There is much concern that embedded system problems will cause a failure of the electric power grid. Has anyone proposed legislation where the Federal government would appropriate say $400 million to order a supply of replacement compliant embedded system controllers etc. to replace noncompliant systems? If not, will someone reading this please start this process and try to get this concept implemented? For example if the ABCD power surge controller is noncompliant, 300,000 units have been sold during the last 20 years, 250,000 are still in service and current production of a replacement unit has ceased or is only 10,000 per month, it will not be possible for the industry to provide 240,000 units on 1 1 2000. Although specific utility plants may have not yet identified the need for this equipment, the need does exist and the government could solve a big problem by fronting the cost of these units that would be manufactured now0 and placed in inventory to be sold to power plants when needed. Since communications will be disrupted when the failures are discovered, the plan should include plans to utilize short wave radio communication links between the warehouses of these parts and the power plants so that the parts can be shipped promptly. Ham radio or emergency radio could be utilized but the call signs etc. should be distributed on the Internet etc. so they will be available when needed. If the banking/payment system will be disrupted, the warehouse should ship these with payment to be made later after communications are reestablished. I have seen no mention of such a plan on the Internet. Without a plan of this type, there will be noncompliant embedded systems that are not working with no identified replacement parts available to be used and 7000 plus power plants out of business due to a lack of parts. As a part of this if not already being done, the list of noncompliant utility equipment should be published with a list of known replacement equipment with the same function with sources of supply so that shortages can be identified and manufactured so that they will be available as soon as the problems are found. Some (or most) utilities are still in the inventory phase and do not yet know what they need. It will be impossible to supply needed parts to numerous plants in two weeks without extensive advance planning similar to what is discussed above. I would even be willing to buy shortwave equipment and be a communications link to help expedite this type of plan to help get the electric grid up as soon as possible. I am considering getting a ham radio license for year 2000 to replace the internet that may no longer be available unless the rate of progress improves drastically in fixing all of the known problems.

-- Steve Fennel (sfennel@nettally.com), December 25, 1998

Answers

Why would a power surge controller have a date in it to function right? I don't think, that the money is so short, that the government needs to be approached. It seems to me, the real problem is to locate these darn chips, which can cause trouble.

-- Obin (Obin@fla.net), December 25, 1998.

Obin,

for the same reason that a local utility here on the east coast had to tear out and replace all of the fuel feed control mechanisms on their coal-fired generating plants - because the chip that was used in the PLC was one that kept track of time and date, even though the calculation was flow rate (volume over time) and had nothing to do with the date...

Arlin Adams

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), December 26, 1998.

# # # 19981226

Steve, Obin, and Arlin:

The PLC with the date processing ( flow control ) application probably required the ( full ) "date" for maintenance, safety, and other time-dependent functions. Working with dates, mathematically, is intuitive using the plethora of date library routines available over the decades.

It boils down to ignoring the significance and ramifications of the 2- digit "00" values in the common algorithms, compounded by the stupidity of humanity to poorly document, then, doubly compounded by failure to recognize the time-line required for the complexity of identifying, re-engineering, manufacturing and installing. There simply isn't enough "time" nor logisticals to deal with systems truly deemed "critical" to avoid systemic failures of the "fatal" sort.

Regards, Bob Mangus # # #

-- Robert Mangus (rmangus@mail.netquest.com), December 26, 1998.

Since the electric utilities are generally not government-owned, I don't see how the government's information about which embedded system controllers needed ordering would be any better than the utilities'. Any government attempt to help out by pre-ordering at this late date would seem doomed to only intensify the problem by its inefficiency. Inevitably, this scheme would result in overproduction of some embedded systems while others were underproduced.

While composing this, I considered suggesting an alternative of hurriedly passing a short-term tax break for replacing of noncompliant equipment, but ... that would lead some folks to bend the rules and just make a bigger mess.

-- No Spam Please (anon@ymous.com), December 26, 1998.

I think the problem with utilities is (I hope) pretty well known - the problem we have here in Albuquerque is that our utility is prevented by law from making contingency plans without the approval of a newly elected regulatory body - this agency doesn't come into existence until Jan 1. And they have a great deal on their docket already as the our utility is being constantly sued or deregulated. That's where I see the main problem here now. How to get "permission" to make contingency plans?

-- Sharon Schultz (shalom100@aol.com), December 28, 1998.

Oopsie!

$7 MILLION BILL BLAMED ON COMPUTER GLITCH

$7 MILLION BILL BLAMED ON COMPUTER GLITCH
Ann Brack-Johnson, December 29, 1998, Chicago Tribune

OSWEGO The Millennium Bug has struck early in Oswego.
Village President Budd Bieber said that while ComEd was transferring its records to address the Y2K computer issue for 2000, the power company sent the village a bill for more than $7 million in mid-December as a "corrected" bill for two erroneous August bills of $29,000 and $26,000.

Oswego officials said they have been in touch with ComEd officials, who are trying to resolve the computer glitches. Oswego received the first power bills for the month of August just three weeks ago, a fee that usually runs about $11,000, Bieber said.

Mike Franklin, public affairs director for ComEd in the Greater Fox Valley Region, said that only about 1 percent of their customers are affected by the computer glitches. But "when you have 3.5 million customers, 1 percent can be a big problem," he said.

