Just wondering if anyone might know how the electric-co-ops are doing in getting compliance for y2k. I live in a very rural area and they won't address this question on their notices.

-- Jill Thompson (ty@intime.net), January 17, 1999

Answers

Jill, call them and ask. Also ask if they generate any power of their own, or if they only buy it from other utilities and distribute it. It may well be the latter, in which case they are completely dependent on other generating facilities and the types of contracts they have with them. If this is the case, then ask them who supplies their generated power and check the status of that utility (or utilities). While they may not want to give you any specifics regarding their Y2K status, they should have no problem telling you about how their system operates in general.

-- Bonnie Camp (bonniec@mail.odyssey.net), January 17, 1999.

Thanks so much Bonnie, I will call tomorrow, I really need to get with this preparedness stuff and searching more info but can't seem to do it. I need a good hard shove I guess, but I will call and let you know what I find out. Jill

-- Jill Thompson (ty@intime.net), January 17, 1999.

I work for a utility and I can tell you right now what they are gonna say. They are in great shape , no problems, work for a long time(can't let thoese stock shares slip you know). Most co- ops buy their power from bigger real power companys. I get my house electricty from a co-op when it rains , or the wind blows it usually causes a power outage we get about 9-10 a year. Guess how much I count on any of them being ready on time.........

-- johnboy (jlandry@tgn.net), January 17, 1999.

We buy our power from a rural co op who in turn buys it from another non power generating company who in turn buys from a power generating company. Our co op, upon receiving a in depth letter of questions wrote a letter in response and then sent us a brochure that was to come with the following month's bill. Per them, they have been on this problem for 4 years and are compliant BUT can make no guarantees as they produce no power. I seems to me that we are on the low end of the stick and my family is preparing for a long black out..... like 3 months. We already have scheduled rolling brownouts. I feel pretty good about our co op, but if they don't get the juice, we don't get it. And if they get some of the power it will be rationed to hospitals, EMS, etc., as well it should. I just wish I felt as good about the power generating plants and the rest of the y2k mess.

-- Taz Richardson (Tassie@aol.com), January 17, 1999.

Allmost every EMC follows that pattern of "transmission" of power from somebody they buy from - then distribute it "locally" to customers. Very few have internal power generation capability since that wasn't their original charter from the FDR days.

Y2K is a bit easier for EMC's than for a city (municipal) power distribution company in some ways - and more difficult in other ways. If they don't generate power, an EMC only has to fix programs for billing, services, internal accounts and procedures, and repair or emergency procedures and controls. They don't have to fix power plant problems as well.

Most EMC's are more widely distributed than a city - so remote lines are more of a problem, but they have fewer customers and more "straightforward" networks. Distance isn't a real problem with Y2K problems (but getting to a site to repair or reset breakers or try to manually control things is harder), but in a city, you have many more customers in a smaller area, many of whom are "critical users" rather than rural users who have more resources to survive for a day/days without power.

Also, as the riots in LA showed, you have to have a (compliant) cooperative customer base to get to places to repair things. This is certainly more likely in the "country" where there will likely be less "Y2K people problems".

However, many city utilities generate their own power, and so have some measure of control over whether is available at all. (Unless they screw the generation up as well with Y2K issues.)

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), January 18, 1999.