The installation of oft-controversial smart meters in some Lincoln County towns will begin “shortly,” according to letters Central Maine Power recently sent to Bristol and Damariscotta.
According to a Feb. 23 letter from Stephen Daniels, manager of marketing and sales for Central Maine Power (CMP), to Damariscotta Town Manager Greg Zinser, VSI Meter Services, a contractor, will perform the installations.
The contractor is likely to start work in the area in “mid to late May,” John Carroll, a CMP spokesperson, said.
According to Daniels’ letter, CMP representatives “would be happy to meet with” town staff or attend a public meeting to discuss the project.
The installations, according to CMP’s website, take about 10 minutes and require a brief interruption of electrical service.
According to media reports, opponents of smart meters in Maine and elsewhere say the radio frequency the meters use to transmit information poses a health risk. Other opponents object to the ability of the meters to collect information about electricity use throughout the day.
CMP says the meters are safe and, in October 2010, former Maine public health director Dr. Dora Anne Mills said the meters’ radio frequency output is comparable to common home electronics like cordless phones and wireless routers.
Smart meters “are part of our effort to upgrade to a state-of-the-art electricity delivery system for Maine,” a statement on CMP’s website says.
“The meters we’re replacing are essentially a 19th century technology,” Carroll said.
The new meters, conversely, are “the most straightforward way to help consumers manage their energy better” and offer “long-term environmental benefits,” Carroll said.
“Energy prices actually change on an hourly basis,” Carroll explained. At present, however, because CMP reads the meters monthly, there’s no way for thrifty consumers to take advantage of lower rates.
“Consumers of the future will pay the true cost of electricity at the time they use it,” Carroll said. CMP can only enable consumers to do so, however, if they can “capture the time [consumers’] use the energy.”
“All the information the meters collect is kept confidential,” Carroll said.
For more information about smart meters, including a lengthy list of answers to frequently asked questions, visit www.cmpco.com/smartmeter.
