In Smart meter opt-out saga continues, PG&E sends plan to California commission, IntelligentUtility's Phil Carlson describes the PR challenges and the Opt Out option now underway in California. The California PUC has opened the door to allow customers to choose not to have a smart meter, but that will come at a cost. As it should. Those who opt out place additional costs on the system and will need to choose higher rates, or differently structured rate plans that allow those costs to be recovered.

IMHO, this is a sad state of affairs, reflecting the poor job PG&E has done in bringing out the benefits of change and educating its customers. Ignorance certainly drives health claims, given that Smart Meters have been shown to emit a minuscule amount of radiation, far from the threat that some claim. Rather, it is likely that reluctance to have a Smart Meter is more resistance to the utility, especially in Marin, as well as a reflection of the misunderstanding of the value proposition of Smart Meters.

It didn't have to be this way, and its worked out differently in other places, notably SCE and SDGE, where smart meters were rolled out after significant efforts to raise customer awareness and encourage customer support. Going forward, chalk this case study up as one more reason that customers need to be at the table from the very beginning, as strategic decisions are made that will not only impact customers but also be paid for by customers. To do anything else is folly, plain and simple.