA9 report, “Smart Meters May Emit Radiation More Frequently than Pepco Admits”: http://www.wusa9.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=2176584039001
19) PG&E Court Documentation: http://takebackyourpower.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Smart-Meter-Health-14000-to-190000.pdf
20) Take Back Your Power original trailer, 2 Jan 2012: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pcGAv4rTko
21) Baubiologie / Building Biology guidelines, http://www.baubiologie.de/downloads/english/richtwerte_2008_englisch.pdf
22) Powerwatch.co.uk, “International Guidance Levels”: http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/science/intguidance.asp
23) EMFWise.com, “Effects by Power Density”: http://www.emfwise.com/tableofeffects.php
24) Take Back Your Power (film): http://www.takebackyourpower.net
25) TheTruthAboutSmartGrids, “No Studies Show Smart Meters Are Safe”: http://thetruthaboutsmartgrids.org/2013/09/07/no-studies-show-smart-meters-safe/
26) Take Back Your Power (film): http://www.takebackyourpower.net
27) EMF Safety Network: Smart Meter Fires and Explosions: http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?page_id=1280
2 GreenBiz, “China’s Smart Meter Boom Will Lead to 1B Installations by 2020″: http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2011/08/10/chinas-smart-meter-boom-will-lead-1b-installations-2020
29) Smart / Meter / Matrix, “UL – The Underwriters Laboratories® Question”: http://www.smartmetermatrix.org/node/39 also http://stopsmartmeters.org/2011/02/15/city-council-discovers-smart-meters-are-not-ul-certified/
30) GlobalTV (BC), “Two Smart Meter Fires, Appliances all blown”, Aug 2012: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0WiCDtk8Dw
31) “McNerney Introduces Bill To Invest In Smart Grid Technologies”: http://mcnerney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/mcnerney-introduces-bill-to-invest-in-smart-grid-technologies
32) Cornell Law Dictionary, Fourth Amendment: http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/fourth_amendment
33) Cornell Law Dictionary, Fifth Amendment: http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/takings.htm
34) Cornell Law Dictionary, Tenth Amendment: http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/tenth_amendment
35) www.stopsmartmeters.org
36) EMF Safety Network, “Sebastopol makes Smart Meter installations illegal- $500 fine”: http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?p=9360
37) Vancouver Sun, “BC Hydro wants $35/month extra from thousands of smart meter holdouts”: http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Hydro+wants+month+extra+from+thousands+smart+meter +holdouts/8909477/story.html
3 YouTube, “Opt Out from BC Hydro?”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVte2vDUEA8
39) Cornell Law Dictionary, “Implied consent”: http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/implied_consent
40) Convicted Crestwood chief may resign Thursday: http://southtownstar.suntimes.com/news/19837091-418/convicted-crestwood-chief-may-resign-thursday.html
41) YouTube: “The Crucifixion of San Carlos – Smart Meters Agenda 21 Iclei & The City Council – Anthony J Hilder”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7R0fnocey8
42) Could Naperville Be The Next Crestwood: http://citycouncilwatchdog.com/2013/05/could-naperville-be-the-next-crestwood/
43) RenewableEnergyWorld, “Will Germany Reject Smart Meters?”: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/09/will-germany-reject-smart-meters
44) Federation of American Scientists, Invention Secrecy: https://www.fas.org/sgp/othergov/invention/
45) US Patent Laws Appendix L (see 35 USC 181 “Secrecy of certain inventions and withholding of patent”): http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/mpep-9015-appx-l.html
46) Wikipedia, “World’s Largest Companies (By Revenue)”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_companies_by_revenue
47) Mining.com, “Spain Taxes Sunlight”: http://www.mining.com/spain-taxes-sunlight-91423/
4 YouTube, “RISE UP”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOiUrF74F14

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http://www.youtube.com/embed/8JNFr_j6kdI




Smart Meters
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We have upgraded that letter of warning and refusal to the power company and it no longer fits in the allotted space here. You can find that by going to: jer...


http://www.youtube.com/embed/8JNFr_j6kdI

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http://www.smartmeterguard.com/

Commissioner: EPA regulations could threaten ND power grid

By Rob Port / January 28, 2014 / 1 Comment


By Rob Port | North Dakota Watchdog


EPA THREAT: North Dakota Public Service Commissioner Randy Christmann sees proposed EPA emissions regulations for power plants as a threat to the state’s power grid amid an economic and population boom.

