This article is posted in the EUY2K newsroom.

I was wondering whether any results from the tests it describes have been made public yet.

Springfield City Utilities Plant Will do Y2k Outage

Springfield, Mo. (September 21) - The Southwest Power Plant in Springfield, Missouri will be shut down for two weeks beginning on October 15, 1998, to review station systems for Y2k related problems.

"Weve identified about 215 different systems that may have a Y2K problem," says Gary Stueve, the Southwest Power Plants Electrical Maintenance Supervisor. "Embedded in there somewhere is a little clock thats looking at the calendar date. Thats the one youve got to be concerned about."

Shutting down the Southwest Power Plant is not an unusual occurrence. Its done on a regular basis for routine maintenance. But Springfield City Utilities officials say this shutdown has just one purpose: looking for Y2K problems. Stueve says workers will check the entire plant for Y2K problems. Then all the clocks will be set ahead to the year 2000. The plant will then simulate a start-up.

"Well see what happens," said Stueve.

-- Anonymous, November 02, 1998

Answers

I've seen nothing "official" from Sprinfield Public Utility yet. However, I ran across the following in comp.software.year-2000 a few days back:

>On Fri, 30 Oct 1998 22:28:40 GMT, in comp.software.year-2000 you 
wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 29 Oct 1998 03:16:24 GMT, elcore@sgi.net (Lane Core Jr.) 
wrote:
>>
>>|[to comp.software.year-2000]
>>|
>>|>SPRINGFIELD -- On October 15, 1998, City Utilities plans to 
shutdown
>>|>the Southwest Power Plant. The downtime should last for about two 
weeks,
>>|>as workers scour the station for possible Y2K problems.....
>>|
>>|>(http://www.msnbc.com/local/KYTV/43343.asp)
>>|
>>|We know that they shut down on schedule.
>>|
>>|Is the "scouring" to be finished Thursday, October 29?
>>|
>>|What's the news been? Does anybody know?
>>
>>The Southwest Power Plant, owned and operated by the City of 
Springfield, shut
>>down for 1 week, not two.  They plan another week-long shutdown 
after the first
>>of the year (1999).
>>
>>Initially, I told you that I had found a worker that was willing to 
speak with
>>me about the testing and the outcome.  After last Friday (the end of 
week 1
>>shutdown), I contacted him.  He was strangely vague at first, saying 
he was a
>>3rd shift worker and typically doesn't know what goes on, then 
finally suggested
>>I contact the Public Relations department at C.U. for the "story."
>>Although I cannot confirm this, my "hunch" is that C.U. has issued a 
"gag order"
>>to power plant employees, probably at the peril of their jobs.
>>
>>I repeat:  I do not know this to be true.  Just the feeling I have.
>>
>>On Monday, October 27 (Monday after end of week 1 shutdown) I 
contacted the
>>public relations department at City Utilities.  The gentleman I 
spoke with would
>>tell me exactly zip about the outcome of the week's testing.  He 
said at first
>>that he "had not heard" anything about the outcome.  Later in the 
conversation
>>he said the "board" was meeting that day, and that perhaps he would 
have more
>>information afterwards.  My take:  more sidestepping.
>>
>>I also asked about the proposed accumulation of extra coal as a 
contingency
>>(initially announced as a "maybe"), and about the success or failure 
of the
>>plant's simulation designed to see if they could produce energy 
off-line (also
>>announced as part of the shutdown).  Both inquiries received an "I 
Don't Know."
>>
>>During the conversation, I asked if C.U. intended to issue a press 
release
>>regarding the outcome of the tests.  He said that if a release was 
being
>>prepared, he didn't know about it.
>>
>>I was invited to call back next Monday.  The PR guy said that he 
would try and
>>get more information for me by then.  I am not getting my hopes up, 
but rest
>>assured I WILL call back.
>>
>>Personal Observations
>>It seems strange to me that C.U. would promote the pending shutdown 
so heavily
>>(local papers and TV), and then be mum about the follow-up.  As yet, 
not a
>>whisper in any media about the event after the fact.  I am rather 
confused by
>>this PR turnaround, and though I do not know what to make of it, it 
certainly
>>causes me to say, Hmmmmmmmmmmm?
>>
>>Again, I'll follow through next Monday and report my findings (or 
lack of same)
>>to this group.
>>
>>Ira J. Madsen
>>Springfield, Missouri
>>imadsen@dialnet.net

Hopefully, we'll hear something "official" in the near future. I wouldn't count on it, though, unless the news is very positive. We can only hope that it is.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 1998

I recieved an E-mail from a query I made to Sowthwest power plant that said "no information about the test is available yet" A press rease is supposed to be released soon.

Filtered thru lawers no doubt.

Ed P. Worried in Wyoming

-- Anonymous, November 09, 1998