“Just say no”—an anti-drug slogan created and championed by U.S. First Lady Nancy Reagan during her husband, Ronald Reagan’s, 1980s-era presidency —is now a rallying cry in the City of Sterling Heights, Michigan, where utility customers are demanding to opt out of a smart meter deployment scheduled by DTE Energy and its subsidiary, Detroit Edison, for 2016.

Sterling Heights is the second-largest suburb of Metro Detroit in Macomb County, with a total population of about 130,000. It represents the most recent of several municipalities in DTE’s Southeastern Michigan service area that have been hesitant to adopt the new technology, including Warren and Shelby Township in Macomb County; Royal Oak, Rochester, and Rochester Hills in Oakland County; and Brighton Township in Livingston County.

On January 3, after three hours of public comment, the Sterling Heights City Council unanimously imposed a moratorium on smart meters until DTE Energy establishes a clause allowing customers to refuse installation on their homes. Several of the other “rebel” cities have approved similar motions. The resolutions have no legal weight, but reflect the residents’ position on an issue.

During the lengthy Sterling Heights City Council Meeting, more than two dozen residents took to the podium to express fears over the radio frequency-operated smart meters, ranging from potential health risks to possible privacy breaches, to conspiracy theories about a “new world order.” Council members’ degree of alarm over the devices varied, but they concurred that making the meters’ compulsory was unacceptable.

“America’s all about choices,” Councilman Joseph Romano told The Macomb Daily. “I think the American people should have their choice, if they want a smart meter or not.”

"We're not planning on being in Sterling Heights for a while, but we're also not planning an opt-out," DTE Energy spokesman Scott Simons told the Detroit Free Press. To date, 650,000 meters have been deployed—primarily in Oakland County, which comprises 62 cities and towns, including Auburn Hills, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Farmington Hills, Ferndale, Franklin, Hazel Park, Royal Oak, Southfield, and Troy. The utility plans to deploy 800,000 meters by year-end 2012 and eventually it intends to replace 2.6 million legacy analog meters throughout its territory with the smart versions.

However, the utility may not have a choice: In response to the vehement opposition, the Michigan Public Service Commission, which is the regulatory agency for public energy, announced last week that it intends to begin an investigation into some of the residents' concerns about these smart meters and the way in which they have been implemented.

In response to concerns, DTE insists that radio-frequency (RF) waves emitted by the smart meters are safe, and has pointed out that the technology is in use in cell phones and microwave ovens, and that protecting customer privacy is a key focus. What’s more, Simon contends, “RF doesn’t penetrate walls and the meters are outside,” adding, ““A person on a cell phone is exposed to 1,000 times more radio frequencies than a person standing two feet from an active meter.”

The utility also points out a range of advantages that its customers would enjoy once the smart meters are in use, such as access to real-time information about their energy usage and how to reduce it, more immediate response to outages, and remote meter readings.

Those claims have not impressed local customers. Speaking to The Macomb Daily, John and Pauline Holeton of Shelby Township revealed their anxiety about both privacy-related issues and radio frequency waves emitted by the meters. Pauline Holeton, 61, said she holds a national teleconference on the first and third Sundays of the month and has dozens who are involved. “I am saying that people are suffering from RF waves,” she explained, adding, “I have talked to people all over the world and they are suffering.”She and her husband have created a website, w4ar or “Warriors for the American Revolution” which promotes the candidacy of GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul and is dedicating to preserving “Freedom – The Fading American Dream.”“We don’t sell any information to a third party for any purpose,” DTE’s Simons responded to their privacy concerns.

The resolution might not be tested for several years. Mark Vanderpool, Sterling Heights' city manager told the Detroit Free Press that officials were informed that the DTE does not plan to begin installations in Sterling Heights until 2016, allowing ample time for the utility to react to all comments.

Vanderpool said that, after the council meeting, DTE had indicated it would consider the city's resolution. Officials anticipated hearing back from the utility about questions that arose during the discussion."DTE seemed to be very responsive to the concerns of the residents at the meeting and also the City Council," he said.

Simons, however, implied that the DTE might stay mum on the subject. "I think we spent three hours there," he commented. "I don't know what more can be said.”

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