BISMARCK, N.D. — Oil train derailments and a Canadian pipeline explosion that left North Dakota’s Red River Valley without power in the midst of subzero temperatures has energy infrastructure in the headlines. But one state official says the Environmental Protection Agency is “threatening” North Dakota’s power system with new emission regulations, which, he says, are impossible to comply with.
“This is not an attempt to close down power plants,” EPA Region 8 administrator Shaun McGrath said during the event, according to the Bismarck Tribune. “Coal needs to be part of our energy future.” But Public Service Commissioner Randy Christmann says proposed emissions regulations for new power plants tell a different story, one that could mean a bottleneck for power in a growing state.
The EPA is taking public comment on a proposed cap of 1,100 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per megawatt hour of electricity generated for new power plants. Now, coal-fired power plants average about 2,250 pounds per megawatt hour. During the symposium last week Christmann asked McGrath how the EPA arrived at the proposed lower number. “McGrath said he didn’t have the specific data on hand but would be able to provide the PSC with that information,” reported the Tribune.
“It seems like they’re just picking a number that can’t be met,” Christmann said in an interview. That could cause problems in a state that has been leading the nation in both economic and population growth. Oil operations, not to mention tens of thousands of new residents, are creating more demand for power.
Christmann says that while North Dakota produces far more power than it needs, most of that power generation has already been contracted for and sold to out-of-state buyers. New demand in state will have to be met with new generation capacity. With the EPA set to propose tougher emissions regulations for existing power plants as well later this summer, Christmann says “regulatory uncertainty”is impeding the construction of that additional capacity.
“Nothing is in the planning stages for new coal plants,” Christmann said.
Eventually what the EPA is proposing could be something North Dakota power producers could comply with. “North Dakota’s geology lends itself well to enhanced oil recovery with carbon,” Christmann said, referring to one possible use of carbon gas produced through coal-fired electrical generation. “North Dakota can be a powerhouse.”
But Christmann said the day when that’s feasible is still at least a decade away.
Contact Rob Port at rport@watchdog.org.

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YOU made this happen! Because of your outpouring of support, we've won our first major award. This is a win for the movement, people's rights and the health of our world. With deep gratitude, Josh del Sol PS. See the full press release here. * * *

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‘Take Back Your Power’ Wins Transformational Film of the Year Award
SEATTLE, Washington (February 5, 2014) — The hard-hitting documentary ‘Take Back Your Power’ has been named winner of the AwareGuide Transformational Film of the Year. The crowdfunded film exposes in-home surveillance issues, customer billing corruption, potential health risks and other problems associated with utilites’ plans for upgrading to a centralized “smart” energy grid. It finished atop the list of 33 worldwide finalists along with ‘The Ghosts In Our Machine’, co-winner of the award.
“This is a victory for a growing majority who want to restore sanity to the roles played by technology and government,” said Josh del Sol, producer and director of Take Back Your Power. “The issues unveiled in our film leave viewers rocked and inspired to see solutions. Winning this award means people are ready for a positive transformation. ”

“A Transformational film,” according to AwareGuide founder and CEO Gary Tomchuk, “seeks to inspire the movement of society towards ideals, values and practices that create a better world for everyone. They focus on solutions for subjects such as consciousness, environment, health, and social issues.”
Take Back Your Power features interview footage from whistleblower Edward Snowden, former CIA Director James Woolsey, former British Columbia premier Bill Vander Zalm, public health investigator Blake Levitt, rights advocate lawyer James Turner, and other experts, doctors and environmentalists.
“The NSA spying progams are half of the story – we’re exposing the other half, and what we can do about it,” stated del Sol. “We have an amazing community of grassroots support worldwide, and have held more than 90 community screenings. Our aim is to work with grassroots campaigners in every city, and to have every public official see Take Back Your Power.”
‘Take Back Your Power’ is available to stream online and on DVD at www.takebackyourpower.net, where viewers can also request a community screening.

Major US Utility: “No Rational Basis” for Smart Meters

21 February 2014 at 6:13pm | 218

By SmartGridAwareness.org | see original post

Northeast Utilities on ‘smart’ meters: “There is no rational basis for this technology choice.”

Northeast Utilities (NU) operates New England’s largest utility system serving more than 3.6 million electric and natural gas customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
In a written submittal filed with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, Northeast Utilities was highly critical of a proposed state plan that would require utilization of “advanced metering” or smart meters within the state of Massachusetts as part of an electrical grid modernization plan. In fact, the comments are quite remarkable in that they appear to reflect reality without undue political spin or bias.
Let us hope that other utilities, public utility commissions, and politicians everywhere can soon come to similar unbiased conclusions that are based upon economic realities and reflect consumers’ and societal best interests.
What is presented below is a summary of key points made by Northeast Utilities in its filing of January 17, 2014, with only slight editorial changes, for example, replacing the term “advanced metering infrastructure” with the term “smart meters.”
Overall Perspective – No Rational Basis for Smart Meter Mandate

“There is no rational basis for the implementation of AMI [smart meters].”

