PG&E a major power company in California, published a Y2K article dated October 5, 1998 in their weekly publication for employees. Since 1995 PG&E has been working to develop and implement plans to mitigate any potential Y2K problems. Their Y2K team consists of application software, embedded systems and supplier management. They completed an inventory of their application software in June 1998. Of the 1,818 applications indentified, 506 were considered critical to the business. They have made decisions to repair, replace or eliminate these applications. An inventory of all equipment containing microchips was completed June 30, 1998. It entailed determining what equipment and systems were mission critical. Time is of the essence because next year the utility needs to verify that all of the computer systems can work together after changes are made to them. John Greer, utility program maanger states "PG&E's goal is to keep the lights on and the gas flowing. BUT THERE ARE NO ABSOLUTES IN THIS GAME." (emphasis are mine). Y2K readiness depends, in part, upon the readiness of all the other organizations and systems that make up PG&E's business chain." When asked what one can do to help "MAKE TIME FOR US." (emphasis are mine). Each week PG&E will feature regular articles on the company's Y2K progress over the next 15 months. I'll keep you informed. In the meantime, I'm going thrift store shoppping today and buy some more wool sweaters and pork n' beans.

-- Bardou (bardou@baloney.com), October 07, 1998

Answers

Bardou,

I've been wishing really hard for some good news from our Cali Utilities and this is NOT what I wanted to hear/read! = )

I contacted SoCalEd and I got in return a form letter dated Sept. 9, 1998 with bulleted copy which states in summary that; "  The Company has developed a Year 2000 Plan

 The Year 2000 Program Office has executive level awareness, support, and sponsorship of the Plan. The Company's executive level management has committeted the resources necessary to address this issue

[This bullet absolutely floored me. It is not summarized. This is the whole enchilada]

 The Company has already completed rememdiation of its key financial systems. Customer service and human resource systems are on track for replacement with compliant systems by the end of 1998. Other informational and operational systems have been assessed and detailed plans have been developed to address systems modifcations required by December 31, 1999. SCE's goal is to have all work (including testing and implementation) completed for 75% of "mission critical" systems by year-end 998, and 100% of "mission critical" systems by July, 1999. "Mission critical" is defined as those applications and systems, including embedded processor technology, which if not appropriately remediated may have an impact on customers, revenue stream, regulatory compliance, or the health and safty of personnel and/or the public.

 Another aspect of SCE's Year 2000 readiness program is to ensure that vendor products and business partners are identified and an assessment of their products and business partners is completed to determine readiness for the year 2000...

Bardou, we are TOAST!!!

They have no chance of remediating 25% of their 'mission critical systems by July, 1999. And, they may not finish the 75% the say they will finish by December, 1998. And, they haven't assessed their supply chain or vendor compliance yet... ugh!

guess I better get that generator after all, huh?

_________________________________________________

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), October 07, 1998.

That's funny, other than an implied effect on "customer impact", they never addressed "power" generation, distribution, or control.

Everything was front office, customer service and financial.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), October 07, 1998.

But, Robert, even that is scary. Read what Bardou says:

"Of the 1,818 applications indentified, 506 were considered critical to the business. They have made decisions to repair, replace or eliminate these applications. (Emphasis added).

ELIMINATE applications that are CRITICAL to the business?

Bardou, surely you jest.

Tell me it isn't so?

-- rocky (rknolls@hotmail.com), October 07, 1998.

I just posted my experience with city council in my city in S. Cal last night at which were reps from utility and telecom companies... S. Cal Edison declined to show up. Gas company woman was laughing and joking about planes falling out of the sky BEFORE the meeting started...and when she stood up said: "we are all doing the best we can". That was it. Everyone from county, state, telecom and utilities said...we'll be okay as long as the power doesn't go out for extended period of time....

Sorta makes the good news moot, eh? All I think about is water....MWD is the fallback position for cities. My city has 75% from it's own wells, shared with Anaheim...IF they have power....

Water,...I think of not much else but water, and looks like I may be going to my folks in S. Carolina after all...they have their own well, and septic.

