About the law in PA - part 1

PA Act 129 started out in the House of Representatives as HB 2200. This was a comprehensive bill that was ammended to include a provision for utility companies to furnish smart meter technology, so only part of the bill applies to this issue.

I will be posting excerpts from the Legislative Journals that show some of the process of how HB 2200 became Act 129. It shows some of what was being discussed about the issues surrounding the introduction of a law on smart meters.

Check the link below to see the whole history of the bill.
House Bill 2200 History

The bill went through several changes in wording before the final version that was passed into law.

I've decided to start with the end of the process, and later post the House remarks and PUC implementation order.

This is the final version of the bill, the wording is exactly the same as Act 129 of 2008.

PN 4526

 (2)  ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES SHALL FURNISH SMART
    23     METER TECHNOLOGY AS FOLLOWS:
    24             (I)  UPON REQUEST FROM A CUSTOMER THAT AGREES TO PAY
    25         THE COST OF THE SMART METER AT THE TIME OF THE REQUEST.
    26             (II)  IN NEW BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.
    27             (III)  IN ACCORDANCE WITH A DEPRECIATION SCHEDULE NOT
    28         TO EXCEED 15 YEARS.

The bill meets with it's final approval in the Senate...


(Remarks see Senate Journal Page 2626-2631), Oct. 8, 2008


p 2626
Senator TOMLINSON. (contact info)  (website)

Mr. President, I rise to ask for support
for House Bill No. 2200 as amended by the Senate. I think this
is very, very important legislation for our consumers today who
consume power and energy in Pennsylvania. House Bill No.
2200 is, I think, a large step forward. The Governor of the State
of Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell, has been a leader in a new energy
policy, and this legislation contains many of those items in there.
It includes demand-side reduction, conservation, that I think
is going to help the consumer, in the long run, to reduce the
 demand on power. We are requiring a reduction of 3 percent by the
year 2013 and 4 1/2 percent for peak power, and I think that is
extremely important as we go forward with an energy policy, Mr.
President. It also contains language in there that we will have
smart meters. It is not mandated, but it allows for the deployment
of smart meters through a depreciation process, through new
home construction process, and through the depreciation of 15
years, and for anyone who wants to purchase a smart meter which
they feel will help them manage their electric load better.


Senator BOSCOLA. (contact info)  (facebook)  (twitter)

So-called smart meters by themselves are not
magically -- anyone's monthly electric bill is not going to go
down just because you are getting a smart meter. That will not
happen. But this new technology will reward customers who are
smart enough to realize that they can use electricity when it is
cheapest during off-peak hours and pay a lower rate. We also
made sure that smart meters would not be mandated for every
single ratepayer. Not only is that a smarter approach to smart
meter deployment, but it will also save electric customers
hundreds of millions of dollars paying for something that will not
provide a real benefit in their own households.


Senator FUMO (wikipedia info)

In addition, we did not mandate smart meters, 
but we made them optional. We did say in new construction, 
where they really are practical, they will be put in.


It goes back to the House. The discussion does not mention anything about whether the meters are mandated or not, so I haven't posted any excerpts here. The journal is at this link if you want to read them yourself.  (Remarks see House Journal Page 2323-2328), Oct. 8, 2008


HB 2200 is signed into law as Act 129 by Governer EDWARD G. RENDELL

More to come...