PG&E

PG&E's SmartMeter

San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera filed a petition Thursday to block PG&E from installing more “SmartMeters” in California homes until an investigation into the energy-measuring devices is completed.

A statement from Herrera’s office says the millions of SmartMeters currently being installed in California homes show “disturbingly high error rates,” according to evidence collected during an ongoing investigation by the California Public Utilities Commission, the state agency that oversees utility services. Herrera petitioned the CPUC to place a moratorium on installation until its investigation is complete.

“Common sense should argue against installing millions of defective SmartMeters until their problems are fixed, and questions about their accuracy are fully resolved," Herrera said in a statement. "Unfortunately, when a company lacks common sense, it means regulators need to do their job to protect the public interest.”

A PG&E spokesperson responded to the petition Thursday, saying CPUC had not asked for installation to be suspended while conducting its investigation.

“We do not believe that a moratorium is necessary and CPUC has agreed with us,” said Jeff Smith, spokesman for PG&E, in a phone interview. “The SmartMeter technology is already in place around the world and working very well.”

PG&E has installed nearly 6 million SmartMeters, according to Herrera’s office, and plans to install nearly 4 million more.

The city of San Francisco’s petition is the first of its kind, but cities around the Bay Area have already spoken out against the SmartMeter technology. Some claim the technology, which uses electromagnetic waves to transmit data, is adverse to human health. The cities of Cotati and Fairfax are among those lobbying against the installation SmartMeters.