Smart Meters, one last time

The Garden Island Newspaper just published a letter of mine on why we need smart meters.  While it's a 290 word summary of my pro-SM argument, it doesn't address most arguments against SM.  So, here's some elaboration. 

1) The money would have been better spent on PV.  
KIUC spent $11,000,000 on the meters, half of which came from the federal government from a program aimed specifically at Smart Grid improvement projects.  So, only half of it would have been available it were spent directly on PV. 

 If it were possible to put $5 million towards household PV systems, at last year's average installation price ($5.3 per watt) that would get us about 1 megawatt of distributed electricity for our island. That's somewhere around 2% of Kaua'i's daytime energy needs. However, as soon as the sun sets those PV panels stop producing electricity, Yet, we all go home and turn on our TVs and lights, drawing 65  megawatts, all of which is coming from dirty oil. KIUC has to maintain a powerplant with enough capacity to supply all of that power. So, our single megawatt of added PV capacity basically did nothing in terms of making us energy independent.

One of the most important aspects of a smart meter in terms of renewable energy is its proven effectiveness in minimizing peak loads. With consumer education (showing people their power consumption) and time of use pricing, SMs have repeatedly been shown to reduce peak consumption by at least 20%. Using the same numbers we just used above, that's 13 megawatts (20% of 65MW) that shifts to the daytime (when we have the available power). That's the effective equivalent of spending $69,000,000 on household PV systems.  So, the answer is no, spending it on PV wouldn't put us any closer to 100% renewable power.

2) Low income people are hurt the most by time of use pricing. 
As I explained in my last post, our current system is incredibly detrimental to low income folks.  As distributed PV systems become more popular and cost effective, the cost burden of maintaining the grid falls on a smaller and smaller number of costumers.  Currently anyone can oversize a PV system on their house and have an electric bill of zero.  Under the current system, it makes financial sense for everyone to oversize their systems.  However, the more households that put up PV panels, the smaller the proportion of homes that are paying an electric bill and therefore contributing to the fixed costs of grid maintenance (power lines, administrative costs, power plant maintenance, etc).  Yet, those fixed costs are necessary to keep electricity flowing.  So those without the financial wherewithal to install PV are left footing the bill for the fixed costs of keeping the grid up and running.  Under this system, as more distributed renewable energy enters the grid, electricity prices will continue to rise for the dwindling number of households without solar.   A smart grid, enabled by smart meters, can ensure that we work around this fundamental problem.  As with any open market where prices are set based on supply and demand, a variable price structure will take the fixed costs of the grid into account and ensure that the price that KIUC buys and sell electricity for is the real, varying cost of electricity. 

Further, it's impossible to identify the major cost causers using analog meters.  The utility needs to maintain a spinning reserve in order to account for major spikes to the system.  So, a home that uses energy predictably and in small increments is cheap and easy to account for, while a commercial entity that has major and unpredictable energy swings adds a huge cost to the system.  With our current system, the inefficiencies of the big user are averaged into our system and we all pay the costs.  With a smart meter, that high cost user can be isolated and charged more for the energy spikes. 

And, many are using the argument that everyone has to shower and do dishes at night, and we can't penalize for that type of energy use.  Luckily on Kaua'i, turning on the water requires no electricity, and most homes on the island are now using solar hot water or gas, which also don't require electricity.  So, while time of use pricing will incentivize turning off lights and minimizing the TV at night, those efficiency measures are integral if we're going to be generating the bulk of our power from PV. 

3) Radiowaves are labeled as a carcinogen by the WHO. 
It is listed as a type 2b carcinogen, but that is the equivalent of pickled foods and coffee.  It means that they can't rule out the possibility of RF waves causing cancer.  But, as in all things, dosage is important.  We're surrounded by RF all day long, both natural and artificial. The American Cancer Society is careful to say that there is no evidence that SMs cause cancer.  Standing 9 feet from an SM that is on (2 minutes per day) exposes you to 250 - 1,250 times LESS RF than talking on a cell phone. That means that 10 minutes of cell phone usage is equivalent to standing near a smart meter for 24 hours a day for a year and a half. 

4) EMF (electromagnetic field) exposure makes some people sick. 
According to the World Health Organization, that's not true, and, even if it were, the power of an SM is miniscule compared to a cell phone.  From the WHO:
"A number of studies have been conducted where EHS individuals were exposed to EMF similar to those that they attributed to the cause of their symptoms. The aim was to elicit symptoms under controlled laboratory conditions.  The majority of studies indicate that EHS individuals cannot detect EMF exposure any more accurately than non-EHS individuals. Well controlled and conducted double-blind studies have shown that symptoms were not correlated with EMF exposure.
It has been suggested that symptoms experienced by some EHS individuals might arise from environmental factors unrelated to EMF.   Examples may include “flicker” from fluorescent lights, glare and other visual problems with VDUs, and poor ergonomic design of computer workstations. Other factors that may play a role include poor indoor air quality or stress in the workplace or living environment. There are also some indications that these symptoms may be due to pre-existing psychiatric conditions as well as stress reactions as a result of worrying about EMF health effects, rather than the EMF exposure itself."

Whereas EMF exposure has never been shown to get anyone sick, we know that the pollution from burning fossil fuels kills 34,000 people a year and puts 18,000,000 more in the hospital for respiratory issues.  Not to mention climate change and war.  

5) Those who advocate for a smart grid have been greenwashed by corporate propaganda. 
In my opinion, this point merits the most discussion.  I am weary of new technology and even more weary of the government telling us that that technology is necessary for us. It has been my biggest hesitation with smart meters.  But, there is not a large environmental organization on the planet that disputes the importance of a smart grid.  There are 100s of feasibility studies showing us the way forward to a world of 100% renewable power.  Every single one of them mentions the integral importance of a smart grid and demand response management (lowering our demand in response to price signals based on availability of electricity).  It took me awhile to come around, but there is simply no way for us to get to 100% renewable energy without a smart grid. 

6) But we're a co-op, and should share all costs. 
No.  When a small group of people are going against the will of the co-op in using an outdated technology that adds a huge cost to the system (outside of just meter readers), then those people should be charged for that cost.


Here's my letter published in TGI:

Vote ‘yes’ for energy independence
As Kauai begins a new year, we, as citizens, have a rare opportunity to make a difference in our energy future. In the upcoming KIUC meter fee election, we can either vote yes in support of sustainability and energy independence or vote no in support of business-as-usual and fossil fuels.

Crude oil prices have gone up 400 percent in the last decade. Add in the hidden costs of pollution, foreign wars and climate change, and it’s clear that we need to find a new energy source for our isolated island community. It’s time for us to strive for energy independence. We can’t continue to burn diesel fuel as our primary fuel source and we can’t transition to an island run primarily off renewable energy if we don’t have a smart grid in place.

It’s not about saving KIUC money on meter readers or bringing our utility bill down (because energy prices are going to continue to rise). It is about being able to accurately match the supply of electricity with the demand. It’s about flattening out the daily demand curve by promoting the use of electricity when it’s readily available (when the sun is shining) and discouraging it when it’s not (at night). It’s about shedding the stranglehold of oil on our isolated island community and minimizing our contribution to climate change. Most importantly, it’s about using the resources that we have (sun, wind, and water) to power our island. A smart grid, by enabling time of use pricing and furthering consumer education based on real time energy usage, is a necessary bridge to a sustainable future.

Those who opt out of a smart meter should be responsible for paying the direct costs associated with opting-out. Please vote yes in the KIUC election.

Luke Evslin
Kapahi