Gary North has a link:

http://www.garynorth.com/y2k/detail_.cfm/3627

labeled "If Your Power Company Isn't on This List, You're Fried". It has a link to a seeminly reputable Y2K remediation group which only about 110 of 8000 electric companies bothered to join. That group is at:

http://year2000.epriweb.com/year2000/members.html

The group is called the "Electric Power Research Institute".

Please:

1) Check to see if your company is on the list

2) If yes, contact them to THANK them. If no, call to COMPLAIN.

If a large number of people show themselves to be aware of Y2K progress at the electric utility, it might nudge the companies to make that much more progress. Perhaps even "enough".

I can deal with banks folding, but if US cities turn into "Mad Maxx" due to a lack of electricity...

-- Anonymous99 (Anonymous99@Anonymous.com), January 23, 1999

Answers

Dang, mine isn't on there. I guess I better go and buy some more batteries.

-- (In the dark @ home.com), January 23, 1999.

Yes, EPRI is quite reputable. Hotlink:

http:// year2000.epriweb.com/year2000/members.html

The public EPRI web-site:

http://www.epri.com/

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 23, 1999.

YEA!!! My electric company is on the list. Now, what does that mean?

-- shivermetimbers (zerodegrees@brrrrr.com), January 23, 1999.

Mine's there too! I'm not sure what it means to the others who are NOT on the list, since my company are way behind acording to their SEC and I don't expect them to make it.

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), January 23, 1999.

It doesn't mean a darn thing to be on a list! I know for a fact that PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric Co), isn't anywhere near being compliant. They just recently identified "critical systems," as having problems. They even admit that there could be some problems: "But there are no absolutes in this game. PG&E's Year 2000 readiness depends, in part, upon the readiness of all the other organizations and systems that make up PG&E's business chain." John Greer, utility program manager. PG&E is no different than any other utility, they are all in the same boat.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), January 23, 1999.

You should note that this list has a couple of important points: one, is an international list, meaning that the 110 firms listed on it are by definition not all in the US (so this doesn't mean 110 US utilities qualifty); and two, it lists parent companies, not individual units. IOW, in my area we have Virginia Power; however, that doesn't show up on this list. Instead, the parent, Dominion Resources does. So you need to know who the parent company is of your local utility. FY.

-- Drew Parkhill/CBN News (y2k@cbn.org), January 23, 1999.

oops, I meant "FYI" at the end of the last post.

-- Drew Parkhill/CBN News (y2k@cbn.org), January 23, 1999.

I need more info. What does it mean if my power company is on this list? Does it mean it stands a better chance of "making it"? Does it mean that it's more accountable? Does it mean the lights will be on? I'm still looking for lamp oil...

-- Libby Alexander (libbyalex@aol.com), January 23, 1999.

It doesn't mean anything! Period! Zilch! Diddly squat!

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), January 23, 1999.

Looks like a self-help group.

-- curtis schalek (schale1@ibm.net), January 23, 1999.

I believe that EPRI has set up a way for utility companies to share and benifit from each other's knowledge regarding embedded systems. The catch is that they charge something like $75,000 to join so the smaller companies are shut out of the sharing. It seems to me that this really will hurt the smaller companies and will make them easy targets for take overs by the big guys that might maybe make it.

-- Mostly Lurking (Mostly Lurking@podunk.texas), January 23, 1999.

Oh, it's a priviledged club. I must still be a naive optimist, here I thought they'd have a "war effort" spirit to help each other out.

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), January 23, 1999.

You gotta have a program to know the players.

Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI): A "for profit" industry think tank. HQ'd in California. For their Y2k program, total 3 year charge (1997, 1998, 1999) is $200,000 for each participating member. This is no more than a legal CYA program for the best heeled power companies.

Edison Electric Institute (EEI): The CEO's club of the electric industry. Primarily, an industry lobby group. HQ'd in DC.

Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI): Primarily, an industry lobby group for the nuclear side of the electric utility business. HQ'd in DC.

North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC): A loose, industry funded and staffed organization chartered to set standards for transmission systems in North America. HQ'd in New Jersey.

-- Dan Webster (cant@spamme.com), January 23, 1999.

Libby Libby Libby, please check the dollar store for lamp oil,$1.00 a bottle and lamps for $5.00. I got several for many rooms of the house. Sorry Anonymous99,when I see a question for help I butt in and give advice.

-- Furie (furieart@dnet.net), January 23, 1999.