Statement by Amy Zubaly, Executive Director, Florida Municipal Electric Association Regarding Enhanced Public Power Customer Protection:
“Going into effect today is an important public power consumer protection bill (HB 591), which prevents third parties from gaining real-time access to public power customers’ usage information and meter-derived data.
The detailed customer data you can get from today’s smart meters can be used to specifically identify hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute usage patterns even down to the exact appliance in use. In the wrong hands, this information could be used to breech privacy and security, and it was important for us, as public power utilities, to protect our customers from data mining, scams and unlawful activity.
On behalf of public power communities across the state, we commend Governor DeSantis, the Florida Legislature and the First Amendment Foundation for working with us to ensure all Florida utility customers’ real-time information is protected from potential misuse.”
The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA) represents the unified interests of 33 public power communities across the state, which provide electricity to more than 3 million of Florida’s residential and business consumers.
