The Sept. 7 issue of InfoWorld has a front page article entitled "The Big Blackout?". It gives an overview concerning the power grid problem. Sample comments from the article:

"The truth is, I don't have any good advice"....

"As we start to develop insight to what those providers are capable of, we'll draw into that into business continuity and contingency planning"...

"We can't answer questions on preparedness at this point"...

"My advice is to wait for the [industry] reports and strike up a dialogue with your utility at the local level"...

Also included in the September 7 edition: -Automakers get a jump start on Y2K compliance with trade group -Y2K Roundtable: IT takes center stage on Y2K. The roundtable includes Edward Yardeni, Howard Rubin, Thomas Wilkie, James Kalyvas, and Jim Riddle. Mind that the pulp version contains only excerpts from the roundtable discussion.

A full transcript of the discussion can be found at: http://www.infoworld.com

-- Tim (pixmo@pixelquest.com), September 14, 1998

Answers

This article really brings home the point regarding what will happen with Y2K: "Nobody knows." Our entire civilization depends on having electricity, but nobody can say for sure what the effect will be on the embedded systems that are used to supply power. This should be THE major news story every day -- What will happen? What is being done? What about vital life supporting functions such as clean water? Etc.

-- Joe (shar@pei.com), September 14, 1998.

This just in: latest (Oct 6) PC MAGAZINE has a very well written article by James Seymore, "My Biggest Worry", on the scary state of the electric power industry with Y2K. See http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/special/y2k/features/worry/index.html

-- JOe (shar@pei.com), September 14, 1998.

Tim, here is a copy of the article "The Big Blackout", I posted this address also on the thread about Nuclear Plant Licenses.

http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/displayStory.pl?/features/980907y2kready.htm

-- Gayla Dunbar (privacy@please.com), September 14, 1998.

Last Saturday, I joined a bus tour up to Ross Dam and Diablo Dam complex in Skagit Valley, Washington. Our tour of the whole complex, and especially the power station, was fabulous! After we, (some 120 of us from various groups) were taken into the main control room, I asked the manager about their being Y2K compliant. In so many words he said, no problem, they are a manual operation. They are the supplier for Seattle's power (Seattle City Light). I live in Tacoma, and asked him about our situation. He said we are supplied by a newer, AUTOMATED dam!!! Maybe I should have had him sign a statement, 'cause now I'm wondering if I should move to Seattle!!!

-- Holly Allen (Holly3325@juno.com), September 14, 1998.

After posting the above, my mail arrived with a response to a FAX I sent to Tacoma City Light just last Friday. (I let him know I will be giving a Y2K presentation at Tacoma's AARP Chapter next month, and wanted to know what I should tell them about TCL's compliancy.) The answer was over the signature of the Year 2000 Project Manager, and he invited me to phone him with any further questions. Here's what he wrote, in part: "We have a plan in place to prevent and address any disruption of service caused by the turn of the century. (Paragraph) The plan includes developing an exhaustive inventory of all hardware and software that might be affected by Y2K, including calibration equipment, protective relays, communication and control systems, and financial and billing functions. (Para) We also have a testing strategy to identify equipment that could pose potential harm to life and property if it should fail. If any critical equipment is identified in our testing it will be replace, staffed, or turned off. (Para) Finally, we havea mitigation plan to solve any unforseen problems. During the transition period every critical piece of equipment subject to Y2K issues will be staffed with knowledgeable employees who will have a plan to remedy an equipment failure..." I am comforted that they are fully aware; I surely hope they prove up to the task. Only time will tell! Before I give my presentation, I plan to call him and ask when they will be testing. Incidentally, I have also Emailed both my State Senators, let them know about my presentation, and asked them what they would like me to tell my fellow seniors. There are a lot of us; they want our votes!

-- Holly Allen (Holly3325@juno.com), September 14, 1998.

I read the Info World article, and hope to have time to check out the full roundtable discussion. I did get the impression they were treating this like a political campaign - equal time for varying opinions. Not necessarily bad, just more of a solicitation of opinions than an investigation of the facts.

Holly:

IT sure would be nice if the man had told you that these things were completed (or even in progress). They are "planning"... IT'S GETTING LATE! At least he didn't give you a blanket statement about being ready by mid '99. That one is getting old.

-- Mike (gartner@execpc.com), September 14, 1998.