Virginia Rejects $752M Utility “Smart” Meter Plan and Other Grid Modernization

By B.N. Frank

Since millions of electric, gas, and water smart meters have been installed on homes and throughout communities in the U.S. it’s likely they have already been installed on your home and throughout your community. They are so expensive and problematic that many American elected officials have been trying to put the kibosh on them since they were first introduced. Efforts continue to increase at the local and state level to stop installation or at least provide customers with non-transmitting meters (see 1, 2, 3, 4). In fact, Virginia continues to say no to them.

From Utility Dive:

The Virginia State Corporation Commission approved a final order on Thursday rejecting the vast majority of Dominion’s grid modernization plan, while approving some cybersecurity and reliability provisions.
According to regulators, Dominion failed to justify that the most expensive part of its plan, the smart meter proposal, would have “overall benefits to customers” without a comprehensive proposal for time of use (TOU) ratesetting. Implementing the 10-year grid modernization plan fully would cost customers nearly $7 billion, with AMI costing $752.5 million total. Of the first $838 million investment required by the plan, of which nearly $304 million was designated for smart meters, regulators approved only $212 million.
Regulators agreed that Dominion demonstrated grid hardening improvements, cybersecurity measures and a new computer platform to support customer service would benefit the customer base. The SCC will have to approve any rate recovery for costs that exceed those estimates.

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Original analog meters lasted on average 40 years and had built-in surge protectors. Smart meters last on average 5-7 years and are associated with a multitude of mechanical problems which can lead to fires, explosions, and appliances malfunctioning and breaking (see 1, 2, 3, 4). Electromagnetic Radiation emitted from these meters can also make people and animals sick (see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). That’s why people worldwide DO NOT WANT smart meters.

Activist Post reports regularly about smart meters and other unsafe technology. For more information, visit our archives and the following websites: