I assume you have read this short news article Rick posted. I don't know where the Chairman of the TPUC got his information, certainly not from his own TPUC web site. www.puc.state.tx.us/Y2K/index.htm
-- Anonymous, March 21, 1999

Answers

... and he may not have been talking to the utilities he regulates.

AUSTIN, Texas, March 19 (Reuters) - The lights will come on and the telephones will work in Texas as the clock strikes 12:01 a.m., Jan. 1, 2000, the chairman of the Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) said Friday.

... Approximately 90 percent of ERCOT's critical electric systems have been tested, according to Sam Jones, director of ERCOT's Independent System Operator (ISO). [end snip]

I wonder what he means by "critical electric systems". LCRA is reporting that its EMS system is not Y2K compliant and they are not expecting a replacement on it until mid to late summer. I am under the impression that LCRA dispatches a big piece of the ERCOT system. LCRA is type testing equipment. Some of the system in their generating facilities is faulty and not due for replacement until summer. They are not planning any full scale Y2K generation tests before late summer and early fall. LCRA is the cornerstone of the black start plan for ERCOT. They have not tested Y2K black start capability.

Also, LCRA has 4 days of fuel at their fossil fuel plants and 30 to 60 days of fuel at their coal units. All this is public information and/or available from LCRA's monthly NERC report.

-- Anonymous, March 21, 1999

I still believe when they say "tested", they are throwing in the testing done in the assessment phase to see if they have a problem. If you have tested your critical software and hardware and 90% of it is not affected by the bug, you simply report that you are 90% tested in your critical systems. Don't talk about the 10% that will have to go through the full remediation, testing, and implementation phases. It's that 10% that is the y2k problem. That 10% may take 36 months to address.

-- Anonymous, March 22, 1999

James, I have also noticed that in many cases the word "testing" is being used to indicate "assessment" and NOT the traditional usage meaning post-remediation integration testing. I just came back from checking out BC Hydro's (Canada) Year 2000 site for someone and it was interesting that their stated project phases are listed as:

Identification, Testing, Risk Assessment, Remediation/Fixing, and Contingency Planning.

They do say later in the text that they are testing again after fixes are made, but it obviously might be difficult to determine what "testing" someone was talking about in a press release if you aren't looking and/or listening sharp and asking for definition of terms.

Unfortunately, the average citizen doesn't realize that there are various types and methods of "testing" when it comes to computer systems. I've also come to the conclusion over the last year that this ignorance also applies sometimes to oversight officials, such as PUC commissioners. Dealing with computer systems is generally outside of many public officials' area of expertise. I believe that often what we take as obtuseness in reports is not necessarily any deliberate misleading but simply a case of not knowing any better and people accepting what they're told without a frame of reference to go by. I think we've all seen this happen with reporters, too. It's a good part of what makes the Year 2000 issue so frustrating!

-- Anonymous, March 22, 1999

Re: Would you be reassured after reading LCRA's explanation of its Y2K Readiness?

David mentioned that LCRA is a big contributor to ERCOT. I don't know how big is big, but LCRA's web site says it supplies electricity to "more than a million Texans through 44 wholesale customers, including 11 electric cooperatives and 33 cities. It also serves numerous water customers, including cities and municipal utility districts."

My local cooperative is supplied by LCRA so I have been following its readiness. In February 1999 the following question was posted on the City of Austin's Y2K question and answer page. I would be interested if your informed readers would be encouraged by LCRA's reply regarding its Y2K readiness?

Q: It is my understanding that LCRA has been working on Y2K since 1996, yet it has only completed 30% of software remediation/testing. If it took three years to get 30% done, how can they expect to get the remaining 70% done in the remaining five months between now and their targeted June 1999 completion date?

A: (Answer provided by LCRA.) In 1996, LCRA's Y2K project was focused on what to do with the legacy mainframe applications, namely Financial, Human Resource and Work Management systems. The LCRA decided to replace these system with client/server technology, and to retire the mainframe computer. This replacement project is scheduled for implementation by July 1, 1999. In mid-1997, the scope of the Y2K project expanded to cover all embedded systems. The inventory and assessment phases of the project were significant, as LCRA has thousands of pieces of equipment and systems that were potentially at risk, each of which needed to be evaluated. Now that potential problem areas have been identified and prioritized, the repair and final testing of these systems is the primary focus of the project. LCRA is now reporting to NERC that the remediation and testing phase is 40% complete, and expects significant progress each month. LCRA is still on target to complete the testing and remediation of critical systems systems (i.e. be "Year 2000 Ready") by July 1999. Any exceptions will be reported to NERC.

-- Anonymous, March 27, 1999

Stephanie,

Don't forget that 60% of LCRA's power is supplied by coal. They get it from La Grange. It is shipped there from Wyoming.

-- Anonymous, March 27, 1999