Now I've seen it all. Here's an article which claim's that THOUSANDS of utilities telling authorities if their systems were ready. THOUSANDS! The spin has reached unbelievable proportions. My question is a follow up to the earlier contest from Rick. Did that contest produce thousands of "compliant", or even "ready" utilities?

Someone needs to talk to Patrick about lightening the touch on his spin.

Thursday July 1 2:50 PM ET North American Utilities File Y2K Compliance Reports Full Coverage Year 2000 Problem By Patrick Connole

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Thousands of utilities across Canada and the United States were telling authorities this week if critical operational systems were ready for the new millennium, and free of the Year 2000 computer bug.

Wednesday marked the deadline to file reports with the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC), an umbrella organization responsible for ensuring power is always available to anyone hooked to the grid.

The Year 2000, or Y2K, problem could possibly disrupt electric service when the new year starts.

The millennium problem is caused by computers which record dates using only the last two digits of a year. If left uncorrected, systems could read the year 2000 as the year 1900, creating malfunctions and system crashes on Jan 1, 2000.

Previous NERC reports to the Department of Energy (DOE) showed no reason for grave concern, with all indications pointing to the lights coming on when the rollover occurs.

Last April, NERC conducted the first of two continent-wide drills for utilities to test their back-up communications systems in the event of trouble. NERC said the drill results showed only slight problems at more than 3,000 participating electric utilities.

A second drill was slated for Sept 9, 1999.

A NERC spokesman Wednesday said the group would announce the results of the June 30 compliance deadline at an event on July 29, when it deliver the results to the DOE.

Separately, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission was to release the findings of a similar Y2K readiness study next week, according to an agency spokesman.

The nuclear industry wants to ease fears of power outages and radiation leaks when the new millennium starts. Each of the nation's 103 operating nuclear power reactors must file their Y2K preparedness reports by July 1.

Nuclear industry officials have said they expect no major problems from the computer bug, noting that most nuclear units were built in the 1960s and 1970s, before the onset of the digitalized age of date sensitive computer systems.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-- Anonymous, July 02, 1999

Answers

Hello Jim. I think that all the article is trying to say is that June 30 was the deadline for power companies to report to NERC whether they are Y2k ready or not. The final report won't come out until late July.

Nowhere in the article does it say that the utilities have all actually stated that they are ready; only NERC knows that so far. But since most companies were reporting very near completion (more than 90% on average) a month ago, the implication is that many will report being ready. And the "thousands" number comes from including all the smaller cooperatives and municipalities, who are also reporting their readiness (not to NERC; to APPA or NRECA). Again, to find out specifics, we all must wait until the final reports in late July (unless your power company has already released a statement to the public).

-- Anonymous, July 02, 1999

"A NERC spokesman Wednesday said the group would announce the results of the June 30 compliance deadline at an event on July 29, when it deliver the results to the DOE."

Why should we have to wait so long.. 'till July 29th? Since NERC has already said the utilities can claim compliance "with exceptions", and they promise not to tell us or the DOE, why the delay? Why not just come out and tell us they are all "ready" (like they started to June 27th, days before the reports were even in) and ALLAY our Y2K fears?

-- Anonymous, July 03, 1999

Allay, Allay, We're going A-Way with the men in the little white coats!.....(singing)

Linda, I agree. This is a gut=wrenching, nerve jangling, confusing, frightening emotional roller coaster. And I'm becoming rather a basket case. During the recent "lull" I ate half my 3 months stock of food because I decided to become a "Polly". This week, I went out and restocked my "cupboard". It's not funny anymore.

I realize no one knows for sure, but the ambiguity and blatant false claims give us no hope of enjoying any measure of security based on what the "officials" are saying. In my lifetime this is an unprecedented event. And I'm not quite sure how to deal with it. But I feel there is no sane choice, except to do as much preparation as you can. This may result in the panic they are trying to avoid, but as the press releases become more identitical, and the spin becomes more obvious, the public may become more frightened.

I find it unnerving that this entire "event" is being dealt with based on questions like "How can we avoid a law suit" & "Will this panic the public".

Allay, Allay............

-- Anonymous, July 03, 1999

Thanks for the responses. I was trying to point out that we have another example of misleading ambiguity. I understood what Dan is talking about, and I think he's right. I don't think John Q. Public will draw the same conclusion from that article. In fact, I'm sure of it. I believe the ambiguity is deliberate and misleading.

-- Anonymous, July 03, 1999

The City of Washington D.C., has already stating that emergency preparations are underway, as the city won't be able to cope with the y2k computer rollover. New York City and Los Angeles have already spent millions on "bunkers" as control rooms to be used during the rollover. FEMA and the Red Cross are buying up all the survival food they can get their hands on. The National Guard has already performed "emergency" operations. Now, in light of all this (no pun intended) the electric companies have waved a magic wand and completed all compliance repairs, everything is just hooke-dookie. Yea sure, and the Pope just turned Jewish.

-- Anonymous, July 03, 1999

Richard, There's an old joke about that. Seems an old man was seen going through Manhattan, riding in the back of a limousine and wearing a yarmulke. No, it wasn't Rebbe Gershowitz, but the Pope! I especially like this imagery, because I had an old Jewish gret-uncle who had a long, salmon-pink Caddy, driven by a chauffeur, and living in a big apartment on Fifth Ave. No skullcap, though!

-- Anonymous, July 05, 1999