October 11th, 2011 – The Warren City Council voted unanimously on this day to petition the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) to go slow on ‘smart’ meter deployment. Warren is the latest public body to adopt a resolution “asking the Michigan Public Service Commission to investigate whether the meters are dangerous to the public’s health and invade privacy.”
The company plans to begin installations in the city in 2013. “City Council wants to be assured that the installation of smart meters will not adversely affect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Warren,” the resolution states.
Opposition to smart meters by residents has centered on the possible health effects caused by the radio transmissions of the new meters, and also on the assault by the new meters on resident’s Fourth Amendment rights to privacy. The new meters measure electrical consumption in great detail and report usage every few minutes. The new meters are also equipped to listen to individual appliances within the home that are equipped with the new smart chips, and ultimately to be able to control those appliances.
This resolution is non binding. Some Council members expressed a desire to take stronger action up to or including an outright ban on the new meters, or a requirement that DTE obtain a license from the city prior to installing these meters.
Here are links to the resolution itself, and to a story which appeared in the Macomb Daily concerning this action:
Warren City Council Resolution
Warren Wants to Drop Smart Meters