Dive Brief:

• California's Marin County has extended a ban on smart meters in its unincorporated territory for a year.
• Cheered on by smart meter opponents, the county Board of Supervisors said the technology was "a current and immediate threat to public health, safety and welfare."
• The California Public Utilities Commission has jurisdiction over smart meters and Pacific Gas & Electric, which serves the county, lets people opt out of having the meters.

Dive Insight:

Across the U.S., generally small numbers of well-organized people have been vigorously fighting smart meters, which they believe hurt their health, open up their homes to government snooping and are a fire hazard. Most utilities allow their customers to opt out of smart meter programs, for a fee. It's been a few years since the smart meter roll-outs began, but the fight continues in Marin County.