Hmmm, maybe they cover Taos, New Mexico

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For Educational Purposes Only

TEP Completes "Mission Critical" Preparedness for Y2K

TUCSON, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 1, 1999--Tucson Electric Power Co. has successfully completed its mission critical Year 2000 preparation process aimed at ensuring its systems necessary to provide safe, reliable power to customers are ready for the new millennium.

TEP's Mission Critical Year 2000 Readiness Project encompassed inventory, assessment, testing, remediation, and documentation of all systems which could be impacted by the so-called Millennium Bug on Jan. 1, 2000 or on Feb. 29, 2000.

The project also entailed contacting TEP's suppliers regarding their Y2K readiness, and developing contingency plans to mitigate the effect of potential date processing related problems.

The North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) defines a ``mission critical'' device or system as one that is needed to provide for the safe and reliable production and delivery of electric power to all TEP customers, or is needed to reliably operate the TEP Control Area as part of the Western Systems Coordinating Council electrical grid, which covers a majority of the region west of the Rocky Mountains.

``This is a major milestone for TEP and for our customers,'' said Tom Hansen, TEP vice president and technical advisor to the TEP Year 2000 Project. ``We are well aware of our responsibility to provide reliable service to our customers in the transition to the year 2000. Our team has worked diligently to complete this project on schedule and with the utmost attention to detail.''

The TEP mission critical systems which were tested during the project and determined to be Y2K ready included the Springerville Generating Station, the Irvington Generating Station, all transmission facilities, all distribution facilities and TEP's energy control centers.

Tucson Electric Power Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of UniSource Energy Corp. (NYSE: UNS - news), is a Tucson-based utility engaged in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution and sale of electric energy to retail and wholesale customers.

This Year 2000 information is a ``Year 2000 Readiness Disclosure'' within the meaning of the Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act, Pub. L. No. 105-271, 112 Stat. 2386 (1998). This information is intended for informational use only and may not be construed to constitute a warranty or guarantee of any kind.

TEP will continue to work with various organizations, such as the Southern Arizona Y2K Community Partnership, to educate customers on preparing for the millennium transition. TEP and the Y2K Community Partnership recently completed a series of public forums and will conduct another series in the fall.

Y2K Community Partnership committee members include representatives from critical services and organizations such as the City of Tucson, the American Red Cross, the Pima County Health Department, TMC HealthCare, Tucson Electric Power Co. and Southwest Gas Corp.

TEP Public Affairs P.O. Box 711 Tucson, AZ 85702 520/884-3742 www.tucsonelectric.com

Contact:

Tucson Electric Power Co., Tucson

Jay Gonzales, 520/884-3743

-- Sista In 'Da Hood (Sista@Da.Hood), July 05, 1999

Answers

Releases were probably copied by the hundreds. Still a couple of thousand electric utilities have not reached ready which is not compliant and they are relying on the word of their supplies as to the status of the suppliers.

"The project also entailed contacting TEP's suppliers regarding their Y2K readiness, and developing contingency plans to mitigate the effect of potential date processing related problems."

Was it BellSouth that said 50% of their suppliers lied? At least they are trying to verify and these utilities mention suppliers but never say they are compliant.

Tired of the double-talk.

-- Mike Lang (webflier@erols.com), July 06, 1999.

Lets see if we can put this in layman terms.

"Tucson Electric Power Co. has successfully completed its mission critical Year 2000 preparation process aimed at ensuring its systems necessary to provide safe, reliable power to customers are ready for the new millennium." = We've done what we can to fix the problem and hopefully it'll work.

"TEP's Mission Critical Year 2000 Readiness Project encompassed inventory, assessment, testing, remediation, and documentation of all systems which could be impacted by the so-called Millennium Bug on Jan. 1, 2000 or on Feb. 29, 2000." = We worked on it really hard.

"The project also entailed contacting TEP's suppliers regarding their Y2K readiness, and developing contingency plans to mitigate the effect of potential date processing related problems." = We looked into some other problems that may arise from from outside sources.

"The North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) defines a ``mission critical'' device or system as one that is needed to provide for the safe and reliable production and delivery of electric power to all TEP customers, or is needed to reliably operate the TEP Control Area as part of the Western Systems Coordinating Council electrical grid, which covers a majority of the region west of the Rocky Mountains." = Filler material.

"`This is a major milestone for TEP and for our customers,'' said Tom Hansen, TEP vice president and technical advisor to the TEP Year 2000 Project. ``We are well aware of our responsibility to provide reliable service to our customers in the transition to the year 2000. Our team has worked diligently to complete this project on schedule and with the utmost attention to detail." = An attempt to pacify customers. Nothing meaningful.

"The TEP mission critical systems which were tested during the project and determined to be Y2K ready included the Springerville Generating Station, the Irvington Generating Station, all transmission facilities, all distribution facilities and TEP's energy control centers." = TEP mission critical systems aren't 'compliant'.

"Tucson Electric Power Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of UniSource Energy Corp. (NYSE: UNS - news), is a Tucson-based utility engaged in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution and sale of electric energy to retail and wholesale customers" = More filler material.

"This Year 2000 information is a ``Year 2000 Readiness Disclosure'' within the meaning of the Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act, Pub. L. No. 105-271, 112 Stat. 2386 (1998). This information is intended for informational use only and may not be construed to constitute a warranty or guarantee of any kind." = Our words of assurance are meaningless and amount to absolutely nothing. Our words cannot be held against us should something go wrong.

"TEP will continue to work with various organizations, such as the Southern Arizona Y2K Community Partnership, to educate customers on preparing for the millennium transition. TEP and the Y2K Community Partnership recently completed a series of public forums and will conduct another series in the fall." = We'll keep working on spin control such as this release.

"Y2K Community Partnership committee members include representatives from critical services and organizations such as the City of Tucson, the American Red Cross, the Pima County Health Department, TMC HealthCare, Tucson Electric Power Co. and Southwest Gas Corp." = We have some folks helping us with the spin control.

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So, to make it a little clearer:

TEP Completes "Mission Critical" Preparedness for Y2K

TUCSON, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 1, 1999--

We've done what we can to fix the problem and hopefully it'll work.

We worked on it really hard.

We looked into some other problems that may arise from from outside sources.

We're trying to keep our customers pacified.

TEP mission critical systems aren't 'compliant' (but they are 'ready').

The words of assurance in this "Year 2000 Readiness Disclosure" are meaningless and amount to absolutely nothing. Our words cannot be held against us should something go wrong.

We'll keep working on spin control such as this release.

We have some folks helping us with the spin control.

TEP Public Affairs P.O. Box 711 Tucson, AZ 85702 520/884-3742 www.tucsonelectric.com

Contact:

Tucson Electric Power Co., Tucson

Jay Gonzales, 520/884-3743

-- Weed Whacker (anti@spin.control), July 06, 1999.

You nailed it, Weed.

-- Dog Gone (layinglow@rollover.now), July 06, 1999.