Council member kept asking them..should we be storing water..and some of the answers were..."heck no, why? They're fixing it"

My answer: Sh*t yes!

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), October 07, 1998.

My city council experience is posted at "Cold dark humor in Iowa"....my brain is mush.

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), October 07, 1998.

<< "Of the 1,818 applications indentified, 506 were considered critical to the business. They have made decisions to repair, replace or eliminate these applications. (Emphasis added).

ELIMINATE applications that are CRITICAL to the business? >>

Two old critical systems might be replaced by a single new critical system. It then becomes a matter of semantics as to whether both systems were replaced or one was replaced and one was eliminated.

Also, you could eliminate critical business sytems by either selling or closing the business units that those systems support.

-- Paul Neuhardt (neuhardt@ultranet.com), October 07, 1998.

No Donna,

The answer is "S**T Yes" only if they are asking about fixing the sewage system.

If they are talking about fixing the water system, the only proper answer is "Well YES!"

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), October 07, 1998.

ROFLMAO...yes..you are correct!!!!!!!!!

Speaking of sh*t...everyone must check out this satire at The Onion....www.theonion.com

Headline article for this week....I laughed til I cried.

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), October 07, 1998.

Donna - Oh great! Send a poor unsuspecting cube-dog over to a fall-over-funny Website and expect him not to bust a gut trying to keep from ROTFLHAO and attracting the unwanted attentions of other cube-doggies! I thought I was going to explode... Thanks for the laughs, stifled though they were!

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.com), October 07, 1998.

Ah, Mac,..we must stop meeting like this...first I find out about you and Ellison..now you like the screwball at The Onion...I TOLD you I laughed til I cried! Glad to lend a hand/heart..I was finding myself without laughter lately til last night reading it.

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), October 07, 1998.

Rocky: I do not jest for one minute. I am quoting directly from the paper. Perhaps you can write or call the company and ask them to send you a copy of the paper. It's called: Week, October 5, 1998. They're corporate address is: PG&E, Week, 77 Beale Street, Room 2919A, Mail Code B296, P.O. Box 770000 San Francisco, CA 94177. The article was written by Jane Christophersen (415) 973-3485. And Yes, we are in deep doodoo! If they won't send you one, I would be happy to send you a photocopy.

-- Bardou (bardou@baloney.com), October 07, 1998.

And to top it off check out the last page of the slides from this url comment to thurman on reports of commercial refineries; DoD: A National View of Nuclear Deployment

www.dtic.mil/c3i/y2k/slides_1998/sld024.htm

-- papa bear (it.guy@usa.net), October 07, 1998.

If theye're ficing the financial systems first, does that mean they want to be able to bill you, no matter what?

you know, I was really holding out hope for the grid - I really was, against all odds. But reading 2 posts tonight where people smile wanly and say "We're doing the best we can." ? As a nurse, do you want me to spell it out for you when a nurse says that about your loved one, the patient?

-- Melissa (financed@forbin.com), October 08, 1998.

If there's no power, how can they bill you for something you haven't received? No revenues, no bill, no jobs!

-- Bardou (bardou@baloney.com), October 09, 1998.

Bardou, I have similar thoughts whenever I hear people talking or read posts about the Y2K-related law suits...Hey, folks...no power, no phones, no banks= no government and no vehicle for implementing lawsuits. Such utter foolishness!

FIRST THINGS FIRST!

Anymore I am firmly and loudly in the camp that yells...No Power, we all need to be planning for neighborhood infrastructure...The joking, mumbling utility folks need to begin to think about their own neighborhoods without power, and how pockets of people can survive and rebuild. Anything byond that, and assuring power for small areas is as far from germaine as Earth is from Alpha Centauri.

This has become my mantra when approaching my city about neighborhood preparedness...if they are not acting on this by the end of the year I'm bugging for my folks acres in the country.

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), October 09, 1998.

Donna, thanks for the tip about theonion.com. I laughed my fool head off.

-- Dave (dave22@concentric.net), October 09, 1998.