The submittal states that mandating smart meters…

“…comes without due considerationof key issues such as:

• the immense cost attached to the technology choice;
• whether customers are willing and able to pay the price of this technology choice;
• whether the functionality provided by the technology choice will be utilized by customers or is even sought by customers;
• whether the imposition of significant costs … for this technology conflicts with other policies encouraging … increased penetration of distributed resources [like wind and solar];
• whether investment in distribution upgrades needed to accommodate distributed energy resources [would be] a better investment of customer dollars given the relatively small incremental benefit afforded by [smart meters]; and
• whether other issues such as market alternatives, time-varying rates, and cyber-security should be resolved before there can be any rational determination that this technology is a good choice for customers.”

Smart Meters Are Not a Good Choice for Consumers

“The [smart meter] technology choice is made although there is no evidence that this is a good choice for customers. Conversely, there is ample evidence that this technology choice will be unduly costly for customers and that the objectives of grid modernization are achievable with technologies and strategies that rank substantially higher in terms of cost-effectiveness. For customers who will pay the price of this system, there is no rational basis for this technology choice.”
“There is no evidence that customers are willing to pay for the limited incremental functionality gained through implementation of [smart meters]. In fact, there is evidence to the contrary. For example, industry studies show that only 46 percent of customers are aware of the concept of ‘smart metering,’ and of that percentage, 33 percent associate smart metering with complaints of meter inaccuracy, higher customer bills, invasion of privacy and health concerns. Many customers have a deep aversion to technology that links them to the ‘grid’ in a way that they perceive as an invasion of their privacy and/or detrimental to their health.”

Smart Meter Costs Can Not Be Justified

“There is no cost justification that can support the implementation of [smart meters]. As identified by Northeast Utilities, … [a smart meter] roll-out is problematic due to the extraordinary cost associated with, at best, a modest increase in functionality.”
“Northeast Utilities estimates, conservatively, that the price tag for a [smart meter] rollout, including the recovery of existing investment on the Companies’ books would likely approach, and possibly exceed, $1 billion over the course of … implementation – all of which is to be borne by customers who may or may not be interested in interacting with the distribution system at the level implicated by [smart meter] technology.”

Smart Meters Are Not an Appropriate Technology Platform for Grid Modernization

The submittal goes on to say that mandating smart meters…

“…creates an intractable obstacle to grid modernization. The mandate precludes [utilities] from designing and implementing grid modernization plans that are best suited to customers and that mitigate the cost that customers will bear for progress.”
“An Advanced Metering System is not a ‘basic technology platform’ for grid modernization and is not needed to realize ‘all of the benefits of grid modernization.’”
“Meters do not reduce the number of outages; metering systems are not the only option for optimizing demand or reducing system and customer costs; and metering systems are not necessary to integrate distributed resources [such as wind or solar] or to improve workforce and asset management. Therefore, it is not correct that advanced metering functionality is a ‘basic technology platform’ that must be in place before all of the benefits of grid modernization can be fully realized.”
“Accordingly, not only is there a flaw in the … premise that an advanced metering system is a ‘basic technology platform’ for grid modernization, but also the implementation of a costly, advanced metering system is at odds with policies designed to promote the growth of distributed energy resources.”
“Immense, near-term investments in [smart meters] should not be mandated without (1) methodical, valid analysis of the associated costs and benefits; and (2) the development of a plan to solve the detrimental impact of cost-shifting driven by the pervasive installation of distributed energy resources.”
“It is also premature to assume that [smart meters] can provide for large-scale conservation voltage reduction (‘CVR’).”

Cyber-Security Issues Prevent Development of a Suitable Implementation Plan

“Without resolution of the [issues related to] cyber-security, it is not possible … to develop a suitable [smart meter implementation plan]. [Smart meters] introduce a brand new portal into the Companies’ information systems, significantly increasing the cyber-security risk. Currently, the only mandatory standard for electric distribution company cyber-security is the North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection (‘NERCCIP’), which applies only to bulk power systems and not to the electric distribution systems and metering infrastructure…”

Smart Meter Technology May Soon Be Rendered Obsolete

“Last, but not least, there is little confidence that the incremental benefits of moving to a [smart meter] platform will be sufficient to warrant the cost. Given that the grid modernization technology sphere is a dynamic, rapidly evolving marketplace, it is also unclear whether the incremental benefits, if any, would begin accruing to customers prior to the implemented [smart meter technology] being rendered obsolete. In any event, the cost remains unjustified by the benefits.”

See submittal (PDF): original | hilighted
Original post: http://smartgridawareness.org/2014/0...-smart-meters/

This article was posted in Cost increases, Democratic rights, Grid vulnerability, USA and tagged government, New England, no rational basis, Northeast Utilities, smart grid, smart meters, utilities.






http://www.takebackyourpower.net/new...-smart-meters/

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Major US Utility Firm Blasts Smart Meters As “Irrational” And “Security Risk”


Activist Post

According to Halt MA Smart Meters, Massachusetts' largest electric utility NSTAR has submitted scathing comments to the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) regarding its proposed mandate (to the utility, not the customer - there is no legal mandate for individual utility customers to accept “smart” meters on private property anywhere in the US or abroad that we are aware of - that is a myth and a lie perpetuated by utilities).

