Senate Bill S7184

                                BILL NUMBER:S7184

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the public service law, in relation to providing consumers the
option to elect not to use smart meters

PURPOSE:
Provides consumers the option to elect not to use smart
meters and provides that the commission shall not charge a fee to
consumers making such election.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Adds Section 67-B to the Public Service law.

JUSTIFICATION:
Smart meters are an advancement in technology that allows utility
companies to track a customer's electricity consumption remotely,
eliminating the need to send workers to the house.
The smart meters are intended to give consumers information about
their consumption and educate owners on their usage.

However, there is a public sentiment that this information has the
potential to expose private information about homeowners and their
schedules. Many believe that the smart meters have the potential of
being hacked into, similar to criminals accessing credit card
              

information through hacking into unsecured Wi-Fi networks. Consumers
have expressed concern that the information collected by a smart
meter has the potential to give criminals a schedule for when a house
is most likely empty.

It is important to ensure that the homeowner's light to privacy is not
infringed upon.
Until a code or a regulation is implemented that can guarantee the
security of the information collected by the smart meters, consumers
should have the option to elect not to use a smart meter.

In response to consumers concerns, over the past year, the Public
Utilities Commissions of California, Maine, and Nevada have all
issued orders that allow customers to opt out of smart meters. In
March 2012, the Georgia State Senate also passed legislation allowing
customers to opt out of smart meters.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.