Rudy Garza with CPS begins at marker 3:00:02

Sheila Hemphill with Texas Right To Know begins at marker 3:07:10

Link directly to testimony here

Brian Lloyd, Executive Director of the PUCT Maker: 3:30:55

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State Affairs August 15, 2016 Interim Charge Report

by Sheila Hemphill - V080516.01

     

    Report delivered to Committee Members               Addendum delivered on August 15, 2016     

                                                                           Link to Wireless Companies Liability Report

             click here for report  PDF                                                  from The Environmental Health Trust

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                                                                                                Photo rom the August 14, 2016 San Antonio Express-News

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Report Contents:

 

1.      Background. ................................................................................................................................. 5

2.      Billing complaints during every deployment of smart meters from 2007 to present.............. 7

3.      UTILITY CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS: ....................................................................................... 8

3.1. Higher Utility Bills. ....................................................................................................................... 8

3.1.2.      “One of the biggest complaints were those of high bills”, stated CPS. ................................ 8

3.1.3.      HUD renters risk losing voucher if utilities disconnected for none payment. ................... 8

3.2. Health complaints and symptoms associated with smart meter RF exposure. ........................ 9

3.4  Utilities force deploy smart meters without federal or state law mandate. ............................. 10

3.5  Customers are denied the right to non-standard meters. .......................................................... 10

4.      Smart meter opt-out fees vary greatly among utility providers. ............................................. 11

5.      Failure to conduct proper due diligence on initial Smart Meter project proposals................. 12

6.      Gross misrepresentation of smart meter project cost by San Antonio’s municipally owned CPS Energy........................................................................................................................................... 13
7.      Smart meters cost twice as much as analog meters with half the service life.......................... 14

8.      Smart meter’s short service life result in doubling or tripling of predicted project costs ....... 14

9.      Utility workers report smart meter melt downs and malfunctions.......................................... 14

10.    Smart meters require perpetual software and hardware upgrades resulting in never ending costs to utility customers...................................................................................................................... 15

11.    Software companies are the new meter readers......................................................................... 16

12.    Smart meters are not necessary for grid modernization........................................................... 16

13.    Smart meters are not necessary for customers to monitor electrical usage information or provide for remote control features..................................................................................................... 16

14.    Attorney Generals dispute smart meter benefits........................................................................ 17

14.1.        Connecticut Attorney General, George Jepsen claimed, “The pilot results showed no beneficial impact on total energy usage…........................................................................................... 17

14.2.        Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, “The utilities have shown no evidence of billions of dollars in benefits to consumers from these new meters".............................................................. 17

14.3.        Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette stated, “DTE Energy customers shouldn’t have to pay $87 to have a smart meter taken off their home ….................................................................. 17

15.    Smart meters make smart grid vulnerable to hacking............................................................... 17

16.    Smart meters become a single point of failure in the event of an Electro Magnetic Pulse...... 18

17.    Utilities fail to disclose actual number of radio frequency transmissions in a mesh  network system such as those used by TDSPs, municipally owned and co-op utilities................................... 18

19.    Current FCC standards do not take into account biological effects from radio frequency exposures.............................................................................................................................................. 20

19.6.        Health and environmental hazards from radio frequency exposure denied while disclosed in wireless device manuals and in wireless companies’ risk factors in annual reports................... 21

20.    Insurance companies excluding EMF from health coverage.................................................... 22

21.    Special Insurance needed to provide protection from EMF claims.......................................... 22

22.    International scientists appeal to U.N. to protect humans and wildlife from EMF and Wireless Technology............................................................................................................................ 23

23.    Countries and US schools respond to scientist’s appeal to implement a precautionary principle for WIFI exposure................................................................................................................. 23

24.    Current FCC “safety” standards do not test nor take into account biological effects from radio frequency exposures............................................................................................................................. 24

25.    Radio Frequency hazards identified by Department of Interior and Defense Intelligence Agency.................................................................................................................................................. 24

26.    The 1971 Naval Medical Research Report clearly demonstrates hazardous effects from radio frequency radiation has on humans................................................................................................... 25

27.    Electromagnetic fields from powerlines, cell phones, cell towers and wireless impacts the birds, bees, wildlife and our environment.......................................................................................... 25

28.    In May of 2016, $25 Million National Toxicology Program Finds Increased Cancer in Rats From Cell Phone Radiation.................................................................................................................. 25

29.    Radio Frequencies from Smart Meters classed as a Class 2B Possible Carcinogen................ 25

30.    Utilities misrepresent radiation exposure intensity from cell phone versus smart meters.... 26

31.    CONCLUSION:............................................................................................................................. 27

32.    REQUESTS:................................................................................................................................. 27

33.    UTILITY CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS........................................................................................ 28

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33.2         Opt-Out Analog meters offered by CPS Energy contain hidden RF transmitters............. 31

33.3         CPS Smart Meters endangers Condo Owners and Multifamily Units............................... 32

33.4         CPS Not Accountable Ignoring Customers’ Inquiries......................................................... 33

33.5         Consumers demand “Opt-In”............................................................................................... 35

33.6         CPS starts billing for opt-out fees prior to smart meter deployment................................ 36

33.6.1     Attachment #1 email of smart meter ‘opt out’ form from Dagne Florine........................... 37

33.6.2     Attachment #2 email for Dagne Florine April 2015 CPS bill.............................................. 38

33.6.3     Attachment #3 Florine email to Rudy Garza, CPS VP of External Relations –................. 39

33.7         Five years after pilot program, CPS still misleading customer’s regarding the smart meter program..................................................................................................................................... 40

