Alabama power companies say compliant in fall 99

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Did anybody happen to see this in The Birmingham (Alabama) News online on Oct 26? It was in a general overview story on the progress of some Alabama agencies & businesses:

"The Southern Co., which owns Alabama Power, and Alagasco, the state's largest natural gas utility, have had to tackle millions of lines of computer code, but they have spent millions of dollars and several years in the effort.

"Alabama Power is to be 2000-compliant by fall 1999, and Alagasco makes the same prediction - but both have prepared contingency plans."

Is fall 1999 cutting it a little close?

Drew Parkhill/CBN News

-- Anonymous, November 04, 1998

Answers

I'd say fall of '99 is a bit tight. Better than spring of 2000, though. The big question is just what does "compliant" mean? There is no standard, legally accepted definition of the term so the meaning is in the mind of the listener. Same with "percentage of project completion - somewhat meaningless without more detail. Inventory - done. Assessment - done. These have some meaning, but 50% or 6% of the project done? Depends on what 50 or 60% they've worked on. If it includes that which will allow them to continue uninterrupted service, that's goodness. If it's 50 or 60% of trivial items, well.....

-- Anonymous, November 04, 1998

This is why Alabama Power and Alagasco say they will be compliant by fall of 1999.

[Federal Register: September 29, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 188)] [Rules and Regulations] [Page 51792-51793] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr29se98-2] ------------------------------------------------------ DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Rural Utilities Service 7 CFR Parts 1710 and 1726 Year 2000 Compliance: Electric Program AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. ACTION: Interim rule with request for comment. ------------------------------------------------------ SUMMARY: This interim rule amends the regulations of the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) to state that RUS will make an electric loan only if the borrower's electric system is year 2000 compliant. The interim rule will ensure that RUS-financed projects and RUS financed electric systems meet the year 2000 date changeover without service or revenue disruption. DATES: This rule is effective September 29, 1998. Comments must be received by RUS or carry a postmark or equivalent by November 30, 1998. ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to Blaine D. Stockton, Jr., Assistant Administrator, Electric Program, Rural Utilities Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., STOP 1560, Room 4037, South Building, Washington, DC., 20250-1560. RUS requires a signed original and three copies of all comments. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Blaine D. Stockton, Jr., Assistant Administrator, Electric Program, Rural Utilities Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., STOP 1560, Room 4037, South Building, Washington, DC., 20250-1560. Telephone: (202) 720-9545. Facsimile: (202) 690-0717. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Justification for Interim Rule It is the policy of the Department of Agriculture that proposed rules relating to public property, loans, grants, benefits, or contracts be published for public comment notwithstanding the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553, with respect to such rules. However, exemptions are permitted where an agency finds, for good cause, that an opportunity for comments would be impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest. RUS finds that good cause exists to implement this rule without providing a prior opportunity for public comment. Many computers that control electric systems are not programmed to handle the change of date from December 31, 1999, to January 1, 2000. These ``non- compliant'' computers may malfunction on or before January 1, 2000, with potentially widespread and catastrophic results. Computer controlled electric systems could fail causing electric power delivery to consumers and suppliers to be interrupted, and electric system safety could be adversely affected. Examples of potentially vulnerable areas include power plant control systems, transmission and distribution relays, substation metering, load management systems, maintenance and administration systems and billing records. Failure of electric systems could affect public health and safety. RUS, therefore believes it would be contrary to the public interest to delay the effectiveness of the rule. Through this interim rule, RUS is undertaking to address with its electric borrowers year 2000 compliance issues that may potentially disrupt electric services that are critical to public health and safety. This rule is part of an effort by all USDA Rural Development agencies to address year 2000 readiness and prevent year 2000 problems. For these reasons, RUS determines that publication for advance notice and an opportunity for prior comment is not in the public interest. Executive Order 12372 This rule is excluded from the scope of Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Consultation, which may require consultation with State and local officials. A final rule related notice entitled ``Department Programs and Activities Excluded from Executive Order 12372'' (50 FR 47034), determined RUS loans and loan guarantees are not covered by this Executive Order. Executive Order 12866 This rule has been determined to be not significant for the purposes of Executive Order 12866 and, therefore, has not been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Executive Order 12988 This rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988, Civil Justice Reform. RUS has determined that this rule meets the applicable standards provided in section 3 of the Executive Order. In accordance with the Executive Order and the rule: (1) All state and local laws and regulations that are in conflict with this rule will be preempted; (2) No retroactive effect will be given to this rule; and (3) In accordance with Sec. 212(e) of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6912(e)) administrative appeal procedures, if any, must be exhausted before an action against the Department or its agencies may be initiated. Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification The Administrator of RUS has determined that a rule relating to the RUS electric loan program is not a rule as defined in the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) and, therefore, the Regulatory Flexibility Act does not apply to this rule. [[Page 51793]] National Environmental Policy Act Certification The Administrator of RUS has determined that this rule will not significantly affect the quality of the human environment as defined by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). Therefore, this action does not require an environmental impact statement or assessment. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance The program described by this rule is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance programs under No. 10.850, Rural Electrification Loans and Loan Guarantees. This catalog is available on a subscription basis from the Superintendent of Documents, the United States Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325, telephone number (202) 512-1800. Information Collection and Recordkeeping Requirements This interim rule does not impose new information collection requirements for the purposes of the Paperwork reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). (OMB control number 0572-0032) Unfunded Mandates This rule contains no Federal mandate (under the regulatory provision of Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995) for State, local, and tribal governments or the private sector. Thus, this rule is not subject to the requirements of sections 202 and 205 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. List of Subjects 7 CFR Part 1710 Electric power, Electric utilities, Loan programs--energy, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Rural areas. 7 CFR Part 1726 Electric power, Loan programs--energy, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Rural areas. For the reasons set forth in the preamble, RUS amends Chapter XVII of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations as follows: PART 1710--GENERAL AND PRE-LOAN POLICIES AND PROCEDURES COMMON TO INSURED AND GUARANTEED ELECTRIC LOANS 1. The authority citation for part 1710 continues to read as follows: Authority: 7 U.S.C. 901-950(b); Public Law 99-591, 100 Stat. 3341; Public Law 103-354, 108 Stat. 3178 (7 U.S.C. 6941 et seq.). 2. In Sec. 1710.112, a new paragraph (c) is added to read as follows: Sec. 1710.112 Loan feasibility. * * * * * (c) RUS considers a loan to be feasible only if the borrower's electric system is year 2000 compliant, or if the borrower provides RUS with evidence, satisfactory to RUS, that it is taking measures necessary to ensure that its electric system will be year 2000 compliant on or before December 31, 1999. Year 2000 compliant means that product performance and function are not affected by dates before, during, and a reasonable time after the year 2000. PART 1726--ELECTRIC SYSTEM CONSTRUCTION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES 3. The authority citation for part 1726 continues to read as follows: Authority: 7 U.S.C. 901 et seq., 1921 et seq.; Public Law 103- 354, 108 Stat. 3178 (7 U.S.C. 6941 et seq.). 4. In Sec. 1726.20, a new sentence is added at the end to read as follows: Sec. 1726.20 Standards and specifications. * * * The materials and equipment must be year 2000 compliant, as defined in 7 CFR 1710.112 (c). Dated: September 21, 1998. Jill Long Thompson, Under Secretary, Rural Development. [FR Doc. 98-26021 Filed 9-28-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-15-U

-- Anonymous, November 04, 1998


The Southern Company, which owns Alabama Power, along with Georgia Power, Gulf Power, Mississippi Power, Savannah Electric & Power, and the Southern Nuclear Operating Company, offers a blanket Year 2000 web site called the "Millenium Project." The timeline for being "Year 2000 ready" is June 1999, not Fall 1999, for "software systems and devices that contain computer/clock chips," according to website information. Presumably in this statment Southern is including "devices" on the plant floor, i.e. embedded systems. Presumably.

While this quicker timeline may not be of additional comfort to the customers of Southern, it draws into question some of the facts in the previously mentioned news story. Additionally, no where on Southern's Y2K site are claims the company is attempting to achieve "compliancy" prior to 1/1/2000, as the story reports. That's probably an oversight since traditional media still has a tendency to interchange "Y2K ready" with "Y2K compliant," which we all understand to be incorrect.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 1998


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