NSTAR states in its official submission to the DPU:

• “there is no cost justification that can support the implementation of ‘smart’ meters”

• “Smart Meters do not reduce the number of outages”

• “Smart metering systems are not necessary to integrate distributed resources” (wind & solar)”

• “Smart meters introduce a brand new portal into (our) information systems, significantly increasing the cyber-security risk.”
  

• “mandated implementation of (smart meters) is not a prerogative within the [DPU]‘s discretion”

• “Many customers have a deep aversion to technology that links them to the ‘grid’ in a way that they perceive as an invasion of their privacy and/ or detrimental to their health”

It is worth noting how far the “smart grid” has fallen in terms of public acceptance that now a major US utility has courageously come out and rejected “smart” meters, complaining loudly about a state mandate even as state utilities commissions- driven by a corrupt association with the smart grid industry- continue to blindly push “smart” meter programs that have shown themselves to be a waste of public funds, a waste of energy, and a threat to our health, safety and privacy.

In California, the Public Utilities Commission was responsible for pushing the smart grid on initially reluctant investor owned utilities. While companies like GE, Landis & Gyr, and Silver Spring Networks continue to profit handsomely from the smart meter gravy train, it’s clear that this train is stalling on an uphill grade without brakes, and we know how that story ends…..

For more information, see Halt MA Smart Meters Newsletter

NStar’s DPU comment: HMSM highlighted version or original NStar Mass.gov doc

Source:
http://stopsmartmeters.org/2014/02/1...rs-irrational/

Hat tip:
Stop Smart Meters UK

http://www.activistpost.com/2014/02/...sts-smart.html

Thursday, May 29, 2014


‘Smart’ Meter Spying Finally Admitted

Dees Illustration

Warren Woodward
Activist Post

Industry mouthpiece SmartGridNews finally admitted that “smart” meters are surveillance devices.

Of course they didn’t quite put it that bluntly. In fact, they celebrate the ability of utilities to know what appliances people use as another tool to help craft the wonderful world of the future.

Below is my letter to the Arizona Corporation Commission pointing out that industry has finally come out and admitted what I and others have been saying for years.

[Note from Take Back Your Power: It's important that you send your utility your notice of Non-Consent via registered mail. Subscribe to our Newsletter for forthcoming news, and see our Solutions page for current links to templates.]

The SmartGridNews article, entitled “Now utilities can tell customers how much energy each appliance uses (just from the smart meter data),” is here.

May 15, 2014

Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC)
Docket Control Center
1200 West Washington Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Re: Docket # E-01345A-14-0113

Ladies and Gentlemen;

Here is breaking news. SmartGridNews has just come out of the closet and admitted what I and others have been saying all long: “Smart” meters are surveillance devices.

APS and utilities nationwide have been denying the surveillance capability of “smart” meters but here is one of the foremost “smart” meter cheerleaders in the world finally admitting the truth.

SmartGridNews calls such “smart” grid industry names as Telvent, Silver Spring Networks and Lockheed Martin its “major sponsors”. So of course the news story attempts to put a positive spin on the surveillance, hyping such nonsense as an “over 4% conservation [of energy] after just a few months”.

Wow, that means I might save four whole dollars and change on a one hundred dollar electrical bill. Where do I sign up to be spied on?

Enclosed is the SmartGridNews article, Now utilities can tell customers how much energy each appliance uses (just from the smart meter data).

Sincerely,
Warren Woodward

PS – In the article, note the creepy picture of a guy dressed in black and using binoculars. SmartGridNews is shameless to promote Peeping Toms as cool. Note also Orwellian phrasing such as "behavioral science" and turning ratepayers into "willing partners". It’s not a “smart” grid; it’s a sick grid.

Related Activist Post Article:
Primer: What is the Smart Grid?

This article first appeared here at Take Back Your Power.





http://www.activistpost.com/2014/05/smart-meter-spying-finally-admitted.html

BREAKING: SaskPower ordered to remove all 105,000 smart meters in the province

After multiple house fires in Saskatchewan caused directly by "smart" meters, SaskPower is recalling and removing all 105,000 meters which have been installed throughout the province:
http://www.takebackyourpower.net/news/2014/07/30/breaking-saskpower-ordered-remove-smart-meters-province/

We applaud Bill Boyd, Minister Responsible for Energy and Resources, for his abilities to use logic and foresight in ordering the removal. Other public servants and utilities (and the individual executives) who have kept streamrolling the agenda despite being made aware of the facts will later regret those decisions, as they will be held fully liable.


