I live in Oregon, and our power company, Pacific Power and Light, announced that they (and all the companies in their parent organization, Pacificorps) have already advanced a large percentage of their clocks to next year's time, with no ill effect. I don't understand how they were able to do this, considering all the talk (including N.E.R.C.'s own webpage) which states that even if one power company is y2k compliant, they can be brought down by another power company's computers reading the date wrong. So why don't PP&L's incorrect times screw up their neighboring power companies' operation, not to mention their own, since only a portion of their clocks have been advanced to year 2000?

Is N.E.R.C (and most other information sources) wrong about this? Or is there something else I don't understand?

Malcolm Drake Grants Pass, Oregon

-- Anonymous, April 15, 1999

Answers

I think it comes down to not knowing if they have even found all of their clocks. There are also clocks that can't be moved forward.

I believe that this is a red herring. It gets your mind off of the the main question which is, "How do you know that we will have power?" They really haven't told you anything except that you should feel good because they have set an undetermined number of the total number of clocks into the future.

The real problem is one of process, not clocks. I would like to know how many processes have been tested in the year 2000 with all of the clocks rolled forward in a test environment? How many of them have failed? How many that failed have been repaired so far?... things like this.

-- Anonymous, April 15, 1999

FYI, from http://www .pacificorp.com/news/newsrlse/r990405.html:

Pacificorp Plants Producing Year 2000 Electricity

Salt Lake City, Utah -- PacifiCorp has announced that its electric utilities Pacific Power and Utah Power are advancing the control system clocks ahead and operating all its thermal generating units in the Year 2000 from now until the end of the first quarter of the year 2000. The same is taking place in its transmission and distribution systems and is one of the final steps to having all critical systems ready for the Year 2000 by July 1, 1999.

"These are the systems that affect all stages of electric production from generation to delivery at the point of service for each of our customers," said David Register, Year 2000 project manager, PacifiCorp. "Making the transition now will help our customers and the public to have the same confidence we have about the extent and reliability of our preparations."

Register explained the plants have already gone through months of inventory, assessment, remediation and testing and all have operated successfully during critical date rollover tests.

"More than 25 percent of our thermal generation units are already operating and producing power dated in the year 2000," said Bob Augenstein, generation Y2K project manager. "Our commitment to be ready for Y2K is now nearing reality."

Augenstein went on to say the critical systems clocks at all these facilities have been tested through a multitude of troublesome dates associated with Year 2000 and the equipment has passed each test. The formal program of setting the dating systems and clocks ahead and leaving them ahead began early in March and will continue through June. Each unit will have the date advanced while it is off line for regular maintenance or during off-peak hours this spring. Next year, the clocks will be reset to the correct calendar date.

According to Register, dates are being advanced in the transmission and distribution systems this spring as well.

"This move is just one more step to ensuring reliable electrical service for our customers," Register emphasized. "We want our customers to know we are making every reasonable effort to provide them with the best possible service. We expect to be conducting business as usual Jan. 1, 2000, and beyond."

PacifiCorp began its Y2K preparations in 1996. During the past two and one-half years it has conducted a comprehensive, systematic program to prepare for the Year 2000 and has dedicated significant resources and manpower to the effort. It also recognized that the Y2K problem is a business issue rather than a purely technological one. Accordingly, it looked at all its business processes as well as its methods of transacting business with others.

PacifiCorp serves 1.5 million electricity customers in Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, Washington, Idaho and California. It has one of the most extensive transmission systems in the U.S. and owns 8,400 megawatts of low-cost thermal and hydroelectric generation. PacifiCorp also serves 550,000 electricity customers in the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales.

 

-- Anonymous, April 16, 1999

Hoffmeister, were you paying *any* attention to the statements made by Reporter, above. PR from the power company just won't cut it.

-- Anonymous, April 17, 1999