33.8         Telephone Conversations with CPS Representatives.......................................................... 44

33.9         ONCOR – Impaired child continues to suffer from EMF exposure.................................... 45

33.7         Customers baffled by convoluted CPS procedures.............................................................. 46

33.8         CPS harasses customer......................................................................................................... 48

33.9         Utility customer complaints sent to Susan Straus on multiple issues................................ 49

33.10      Complaints re: CPS automated system and customer service............................................ 54

33.11      New Braunfels Utilities.......................................................................................................... 55

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34     “Alleged Fraud Revealed”............................................................................................................ 58

35     Report Updates will be available on the Texas Right To Know website. www.texasrighttoknow.com............................................................................................................... 58

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ATTENTION  TEXAS UTILITY CUSTOMERS !  TX HOUSE INTERIM CHARGE HEARING ON SMART METER ISSUES — AUGUST 15th !

 

The House State Affairs Committee will hold an Interim Charge hearing on Smart Meter issues:

 

TIME & DATE:  1:00 PM, Monday, August 15, 2016 

PLACE:             Texas State Capitol, John H. Reagan Building - JHR 140
COMMITTEE:    State Affairs 

CHAIR:              Rep. Byron Cook 

Parking info:    http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/plan/parking/parking.html

 

 

*Interim Charge:    http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/84R/schedules/html/C4502016081513001.HTM

 

 

The committee is only hearing invited testimony.  Sheila Hemphill, Smart Meter activist since 2012, will present the only oral testimony. Total time of hearing will be less than an hour.  It’s open to the public, so we hope you will attend.  We want to pack the room!  While you are there, it would also be great if you could drop by your Representative’s office and tell them your story.  We can submit unlimited written testimonies. 

 

Legislators Need to Know Your Complaints !  Please try to email complaints by Aug. 4,th but they can be received until August 13.

 

Email Smart Meter complaints regarding: 
 

·    Utility bill increases:  after electric, water, or gas Smart Meter installation,
     (compare bills before and after installation)

·    Confusing or inaccurate bills

·    Trouble with your utility company when you tried to appeal

·    Problems during installation — failure to give notice, installers threatening to charge a fee for refusing installation, threats to call police, jumping fences, breaking locks on gates, failure to carry opt out list, failure to honor permitted opt out requests, or other forms of intimidation, etc.

 

Email complaints to   Sheila Hemphill at :  info@texasrighttoknow.com

Attach supporting documents if needed such as utility bills, pictures, etc. 

 

On Email Subject Line, include:   *Smart Meter – Name of Utility Provider, Type of complaint, Your City, Your Name, Your Phone #*

 

If you have any questions, email  Sheila Hemphill at  info@texasrighttoknow.com

 

Please share this notice with your email lists, website, and Facebook pages.

 

Thank you,

Sheila Hemphill

 

 

Texas Right To Know(TRTK) is a coalition of various advocacy groups providing services designed to inform and connect people in a community about local and state legislative issues.  Get involved today!  www.texasrighttoknow.com

 

 *Interim Charge:

 6. Evaluate the administrative process used to determine utility rates. Consider if sufficient opportunities exist to ensure customer representation. Also determine if additional legislative guidance is needed to ensure public notification and participation.

7. Examine how the Public Utility Commission of Texas, when applicable, and utility providers, whether vertically integrated, privately owned, or municipally owned, can ensure consumer protection regarding metering devices for water, gas, and electricity service. Review recent examples of inaccurate or confusing billings and offer recommendations on appropriate consumer recourse and appeal. In addition, assess utility procedures regarding meter installation.  

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So what's the problem with wireless?

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In the last 15 years there has been a dramatic increase in the use of wireless technology.  With more than 6.9 billion cell phone users world wide, along with ubiquitous WiFi exposure in our homes and businesses, we have a right to know if this technology has an effect on our environment, our health, and the ability to determine exposure levels in our communities.

 

 In 2011 the World Health Organization (WHO) classified wireless frequencies generated by cell phones and WiFi as (Group 2B) possibly carcinogenic to humans, the same classification as lead and asbestos.  In a 2014 memo, the United States Department of the Interior stated that "study results have documented nest and site abandonment, plumage deterioration, locomotion problems, reduced survivorship, and death... raised troubling concerns about impacts of low-level, non-thermal electromagnetic radiation from the standard 915 MHz cell phone frequency".  In 2015, France banned WiFi in Nursery Schools, established a National Radiofrequency Agency, required cell phone labels include SAR values and educate consumers on the ways to lower radiation, required WiFi routers be turned off in elementary schools except when needed, cell phone ads must recommend phones be held away from the head, locations of wireless routers must be posted, and a government prepared report on electromagnetic hypersensitivity. 

Life requires electrical communications between nerves and cells to enable cellular function.  That's why we monitor a person's health using EEGs (brain waves) and ECGs (heart waves) because we are electrical beings.  Most of our lives, we never consider our EMF environment because you cannot see, taste, or smell EMF. This is not the case for everyone, some people can hear and feel EMF fields depending on their cumulative exposure and sensitivity to the frequencies.  Our cells depend on electrical, voltage communications, and exposure to EMF can cause difficulties for some people.

 

Awareness of our need for natural, harmonic exposures to beneficial waveforms has never been more urgent to understand and protect. 

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