30 July 2014 at 7:16pm | 170

by Shaun Knox, Global News | see original article

Fires prompt full recall & investigation of why testing never happened

The removal of the smart meters over the next six to nine months will cost around $15 million, according to SaskPower.

REGINA – SaskPower has announced that they are removing all the smart meters that were installed in the province.
The minister responsible for SaskPower Bill Boyd said the utility company will be taking out all 105,000 smart meters around Saskatchewan.
“I think the concerns about safety are paramount here, the concerns are significant enough, anytime families are at risk in Saskatchewan, actions have to be taken and that’s why we’ve directed SaskPower accordingly,” said Minister Boyd.
The removal of the smart meters over the next six to nine months will cost around $15 million, according to SaskPower.
“We view it as similar to a recall situation and the people of Saskatchewan shouldn’t be responsible for the costs of this and we’ll do everything we can to recover those costs,” said Boyd.
Boyd will also be reviewing why the new meters weren’t properly studied or tested before they were installed in homes.
“I don’t know whether there was enough testing done. We’ll certainly be conducting, along with SaskPower, an internal review of the procurement procedures around this around the safety concerns people had,” added Boyd.
“We want to determine when these were originally ordered, if there were safety concerns known at that point in time, so we have a lot of questions we’re going to be discussing with SaskPower about how this came to be.”
Earlier this month SaskPower temporarily suspended its installation of smart meters around the province after half a dozen caught fire.

At 1:45 into this King5 TV News clip, a group of 45 inspired souls (including myself) speak with one voice and notify Seattle City Council and Seattle City Light that "we will hold each of you financially and criminally liable for all harm" should installation plans proceed:
http://www.takebackyourpower.net/news/2014/07/01/king-5-tv-news-group-voices-opposition-seattle-city-light-smart-meters/

In Illinois, ComEd has apparently decided that it's easier to propagandize people if you give them free ice cream:
http://www.takebackyourpower.net/news/2014/07/30/comed-smart-meter-propaganda-goes-better-with-ice-cream/

Hundreds of citations of critical problems with "smart" meters are in this outstanding 170+ page December 2012 report entitled "Analysis: Smart Meter and Smart Grid Problems":
http://smartmeterharm.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/1-smart-meter-problems-dec-2012-final.pdf

Thanks for meeting me here. Make it a great day,

Josh del Sol, producer & director
TakeBackYourPower.net
Facebook // Twitter // YouTube Support our ongoing mission:

http://www.takebackyourpower.net/news/2014/07/30/breaking-saskpower-ordered-remove-smart-meters-province/


Also this article

Smart meters are a “time bomb” for utilities, warns insurance expert

26 July 2014 at 12:58pm | 1,628

by Christoph Steitz and Harro Ten Wolde, Reuters | see original article


“The risk is being underestimated outside of the industry,” Oehler said.

“We could have switched off everything: power, water, gas,” Lindner, head of Berlin-based Recurity Labs, an IT security company, said.

REUTERS – Last November, Felix Lindner came very close to shutting down the power supply of Ettlingen, a town of almost 40,000 people in the south of Germany.
“We could have switched off everything: power, water, gas,” Lindner, head of Berlin-based Recurity Labs, an IT security company, said.
Fortunately for residents, Lindner’s cyber attack on its energy utility, Stadtwerke Ettlingen, was simulated. But he revealed how easy it was to hack into the utility’s network through its IT grid, which gave him access to its control room.
“The experiment has shown that sensitive, critical infrastructure is not sufficiently protected,” said Eberhard Oehler, managing director of the utility, Stadtwerke Ettlingen.
Cyber attacks on infrastructure have become a major worry for utilities following the 2010 Stuxnet computer virus, which experts believe was used by Israel and the United States to make some of Iran’s nuclear centrifuges tear themselves apart.
The threat has been reinforced in recent months by the appearance of a computer virus known as the Havex Trojan, which hackers appear to have used to attack oil and gas firms.
Traditionally, energy utilities have kept infrastructure like power plants safe from cyber attack by keeping it separate from the open Internet.
But that is rapidly changing as a new generation of “smart” power meters hooks up customers to their utilities through the web, and new forms of solar and wind microgeneration supplement traditional centralized power stations.
“The risk is being underestimated outside of the industry,” Oehler said.
VULNERABLE

