NRECA reacts to smart meter hysteria

September 12, 2011

Some electric power co-ops have heard from members who want smart meters to be removed from their homes, or who are simply asking questions about the purpose and safety of these meters.
 
It appears that the source of many of these concerns is websites that advance a variety of conspiracies that are allegedly being perpetrated by government and industry. While such rumors have existed as long as most people can remember, the Internet allows them to spread far more quickly.
 
One site, knowthelies.com, recent posted a story that presents the meters as an intelligence-gathering tool that power providers use to, among other things, tell when people go to sleep and when they wake up. The story is not unusual for the website, which also features warnings that the Food & Drug Administration is seeking to depopulate the world and that Idaho is about to become part of China.
 
Former TV host Glenn Beck’s “The Blaze” website also posted a piece claiming that smart meters are “constantly filling the environment with [electromagnetic frequencies]” that cause everything from headaches to the breakdown of DNA. Those who have studied physics in high school will agree that the environment is indeed full of electromagnetic frequencies -- light, sound, radio waves, and electricity are all examples.
 
A co-op that simply denies that it has any nefarious plans for its smart meters runs the risk of adding fuel to a skeptic’s fire. That’s why NRECA has created a variety of helpful materials that can be found on www.cooperative.com. In addition to background information, there are examples of language you can use in letters and on your websites. Even if you haven’t received any comments about the issue yet, reviewing the material will help you respond more quickly and more confidently when such concerns arise.I added