The Michigan Public Service Commission has launched an investigation into Michigan utility companies that install smart meters after concerns were raised by electric customers and municipalities over the practice. The Commission noted that "at least nine local communities across Michigan" have called for such an action by the state agency.
 

The Order directs all regulated electric utilities to submit information about the electric utility’s existing plans for the deployment of smart meters in its service territory. This information includes details such as the estimated cost of deploying smart meters throughout its service territory; an estimate of the savings to be achieved by the deployment of smart meters; an explanation of any other non-monetary benefits that might be realized from the deployment of smart meters; any scientific information known to the electric utility about the safety of the smart meters it plans to deploy; an explanation of the type of information that will be gathered by the utility via smart meters and the steps that will be taken to ensure the customer’s privacy; and whether the electric utility intends to give its customers a smart-meter opt-out option, and if so, how the electric utility intends to recover the cost of such an opt out program.

Comments on the order are due by March 16, 2012. The comments filed in the docket thus far are mostly by customers who are vehemently opposed to smart meter installation and call strongly for an opt-out option.