Smart meters give customers and utilities real-time data about when, where and how much energy households use, enabling energy providers to monitor and adjust energy flows.
Globally, the number of installed smart meters is expected nearly to quadruple by 2022 to 1.1 billion from 313 million in 2013, according to a report from Navigant Research.
Utilities say their customers should have little to fear, with electricity meters using the same sort of security measures that have made online banking widely accepted as safe.
“The transmission of client data to companies for billing purposes is subject to coding techniques and will at least reach the security level seen in online banking, if not surpass it,” said RWE, one of Germany’s biggest utilities, which has completed a smart meter pilot project.
But hacking attacks are believed to have already occurred. According to a 2010 FBI bulletin cited by Brian Krebs, a Washington-based security expert, a utility in Puerto Rico called in the feds, estimating it had lost $400 million in annual revenue after criminals hacked into smart meters to under-report electricity usage.
A U.S. Congressional Research Service report warned in 2012 that “smart meter data present privacy and security concerns that are likely to become more prevalent as government-backed initiatives expand deployment of the meters to millions of homes across the country.”
The European Union wants more than two thirds of Europe’s electricity users to use smart meters by 2020, an initiative it hopes will reduce energy use by three percent.
In Italy, the dominant utility Enel supplied all of its 30 million customers with the technology a decade ago. Scandinavia has broadly introduced smart metering in the last 10 years. Britain is spending 12 billion pounds ($20.4 billion) to install 53 million smart meters by 2020, while France is planning to install 35 million over the same period.
“The smart metering system has been developed to provide strong security controls that mitigate the risks of security compromise, via cyber-attack or otherwise,” said a spokesman for the British Department of Energy and Climate Change.
“Smart metering system security uses international standards and common industry good practices, e.g. encryption of sensitive data, protection from viruses and malware, access control, tamper alerts on meters, two-party authorisation of important messages to the meters and system monitoring,” he added.
But officials acknowledge that such connected systems will have new vulnerabilities.
“We can identify three risks: outright sabotage; external, illegal control; and criminals that want to earn money with it,” said Udo Helmbrecht, executive director of the European UnionAgency for Network and Information Security (ENISA).
The University of Cambridge said in a report that smart meters raised “several serious security issues” such as fraud through manipulated meter readings, misuse of private customer data and a threat of power outages through a large cyber attack.
Data-hubs which collect information coming from smart meters and transmit it to the utilities, including via mobile connections, could be especially vulnerable.
One weak spot could be the encryption of data sent from meters to utilities, which could be cracked, said Eireann Leverett, of IT security firm IOActive: “The smart meters are made to last 20 years but it is totally unclear whether cryptology will last that long.”
For the foreseeable future, utilities will be working to keep their systems safe, while hackers keep looking for holes.
“There will never be 100-percent protection,” said Werner Thalmeier, security expert at Radware.

http://www.takebackyourpower.net/news/2014/07/26/smart-meters-time-bomb-utilities-warns-insurance-expert/

Wednesday, 13 August 2014 16:17

In U.S. and Canada, “Smart Meter” Fires Spark Alarm

Written by Alex Newman




All across the United States, Canada, and beyond, deeply controversial “smart meters” for electricity have been catching on fire and even exploding, sparking a major scandal that in at least one Canadian province has forced authorities to start removing all of the more than 100,000 devices. In Oregon, utility officials also announced that tens of thousands of smart meters were being replaced following numerous reports of fires. With the manufacturer saying the problems are systemic in the industry, experts predict more disasters to come as governments continue foisting the “smart grid” on the world in the face of growing opposition.
With the latest news of fires and explosions, it now seems to critics and politicians that in the frantic rush to impose the "smart" electric meters in defiance of public resistance, serious safety concerns were pushed aside — along with growing fears about the health and privacy implications surrounding the technology. With the latest news about the potentially deadly consequences, officials across the continent are scrambling for answers, and taxpayers are likely to be stuck with a massive bill.
A series of at least 10 fires in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan attributed to the digital electric meters, which have stirred fierce resistance in some areas due to health and privacy concerns, prompted utility provider SaskPower to announce that it would be removing all of them. The recalled meters will be replaced with the older, lower-tech analog meters that cannot be monitored or controlled remotely. After initially dismissing the widespread safety concerns raised by critics, politicians responsible for the mess, under heavy fire from activists, are now claiming to be concerned as well.


