From: Y2K, ` la Carte by Dancr (pic), near Monterey, California

http://www.yourdon.com/books/HumptyDumptyY2K/CH05.html This link appears in the main Humpty Dumpty outline as the chapter on Energy. The link doesn't work.

Not having read the chapter yet, I still have a couple comments about utilities in general, not just energy. These are prompted by a comment in your Chapter 9, on Software, in which you state that utilities might come under stricter supervision.

I do see a role for stricter monitoring of public utilities to ensure that they are prepared to offer uninterrupted service in case of problems in their own supply lines. The fact that my own water company stocks only a two day supply of backup fuel to run generators in case of electric company failure was a real eye opener, for me.

All utilities should have a system in place to charge graduated amounts for each incremental unit of service. In times when rationing is needed, there would thus be a market mechanism in place to "punish" those who use excessive amounts of the service. All that would be required would be for the utility to suddenly drastically raise the rates on usage above the rationed amount.

-- Dancr (addy.available@my.webpage), October 08, 1999

Answers

While utilities should be strictly monitored, so should government...

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), October 09, 1999.