Demonstrate and Speak Out at October 2nd CPUC Meeting

Demonstrate Thursday, Oct. 2 8:30am- then…

Speak at CPUC Meeting 9:30am 505 Van Ness SF

Rumor has it that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is preparing to make a decision in the smart meter opt out proceeding case, after delaying for more than a year.

Stop Smart Meters! and allied groups are calling for people to demonstrate outside and speak inside at the CPUC’s October 2nd regular business meeting to demand an end to Michael Peevey, and an end to the sleaze and corruption that line the CPUC’s halls.

Remember the public participation hearings in December of 2012 where more than 500 Californians spoke out against smart meters and the “opt out” fees that the utilities are using to prop up a hazardous and failing smart grid?

Now nearly two years later, and the CPUC has failed to rule on the issue and remained silent about the serious risks brought to its attention by the public, whistleblowers, and local politicians.  Perhaps they are hoping that if they drag this out long enough, people (and their complaints) will just go away.  Just the reverse is more likely.  If you ignore a festering wound, it just gets worse.

The CPUC that has been roundly criticized by the media, the public, and even its own staff over inappropriate and illegal collusion between Commissioners and PG&E as part of the San Bruno case.  This echoes our own experience of collusion between PG&E and the CPUC during the “Ralph” spy case in 2010, where it appeared that CPUC staff, paid by taxpayers, were actually working for PG&E rather than the public.

Meanwhile, neighboring Nevada has launched an inquiry into dozens of fire and electrical incidents from smart meters after a 61 year old woman and her animals were killed and a man’s face was burned in Reno earlier this year.

The house of cards is falling, all it needs is a little nudge from you, California:

DEMONSTRATION Thursday, October 2nd 8:30am  505 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco at the corner of McAllister under the Great Seal of the State of California.  Meeting starts at 9:30am.  Sign in at the table in the foyer, but even if you don’t, you are entitled to speak for at least one minute if you arrive before the end of public comment.  Yes we know it is a toxic atmosphere there (in more ways than one) but especially if you have never spoken out at a meeting, it is important to get the facts on the record.

Here is some of what we plan to say:

1) Demand that Michael Peevey and Michael Florio immediately resign, as they have shown repeatedly that they are not capable of making decisions in the public interest.

2) Demand an end to extortionate “opt out” fees and a full refund to any customer who has paid them with the incorrect assumption that these are legal fees.

3) Not interfere with community opt out decisions made by elected local governments

4) Immediately launch an independent investigation into the widely documented health and fire hazards of smart meters. (Nevada PUC has ordered a preliminary fire investigation this week)

5) Order So Cal Gas and SCE to cease double charging many Southern Californian customers opt out fees

6) Call on the state legislature to dissolve the CPUC and put an end to the “corruptness and sleazy environment (led by) an untouchable mob boss” (this according to CPUC’s own staff)

If you can’t attend the meeting (or even if you can) write an e-mail that includes the above numbered points and send to CPUC Commissioners:

CPUC Commissioners (cut and paste into the “to” field of your e-mail):

cjs@cpuc.ca.gov, mp1@cpuc.ca.gov, mp6@cpuc.ca.gov, mf1@cpuc.ca.gov, cap@cpuc.ca.gov

Please Cc Sandoval’s aide and key legislators from the Assembly Budget Subcommittee that grilled the PUC last year. (cut and paste into your e-mail’s Cc field)

dmk@cpuc.ca.gov, sean.macneil@asm.ca.gov, steve.harmon@asm.ca.gov, lucas.frerichs@asm.ca.gov, vance.jarrard@asm.ca.gov, assemblymember.patterson@assembly.ca.gov, gabrielle.meindl@asm.ca.gov, michael.bedard@asm.ca.gov, jchris.holtz@asm.ca.gov

Thank you for taking action to remove Michael Peevey and to return sanity and safety to the policy debate around smart meters.  See you on the 2nd!