“I think the concerns about safety are paramount here, the concerns are significant enough, anytime families are at risk in Saskatchewan, actions have to be taken and that’s why we’ve directed SaskPower accordingly,” explained Bill Boyd, the provincial minister of Energy and Resources, who ordered the utility to remove the smart meters after the fires. “I don’t know whether there was enough testing done. We’ll certainly be conducting, along with SaskPower, an internal review of the procurement procedures around this, around the safety concerns people had.”
Boyd continued, officials intend to get to the bottom of the fiasco to identify the culprits as well. “We want to determine when these were originally ordered, if there were safety concerns known at that point in time, so we have a lot of questions we’re going to be discussing with SaskPower about how this came to be,” Boyd was quoted as saying in Canadian media reports. “We view it as similar to a recall situation and the people of Saskatchewan shouldn’t be responsible for the costs of this and we’ll do everything we can to recover those costs.”
Estimates suggest the removals will cost around $15 million and should take six to nine months to complete, according to news reports. Other figures suggest the price tag for the entire fiasco could be as high as $50 million. So far, nobody has taken the blame, including the manufacturer of the fire-producing meters, North Carolina-based Sensus. The company blamed “external factors,” such as “water intrusion,” “hot socket conditions,” “over voltage in the distribution system,” and “holes in meter boxes” for the fires. It also said investigations were underway.
“Our experience has shown that these issues are systemic in the industry and we are committed to delivering solutions that help our customers to overcome these challenges,” said Sensus President Randy Bays in a statement, giving even more credence to the widespread concerns expressed by critics of the smart-meter scheme. (Emphasis added.) “I have complete confidence in the employees and technology that carry the Sensus name. We are committed to providing safe products through engineering excellence and testing to industry standards.”
Despite the firm’s efforts to distance itself from the fires and point out that they are an industry-wide problem, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said officials would be going after the manufacturer to recoup at least some of the costs. “We’re going to be pursuing redress from the company in whatever way we can,” Wall said. “We can start with negotiations and, if that doesn’t work, we’ll take the next step.” No matter what happens, taxpayers will almost certainly end up footing some of the cost at the very least — probably most of it.
Canadian taxpayers and energy consumers, though, are hardly alone in their fiery problems with smart meters. In Oregon, for example, Portland General Electric (PGE) announced in late July that it would be replacing some 70,000 of the devices. The reason: At least three have caught fire so far. “This is our decision based on our assessment and our tests,” said Bill Nicholson, PGE senior vice president of customer service, emphasizing that the manufacturer had not recalled them. “We believe this risk is small, but it's totally unacceptable to us.”
Before the more recent fiascos in Canada and Oregon, dozens of smart-meter fires in and around Pennsylvania also resulted in the devices being replaced. At least two of those blazes ended up setting the houses on fire, too, though, fortunately, nobody was injured in the resulting infernos. Consumers and taxpayers, of course, ended up footing the giant bill to replace the meters, despite a $200 million federal “grant” to “encourage” utilities to impose the meters on unwitting or even hostile consumers.
But it is not just fires and explosions that are causing concern. In Quebec, for instance, news reports this week following an investigation by the state-funded CBC suggest that the controversial smart meters have been gouging customers — in some cases charging consumers double or even triple what they were paying before the device was installed. In Ontario, some 8,000 people have already filed formal complaints about overbilling attributed to the new meters.
Beyond fires, explosions, and price gouging, critics of smart meters have a wide range of other concerns as well. At the top of the list are safety and privacy. Many experts have also linked the installation scheme to global efforts aimed at coercively reducing people’s consumption levels in pursuit of nebulous and deeply controversial United Nations goals such as “sustainability.”
“Smart Meters are designed to provide government with detailed information on your energy use, your movements in your home, the way you use your personal private time, and even how many people are in your home at any given time,” explained Tom DeWeese, chief of the American Policy Center. “It is an unconstitutional invasion of your home by government, as set down in the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.”
Among the biggest health concerns (other than being burned alive) is the emission of pulsed radio-frequency (RF) radiation by the devices. More than a few critics of the meters, for example, say they have suffered adverse health effects when the devices were installed at their home. Experts say the “electromagnetic smog” released by the meters can cause a wide range of health problems, too — especially in the elderly, children, and among vulnerable populations with existing health issues.
Despite the complaints largely being dismissed by proponents of the new system and the crony special interests profiting from it, even the American Academy of Environmental Medicine has called for caution in rolling out smart meters while further studies and investigations are conducted on the potentially harmful effects. “Multiple studies correlate RF exposure with diseases such as cancer, neurological disease, reproductive disorders, immune dysfunction, and electromagnetic hypersensitivity,” the academy said on its website about the radiation emitted by smart meters and other devices with similar technology. “Genotoxic effects from RF exposure, including studies of non-thermal levels of exposure, consistently and specifically show chromosomal instability, altered gene expression, gene mutations, DNA fragmentation and DNA structural breaks.”
Also deeply troubling to critics are the vast new surveillance opportunities available to authorities and criminals under the smart-grid regime. Among other problems, the meters offer unprecedented tools for hackers and governments to spy on citizens and run roughshod over the U.S. Constitution’s Fourth Amendment on a previously unimaginable scale. Most of the meters, for example, can supply detailed hour-by-hour data, in some cases even more detailed than that.
Even government bodies have acknowledged the threat. “If law enforcement officers obtained near-real time data on a consumer's electricity usage from the utility company, their ability to monitor household activities would be amplified significantly,” the Congressional Research Service said in a 2012 report. “For example, by observing when occupants use the most electricity, it may be possible to discern their daily schedules.” If a criminal accessed that information — a relatively simple matter for somebody with hacking skills — they would know, for instance, what time would be best for a robbery or murder.
On the other side of the Atlantic, meanwhile, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), an official European Union body, also sounded the alarm. “The Europe-wide rollout of ‘smart metering systems’ enables massive collection of personal information from European households, thus far unprecedented in the energy sector,” the EDPS said in a 2012 report, calling the new system “a radical change” compared to past information gathering. “The potential intrusiveness of collection is increased by the fact that data are collected, which may infer information about domestic activities: data may track what members of a household do within the privacy of their own homes.”
According to the report, smart meters will allow the collection of detailed data regarding energy consumption “down to the hour, quarter of an hour, and more.” The mass amount of detailed information, it said, means that anyone with access to the data will be able to “know when each individual appliance in a household is turned on and off, and can often also identify what specific appliances are used.” The system could be a potential goldmine for non-governmental criminals, too — letting them determine, for example, exactly when a house is unoccupied. “This raises concerns with regard to security, the rights to privacy and the protection of personal data,” the report said. “The risks to data protection, however, go further than these most immediate concerns.”
Even more alarming for privacy advocates, the report continues, is the fact that “deployment of smart metering may lead to tracking the everyday lives of people in their own homes and building detailed profiles of all individuals based on their domestic activities.” On top of that, the EDPS explained, smart meters can even collect data from RFID tags, the electronic chips that are becoming increasingly ubiquitous worldwide.
“Further, law enforcement agencies, tax authorities, insurance companies, landlords, employers, and other third parties may also be interested in personal energy usage information,” the EU report continued. In its concluding remarks, the EDPS noted that the mass adoption of the smart meters entails “considerable risks” and enables “massive collection of personal data from European households and may lead to tracking what members of a household do within the privacy of their own homes.”
Some Americans, horrified by the prospect of such intrusive surveillance, have reacted forcefully to the imposition of the “smart” technology. In Texas, for example, concerns over the meters reached a boiling point two years ago when a woman pulled a gun on the installation man for trespassing on her property after being warned to leave. “My main concern originally was the privacy — as far as I’m concerned this is a surveillance device,” Houston-area activist leader Thelma Taormina told The New American after the incident.
Of course, the rollout of the smart meters in the United States, like countless other ongoing controversies, was funded in large part by billions of American taxpayers dollars through the 2009 “stimulus” scheme passed by Democrats in Congress and demanded by Obama. “It will make our grid more secure and more reliable,” Obama claimed at the time in announcing the stimulus-funded “Smart Grid” plot. Apparently, that was not the case.
Authorities are urging people whose smart meters catch on fire to immediately exit the premises and call emergency services. Critics of the scheme, meanwhile, are urging all Americans — most of whom still do not have the potentially dangerous surveillance devices installed on their homes yet — to resist.
Alex Newman is a correspondent for The New American, covering economics, education, politics, and more. He can be reached at anewman@thenewamerican.com. Follow him on Twitter @ALEXNEWMAN_JOU.
Related articles:

