A Message To Analog Meter Choice Advocates in Michigan

We only need a couple more votes to get HB 4220 out of the Energy Policy Committee, and on to the full House of Representatives.  We are so close to achieving this!

If you haven't already, please ask HB 4220 supportive representatives, not on the committee, for their help.

If your representative is not on the Energy Policy Committee but has told you they do support HB 4220, please call them today!

Please ask them to speak with one or more of their colleagues on the Energy Policy Committee who have not yet committed to a "YES" vote.  

Here's a suggestion of what you can say:

• Hello Representative _______, my name is _______, and I am one of your constituents.
• I need your help getting HB 4220, analog utility meter choice legislation, out of committee.
• Please speak with one or more of your colleagues on the Energy Policy Committee who have not yet committed to a "YES" vote.
• Please ask them to support HB 4220!  
• Thank you!

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You can suggest one or more of the following Energy Policy Committee representatives who have not yet committed to a "YES" vote:  

• Beth Griffin
• Roger Hauck
• Beau LaFave
• James Lower
• Jim Tedder
• Joseph Bellino
• Tim Sneller
• Darrin Camilleri
• Scott Dianda
• Brian Elder
• Patrick Green

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These are the representatives believed to support HB 4220, who are not on the Energy Policy Committee:

• Sue Allor - phone 517-373-0833 or 231-833-0700
• Edward Canfield - phone 517-373-0476
• Lee Chatfield - phone 517-373-2629 or 231-881-0287
• John Chirkun - phone 517-373-0854 or 586-943-8937
• Christine Grieg - phone 517-373-1793 or 248-238-3969
• Shane Hernandez - phone 517-373-0835 or 517-798-6212
• Kevin Hertel - phone 517-373-1180 or 586-596-5411
• Michele Hoitenga - phone 517-373-1747 or 231-878-3888
• Pamela Hornberger - phone 517-373-8931 or 586-850-4286
• Gary Howell - phone 517-373-1800
• Martin Howrylak - phone 517-373-1783 or 248-952-8683
• Holly Hughes - phone 517-373-3436 or 231-894-5956
• Tim Kelly - phone 517-373-0837 or 989-906-6759
• Robert Kosowski - phone 517-373-2576 or 734-467-1798
• Frank Liberati - phone 517-373-0845 
• Peter Lucido - phone 517-373-0834 or 586-206-3133
• Michael McCready - phone 517-373-8670 or 248-930-1555
• Jeremy Moss - phone 517-373-1788 or 248-819-1802
• Jeff Noble  - phone 517-373-3816
• Rose Mary Robinson - phone 517-373-1008 or 313-832-2675
• Jim Runestad - phone 517-373-2616 or 248-779-7085
• Lana Theis - phone 517-373-1784 or 517-515-5550
• Jason Wentworth - phone 517-373-8962
• Henry Yanez - phone 517-373-2275
• Adam Zemke - phone 517-373-1792 or 734-645-3186

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If your representative is one of the supporters listed immediately above, please call them today and ask them to speak with one or more of their colleagues on the Energy Policy Committee!

If you're not sure who your representative is, you can find that information here.

If you have any questions about this, please email AnalogMeterChoice@gmail.com, and add that address to your contacts list to assure messages go to your Primary Inbox.

Thank you for all you do to help this legislation!
Please share this message with family and friends.

April 28th Open Letter to Energy Policy Committee

On April 28th of this year, I sent the following "open letter - for the record" about a recent very one-sided news article on Analog Utility Meter Choice legislation in Michigan, to Representative Glenn, Chairman of the House Energy Policy Committee, and copied all the members of the committee:

Dear Representative Glenn, 

This article was published yesterday by DEI (Daily Energy Insider):  Smart meters opt-out bill ready for Michigan House energy committee vote - Daily Energy Insider 

Most customers of DTE Energy and Consumers Energy were not given the option of "opting-IN" to the smart and electronic metering program.   

Consumers Energy claimed in their testimony that only a small percentage of customers "opted-OUT", yet they also admitted that a customer would have to go to their website and click on a tab having to do with "questions" in order to find any information about an "opt-out program".  It is no wonder so few opted-out. 

