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History
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
- Print number 3379a
- Amend (t) and recommit to finance
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
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Provides consumers the option to elect not to use transmitting utility meters and provides that the commission shall not charge a fee to consumers making such election
In Assembly Committee · Energy · Sponsor Michael DenDekker
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S3379A
Title of bill
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to providing consumers the option to elect not to use transmitting utility meters
Purpose
Provides consumers the option to elect not to use transmitting utility meters (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
Transmitting utility meters (smart meters) are an advancement in technology that allow utility companies to track a customers 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 right 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:.
2012 - S. 7184 finance committee
Fiscal implications
To be determined
Effective date
Immediate.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.