Smart Meters: Congratulations to Informed Ratepayers in California Who Defeated AB710

Thanks to many who contributed

CA Image by Trek_Jason from Pixabay

To the best of my knowledge this is accurate at press time.

On June 1, in California, informed ratepayers responded to an action alert concerning AB 710.

“Action needed now: AB 710 requires complete deployment of AMI/Smart Meters for local publicly owned electrical utilities “where feasible”

AB-710 Local publicly owned electric utilities: advanced metering infrastructure

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB710

The Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications committee will hear the bill on June 8.”

>>>> What does “complete advanced metering infrastructure deployment” mean?
>>>> The bill also says “to all customers”. That sounds like no opt-outs and no disabled accommodations, which is unlawful.
>>>> “Where feasible” is the qualifier, but this bill could still be amended to remove that. It was last amended May 21.

Please get your opposition in now and contact your senators and assemblymembers. Since it was amended in the Senate, it will have to go back to the Assembly for approval. Please educate them all now.

Bill Summary

Existing law vests the Public Utilities Commission with regulatory jurisdiction over public utilities, including electrical corporations, while local publicly owned electric utilities are under the direction of their governing boards.

This bill would require the governing board of each local publicly owned electric utility, on or before January 1, 2028, to analyze the feasibility of deploying advanced metering infrastructure to all customers. Based on that analysis, the bill would require each electrical corporation and the governing board of each local publicly owned electric utility, on or before January 1, 2029, to develop a plan for complete advanced metering infrastructure deployment, where feasible

Text:

9531.

(a) On or before January 1, 2028, the governing board of each local publicly owned electric utility shall analyze the feasibility of deploying advanced metering infrastructure to all customers.

(b) Based on the analysis completed pursuant to paragraph (1), subdivision (a) on or before January 1, 2029, the governing board of each local publicly owned electric utility shall develop a plan for complete advanced metering infrastructure deployment, where feasible.

Our California colleagues are very grateful to report:

Victory on AB 710 - California Smart Meters

AB 710 has been gutted and rewritten as a bill for microgrids. The title strikes Local publicly owned electric utilities: advanced metering infrastructure and now reads Electrical corporations: microgrid projects.

The old subtitle has been stricken An act to add Part 3 (commencing with Section 9530) to Division 4.8 of the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity. It now reads An act to amend Section 8370 of, and to add Section 8373 to, the Public Utilities Code, relating to electricity.

Stripped out is all language on Smart Meters. The current bill amends a different section of the Public Utilities Code. It is scheduled for a hearing June 24 in the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee. No analysis is posted yet.

Here is the new text as amended June 11 in the Senate

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB710