Pacific Gas & Electric SmartMeters Coming To Santa Cruz County
SCOTTS VALLEY (KCBS) - At the end of June, Pacific Gas and Electric plans to install SmartMeters in Soquel, Scotts Valley and Watsonville areas where opposition to the wireless devices has been strongest.
Residents can choose to delay installation until state regulators decide whether to allow an option that would allow for the wireless radio signal in the SmartMeter to be turned off, said PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith.
Customers can put their homes on the delay list by calling 877-743-0263.
KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:
Local SmartMeter opposition groups predicted widespread resistance to the installations, fueled in part by a recent World Health Organization finding that similar radiation from cellphones may pose a cancer risk.
Capitola and Watsonville have each passed symbolic moratoriums on SmartMeters, as has Santa Cruz County. Those local laws are superseded by the California Public Utilities Commission's authority to regulate Smart Meters.
Customers on PG&E's delay list will receive the new meters once the CPUCC issues its decision on non-radio Smart Meters.
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