NY A01998

Public Service Commission must establish a statewide smart meter pilot program within 24 months, with rules and requirements designed to evaluate the technology's benefits for ratepayers and energy infrastructure.

Each electric utility with annual revenues exceeding $200 million must implement the pilot program covering a minimum of 1% of its customers, with utilities reporting results to the Commission within 48 months.

Residential customers have the right to opt-out of smart meter installation free of charge and request removal of already-installed smart meters for a reasonable commission-determined fee, which may include both one-time replacement and monthly service fees.

Utilities must provide customers with 60 days' written notice before smart meter installation, disclosing information about the program, technology, privacy concerns, radio frequency usage, and opt-out rights.

The Commission must address customer privacy protections including what data is collected, how it is stored and transmitted, retention periods, deletion procedures, FOIL accessibility, and law enforcement access procedures.