Some customers have had electricity shut-off for refusing a "smart" meter, and have gone through two or more Michigan winters with no electricity.  They would most likely argue that thoughtfulness (per the article) was not, and has not, been used. Regardless of what DTE Energy and Consumers Energy say about privacy and cyber security, "smart" meters remain a "digital back door" to our homes and our personal lives via the wireless connection.   

This article also mentioned that analog meters would cost customers more money to keep in place.  Neither DTE Energy nor Consumers Energy has offered to "show us the books" to prove this claim.  How could a system of metering that has been in place for decades (analog metering), suddenly cost "roughly $9 million more annually for energy"? 

With analog choice, we are not asking for anything new or special.  We are simply asking for the continuation of a system of utility metering that does not infringe upon our property, and other personal rights. 

Thank you for all you do to support this legislation. 

Sincerely, 

Jeanine Susan Deal  

Battle Creek, MI  49015

Michigan's New Public Utility Rules Hearing

Below is a close approximation of what I said at the Michigan Public Service Commission hearing on September 22, 2016, regarding the new rules for Michigan natural gas and electric utility customers.  

About 35 people spoke.  A lot of those who spoke have been harmed by new public utility meters (digital, "smart", AMI, AMR ERT), and a few severely disabled by them.  

Time will tell if our comments will fall on deaf ears.  Is corporatocracy alive and well in Michigan? We will see...

This is regarding Case No. U-18120

It is my view that "Full disclosure by public utility companies to customers regarding equipment" must be added to the "Consumer Standards and Billing Practices for Electric and Natural Gas Service" Rules.  

If a public utility customer asks any questions about metering technology, the public utility company must be obliged to give all the information possible on the equipment, to the customer.  

I argue that public utility customers have a right to know exactly what public utility companies propose to install on homes and businesses.  

This is my view because:  Instead of telling us that their new AMR ERT natural gas meters transmitted over 450,000 times per month, our natural gas provider told us that they transmit only once per month.  That's a huge discrepancy, in my opinion.  Had they been obliged to give us full disclosure, we would have refused installation.  

I was already avoiding cell phone use because of a sensitivity I had developed to radiofrequency radiation, so had our natural gas provider told us their new AMR ERT meters pulsed radiofrequency radiation over 450,000 times per month, we would have refused installation.  

According to the proposed new Rules, our natural gas provider could have then turned our natural gas service off, right then and there, without notice.   

It is my opinion that here in Michigan, that rule could prove to be catastrophic for public utility customers.  In the winter with below freezing temperatures, if gas or electricity is shut-off, it could be just a matter of hours before pipes begin freezing and bursting, leading to loss of property. 

It is my view a minimum of a 21-day notice must be given to public utility customers prior to any shut-off, for any reason.  

It is also my view that an "Analog Meter Choice" be added to the new Rules.  As evidenced by the Oversight Committee Hearing in December of 2014, and perhaps about half of the people here today, there is a growing number of people in Michigan unable to tolerate new metering technology.  I can not tolerate new AMR ERT meters, but our natural gas providers have no analog choice.  

I argue that it is our right to choose what radiofrequency radiation and electromagnetic field emitting devices are in, and/or on, our homes. 

Thank you.    

(End of my comment.)

The Commission will continue to take written and electronic comments through 5:00 p.m., October 13, 2016.

Send written comments to:  

Executive Secretary

Michigan Public Service Commission

P.O. Box 30221

Lansing, Michigan 48909

Electronic comments can be e-mailed to mpscedockets@michigan.gov.  If you require assistance, contact Commission staff at (517) 284-8090 or by e-mail at mpscedockets@michigan.gov.  

All information submitted to the Commission in this matter will become public information available on the Commission’s website and subject to disclosure.  All comments should reference Case No. U-18120.  Please do not include information you wish to remain private.

The new proposed rules for gas and electric public utility companies can be found here:  http://efile.mpsc.state.mi.us/efile/docs/18120/0001.pdf

For more information, please see "Large Turnout for Michigan Utility Rules Hearing."

And here's the stories of two Michigan women who also testified at this hearing:

• Georgetta Livingstone 
• Jamie Chimner