The Growing Threat of Smart Meters
Privacy and Health Concerns on “Smart Meters” Growing Globally
“Smart Meter” Hearing in Texas Draws Crowds Seeking Opt-out
Texas Activist Who Pulled Gun on “Smart Meter” Man Speaks Out
The Real Agenda Behind UN “Sustainability” Unmasked
Sustainable Freedom: Surging Opposition to Agenda 21, “Sustainable Development”
"Smart Grids" & Monitoring Your Power Use
The Surveillance State: Knowing Every Bit About You
Normalizing the Surveillance Society
WikiLeaks Exposing “Mass Surveillance Industry”
Removing “Technical” Obstacles to Surveillance

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Your Smart Meter Is Watching You

Written by: Off The Grid Radio Radio July 31, 2014

It sounds so bizarre that it borders on science fiction, but it’s true. That smart meter on your house can measure how much you use your refrigerator, can adjust the thermostat on your air conditioner, and can even learn what shows you watched on TV last night.
It’s every big government official’s dream, and it’s the subject of this week’s edition of Off The Grid Radio. Josh Hart, one of the nation’s top experts on the dangers of smart meters and the director of StopSmartMeters.org, tells us why we should oppose smart meters and what we can do to fight back.
Hart shares with us:

• How smart meters are causing house fires and leading to big-money settlements that receive little media attention.
• Why smart meters are a major threat to our health and life, despite what power companies insist.
• How hackers and terrorists can take advantage of smart meters and the larger “smart grid” to cause blackouts, coast to coast.
• Why our already-unreliable power grid is going to become less so once smart meters are on every house.

Hart’s regional power company actually shut off his electricity because he refused to allow the smart meter to be installed – and because he refused to pay the “opt-out” fee.


The power company may demand that you install one, too, but you do have a choice. Listen as he tells us what we can do!


Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:36 — 31.6MB)

http://www.offthegridnews.com/2014/0...-watching-you/

http://stopsmartmeters.org/


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