Australian Power Co Says It Can't Guarantee Power

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Electric Utilities and Y2K : One Thread

This looks like a Big Deal to moi. Sorry, don't have time to hotlink. This is from Australian Financial Review.

http://www.afr.com.au/y2k/990531/inf/inf1.html

Here are the first few paragraphs of the story...

Powercor cannot guarantee year 2000 compliance of suppliers nor uninterrupted supply of electricity.

In what is claimed to be the most detailed public disclosure from an Australian power utility about the millennium bug, Victoria's biggest electricity distributor has stated that it cannot guarantee uninterrupted supply of electricity next year.

Powercor, which supplies electricity to much of western Victoria, estimates that it will not finish key parts of its Y2K program until this September.

This contrasts with previous claims by the Victorian electricity industry that it would be Y2K compliant by the end of last year.

Powercor cites its dependence on the performance of non-compliant electricity generators and transmission companies to deliver power as a reason for not being able to guarantee supply.

"Although Powercor understands that most of its suppliers have year 2000 projects under way, those suppliers have not provided a guarantee that they are as yet compliant," the disclosure states.

"Consequently, Powercor cannot guarantee the year 2000 compliance of its suppliers, nor the uninterrupted supply of electricity.

-- Anonymous, June 02, 1999

Answers

PS: here are the last three paragraphs of the story:

Powercor's spin doctors yesterday played down the utility's revelations.

Commenting on the estimated September finish of its Y2K program, Powercor's manager of public relations, Ms Jayne Edwards, claimed the utility was erring on the side of caution.

"We're already substantially finished most of our Y2K work but we prefer to put a later finish date on parts of the program just to be sure," Ms Edwards said

-- Anonymous, June 02, 1999


Drew, ask any utilitiy in your area, state, country if they can guarantee electricity supply for any 24 hour period. After they say no you will realise the little importance this posting is. Graham.

-- Anonymous, June 04, 1999

Graham,

Granted, utilities cannot guarantee power. However, many utilities in the US (and elsewhere) are saying Y2K itself should not be problem leading to interruption of normal electricity service. This company "cites its dependence on the performance of non-compliant electricity generators and transmission companies to deliver power as a reason for not being able to guarantee supply." It is, as I understand this, actually saying there is *equipment* which is not Y2K compliant- that's quite different from what we're hearing in the US.

-- Anonymous, June 04, 1999


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