CAPE ELIZABETH — The town has become the second Maine community to ask Central Maine Power to halt installation of its so-called “smart meter” system.

The Town Council voted 6-0 in favor of a resolution that asks the utility to not install smart meter equipment for at least 90 days and to provide residents with more information about its installation plans. 

The resolution also urges the Public Utilities Commission to provide a mechanism for residents to voice their opinions about smart meters before they are installed in town. The resolution also asks that town residents be allowed to opt-out of smart meter installation.

The resolution is similar to one passed last month in Scarborough. Both cite concerns that residents have expressed about the equipment’s impact on health and privacy.

The Maine Center for Disease Control concluded that the studies it reviewed did not indicate any consistent or convincing evidence to support health concerns related to the radiofrequencies used by smart meters. The Maine CDC looked at studies performed by agencies like the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health and Health Canada in its review.


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