Peninsula Co. Wins Smart Meter Contract, as Many in Marin Ask to Halt the Devices
A Peninsula company has won a contract to provide 620,000 so-called "smart meters" to Central Maine Power customers.
Trilliant Inc., based in Redwood City, said Thursday that CMP is using a $96 million federal stimulus grant to help pay for the meters. Matching funds from CMP's parent company, Iberdrola USA, will bring total spending on the smart meters to nearly $200 million.
Smart meters are the front line of plans for an advanced electricity grid because they can communicate with utilities and respond to constantly changing energy prices.
Eventually, the meters will allow flexible rate schedules and lower energy costs by adjusting energy usage during times of peak energy load.
Some in Marin Not Onboard With Smart Meters
Real estate agents in Marin are joining a growing chorus of groups asking PG&E to temporarily stop installing smart meters.
The Marin Association of Realtors is calling for the time-out until the impacts and effects of the meters can be studied. Association president Bill McKeon says both sides have raised important points about the devices, and the installations should stop until public concerns have been fully addressed.
State legislators and cities from San Francisco to Bakersfield have asked for delays until questions about the meter's effectiveness and safety can be answered. On Thursday another group, a student-led environmental organization called Teens Turning Green, is holding a protest at the steps of the California Public Utilities Commission Building in San Francisco to call for a moratorium on the installation of the meters.
