Smart Meter Battle Escalating – Idaho Power Brings Guns to the Fight
http://oksafe.wordpress.com/2011/12/14/smart-meter-battle-escalating-idaho-power-brings-guns-to-the-fight/ In the ongoing battle against the seriously flawed Smart Meter program (which is not mandatory, by the way, despite what your utility company may be telling you), Idaho Power has shown just how far they’ll go to get their spy meters installed on homes in Idaho.
They’ll bring guns to the fight.
On Tuesday, December 13, 2011 Idaho Power showed up at Vicky Davis’ Twin Falls home with declaratory order and a Deputy Sheriff from Twin Falls County, to forceably remove the analog meter and replace it with a Smart Meter.
Sheriff Tom Carter -“Upon taking office, I knew one of the things I wanted to emphasize was our service to the community in a capacity that goes beyond police work.”
Davis, an independent researcher and long-time resident of Idaho, has been resisting the installation of the Smart Meter since last year, knowing that their installation was not mandated, and that technology that makes the digital meter works is dual use – serving both as a surveillance device and a reporting system.
(See the earlier OK-SAFE post on the Smart Grid here.)
Another Twin falls resident, Bonnie Menthe, had a similar incident at her home. She openly opposed the installation of the Smart Meter on her home, but Idaho Power installed the new meter while she was away. A neighbor watching her home challenged the Idaho Power company representative when he showed up at the Menthe home accompanied by an officer from the Twin Falls city police.
The representative told the neighbor nothing was going on and proceeded with the installation. The city police officer declined to answer the woman’s questions.
Davis received written notification of the forced installation a few days earlier. Menthe states she received no such written notice.
“Nothing like that was given to me, not stuck in my door. I wasn’t home and they clearly knew that I didn’t want one. I have a notice posted on my meter stating my objection to the smart meter being installed.” Menthe went on to say, “I have a six foot fence, and the meter is on the side of my house, with a metal bar to prevent the door swinging opened. My neighbor says they (Idaho Power) had a step-stool like thing and climbed over the fence on that.”
Below is a reverse order timeline of events leading up to the installation of the Smart Meter on Vicky’s home. She has also devoted a new webpage on her website Channeling Reality (www.channelingreality.com) called Smart Meter Drama.
From Vicky Davis-
12-13-11 “Idaho Power went to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to get a declaratory order to replace my analog meter with a Smart Meter. They were accompanied by a Deputy Sheriff of Twin Falls County to enforce the order.
I’ll be on Deanna Spingola’s radio talk show on RBN on Thursday and Friday (12/15 and 12/16) of this week to talk about the Smart Meters and my research into energy legislation and the means by which America’s energy will be choked off in the name of efficiency. Technology is dual use. It’s a weapon as well as a tool. It all depends on who is using it and for what purpose.
Deanna’s program is on from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm central time.
In some places you can listen live on the radio but for most of us, we have to listen on the internet. Listen live links can be found here:
Republic Broadcasting
Call in number for the program is 800-313-9443
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12/6/11 – Vicky’s Response to Idaho Power
December 6, 2011
Idaho Power
Dear Mr. Rick Astley,
On December 3, 2011, I received two duplicate letters from Mr. Rick Astley with Mr. Bell and Ms. Nordstrom listed as recipients of carbon copies. I intend to hand deliver this response letter to Mr. Chris Bell at the Idaho Power office in Twin Falls with the expectation that it will be faxed to the recipients who are located in Boise. I will however, mail a copy to Mr. Astley and Ms. Nordstrom via regular mail.
This letter is the response to Mr. Astley’s letter dated December 1, 2011 concerning my refusal to allow an Idaho Power employee/contractor access to my property to replace my current power meter with an AMI Smart Meter. I have never refused to allow the Idaho Power meter reader access to the property to read my meter nor have I ever refused access to any other Idaho Power employee/representative who made a request for access for any purpose other than for exchange of the meter. It was misleading to imply otherwise.
As I made clear in conversations with the Tru-Check contractor and Idaho Power Customer Service Representatives both verbally and in writing, I do not want a smart meter installed. Smart Meter technology – regardless of the method of communications, is a surveillance, detection, monitoring, data collection, and communications and control device. Those capabilities are outside the scope of a public utility chartered to provide electric service. If your charter has been changed to Idaho de-Power and Spy, then please advise me of the law that requires me to submit so that I can verify it with the Sheriff’s office and my attorney.
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12/1/11 – Letter from Idaho Power to Vicky Davis -
Dear Ms. Vicky Davis,
As previously explained in my letter to you dated 9/19/2011 Idaho Power must replace existing meters with Advanced Metering Infrastructure pursuant to Idaho Public Utilities Commission Order Nos. 29362, 30102, and 30726. Once installed, this infrastructure will enable Idaho Power to provide enhanced customer services and reduce its operating expenses to keep customer rates as low as possible.
Idaho Power personnel or its exchange contractor, Tru-Check, recently attempted to exchange the meter at *****, Twin Falls, ID on 8/31/2011; however, you refused the Company access to its meter. Under the terms of service outlined in Utility Customer Relations Rule 302.05 (IDAPA 31.21.01.302.05), a utility may terminate service to a customer that denied or willfully prevented the utility’s access to the meter.” Although Idaho Power does not wish to terminate your electric service or take legal action against you, Idaho Power cannot ignore the lawful order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to exchange the meter. Idaho Power anticipates it will need only five minutes to exchange the meter and that your power will be interrupted for just a few minutes at most. You need not be present at the time the exchange occurs.
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Vicky’s article on this subject is entitled The Heart of Darkness in the Power of Light and is available on her research website Channeling Reality here.
People in Oklahoma are fighting the installation of the Smart Meters as well. We’ll post more on the Oklahoma resistance effort later.
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