Franklin said ComEd installed its new computer system in July, and it is Y2K-compatible. He also said the utility is "somewhat behind" in billing some customers.

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Some correction!
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-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), December 29, 1998.

STORM SPARKS MAJOR NUCLEAR ALERT AT PLANT

A FULL-SCALE emergency was declared at a Scots nuclear station when fierce winds knocked out the power to cool its reactors.

Last night, the plant remained shut after bosses pressed the alarm button on Sunday.

They couldn't restart the back-up generators, vital to keep the reactors' two cores from overheating.

Frightened staff were called from their homes and battled for five hours to manually try to reset the safety systems before the cores went "critical".

A boss was also rushed under police escort to Hunterston B, in Ayrshire, it was claimed.

The astonishing situation - sparking fears of a Chernobyl-type reactor meltdown - happened after storms took out the national grid twice in the space of 12 hours.

The first time - at 11pm on Saturday - the emergency back-up generators in the nuclear plant switched on automatically.

But there were not enough staff on duty to manually reset them before the grid went down a second time at 11am on Sunday - leaving plant bosses helpless.

An investigation is being carried out by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate.

A spokeswoman said last night: "Two of our inspectors were called in as soon as the alarm was raised on Sunday and our investigations continue.

"There was no power to the system that cools the reactor for a number of hours and we do consider this a serious incident."

It's a major embarrassment for Scottish Nuclear, who claim their safety systems cover all eventualities.

Roseanna Cunningham, the SNP's environment spokeswoman, said: "Holiday period or not, you can't afford to take risks with nuclear energy.
"Questions must be answered on why Hunterston B was understaffed."

Earlier this year, the back-up at Dounreay, in Caithness, failed when a digger cut power cables.

That disaster was one of the reasons Scots Secretary Donald Dewar ordered the plant be closed.

A Hunterston worker, who asked not to be named, said the situation had been terrifying.

He said: "The sirens were sounding all over the plant and there were police, fire and ambulance crew arriving. We didn't know what was going on.

"It is the most serious incident I have ever seen."

Kevin Dunion, director of Friends of the Earth Scotland, called for a full inquiry into the role of the management.

He said people would be "astounded" to find fail safe procedures hadn't been worked out for the holiday.

A spokeswoman for Scottish Nuclear said at no time was any member of the public or staff at risk.

Meanwhile, after days of bad weather, Hogmanay revellers have been warned to wrap up to avoid tragedy at this year's huge outdoor parties.

The alert comes after Perth teenager Sally Greig froze to death walking home from a festive party.

Ambulance services are on standby amid fears that temperatures could plunge to as low as 2C (34F).

Police urged party-goers to make sure they wear layers of warm clothes on Edinburgh's streets.

Around 150,000 people are expected to crowd the city-centre party, which is ticket-only.

Weather experts say Edinburgh will be colder than Glasgow, where temperatures will reach around 3C (36F).

Last night, north Scotland was battered by more storms, with the islands, Aberdeen and Dundee being worst hit with winds of up to 65mph.

And more than 4000 families were still without electricity yesterday as power bosses faced calls to quit.

Today, the weather will be dull across Scotland, with strong winds, particularly in the north-east. It will be mild everywhere.
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-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), December 29, 1998.

Hey Tech's, I heard an IT person ( so I listen to alot of talk radio driving:>)talking abt y2k. Said Cisco routers (SP?? sorry, It was TALK radio) are non compliant and this could bring down internet. Also said computer used to fix/shut down Cisco routers? was a compaq presario?? Any body know if this is a compliant computer or any info about this stuff??? Was interesting listening to him...even if I am technologically illiterate!:> At least, compared to most of you. He also said windowws 95 had nothing to do with any y2k issues. Is this true?

-- Moore Dinty moore (not@thistime.com), December 29, 1998.

# # # 19981230

Moore Dinty moore:

- Server router problems exist. Think of these "slave" routers as traffic lights, parsing and controlling little packets of information, in to and out of the Internet/Intranet connections. It is the _only_ processing these "slave" machines do! Very date/time computation dependent. BIG PROBLEMO!

- Windows 95/98 don't have anything to do with "Y2K issues" ... as long as you don't use the faulty portions of those operating systems. ;-)

You shouldn't feel the requirement to impose an inferiority complex on yourself for "technology illiteracy." Continue to LISTEN CAREFULLY--as you have demonstrated--and explore/learn only what you really need to know. The "flames"--for lack of a better term--you'll see are typically directed at ignoramouses that spout off in knowledge domains they have no understanding. Filter past reprimands.

If you have any questions about computer jargon, don't hesitate to bring them here! Someone will be glad to respond in a civil manner!!

Hang in there!!

Regards, Bob Mangus # # #

-- Robert Mangus (rmangus@mail.netquest.com), December 30, 1998.

I saw a readable and relatively candid report yesterday on utilities and Y2K. This is from the web site of the Public Utility Commission of Texas:

http://www.puc.state.tx.us/Y2K/2392/TEXTS/ELECIMPC.HTM

"Y2K Impact on Electric Utilities"

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), December 30, 1998.