Bump On The Road To Smart Grids -- A Lawsuit
Here's a copy of the complaint filed last month in Kern County, California, alleging problems with the new -- and mandatory -- smart meters being installed in that part of the state. The plaintiff, Pete Flores, claims that his utility bill has tripled -- from $200 to as much as $600 a month -- since he got one of these devices, which he says were supposed to save him money. He's suing both his utility, Pacific Gas & Electric, and the installer of the meters, PG&E contractor Wellington Energy, for negligence, fraud, unjust enrichment etc. His attorney, Michael Louis Kelly, says that PG&E's suppliers might also be sued. These include General Electric and two private-equity backed companies -- Landis+Gyr, which makes the meters, and Silver Spring Networks, whose communications technology connects them. Silver Spring is advised by Al Gore
