When discussing Y2k and Utilities, it is often pointed out that Utilities never guarantee service.

The response then is "well, I want them to say it's the same as any other day..."

Well, here's one:

Mass. Utilities To Be Y2K Ready By June 30

BOSTON (Reuters) - All state-regulated utilities in Massachusetts will be Y2K compliant by June 30, Department of Telecommunications and Energy Chairman Janet Gail Besser told a legislative hearing Thursday.

Besser said there is no greater likelihood that the lights will go off or the phone lines go dead on Jan. 1, 2000, than on any other night of the year.

Still, Besser said, utilities are making contingency plans, just in case their computers have problems recognizing the "00" in the year 2000.

In the case of electric companies, power plants will lessen their reliability on natural gas deliveries where possible. Coal-burning plants will keep a 90-day supply on hand, while oil burners will keep a 45-day supply on standby, she said.

Utilities will also have extra spare parts at the ready, and extra staffing in the highly unlikely event that a problem occurs, Besser said.

"Something can always happen," she said, citing weather-related outages as a possibility. "When something does go wrong, the utilities have well-developed contingency plans."

Besser noted that utilities have spent huge sums of money preparing for the millennium, citing Bell Atlantic Corp., which has spent $300 million and expects to spend another $200 million by the end of the year; and AT&T Corp., which plans to spend $700 million.

Massachusetts electric firms have spent $200 million on Y2K compliance, Besser pointed out, adding she doesn't expect any companies to be laggards in becoming Y2K ready.

Eastern Utilities Associates and New England Electric System are 96 percent or 97 percent complete in their Y2K readiness, she said, while AT&T, GTE Corp., Commonwealth Energy System, MediaOne Group Inc. and Northeast Utilities are all 80 percent to 90 percent ready in Massachusetts, Besser said.

State Rep. Lida Harkins said she is comfortable with utilities' Y2K readiness, but wants to hear from them after the June 30 readiness deadline.

-- Hoffmeister (hoff_meister@my-dejanews.com), April 09, 1999

Answers

Don't be fooled by this. Of course some power companies plan on operating in the year 2000. But, the only reason they plan on doing this is to provide power for the Y2K American Death Camps (Y2KADC).

-- Mr. Nugget (nugbuttet@BetterMousetrap.com), April 09, 1999.

"Besser said there is no greater likelihood that the lights will go off or the phone lines go dead on Jan. 1, 2000, than on any other night of the year."

If Besser said this, and I don't doubt it, she is a complete and utter imbecile of the most dangerous magnitude, or, more likely, she believes that we are all imbeciles in that we would even think of swallowing her lamo soothings...

all is well, back to sleep, nothing to worry about, it'll be alright on the night etc...

[snip]

"Still, Besser said, utilities are [fill in the blank here...]"

[snip]

"Something can always happen... {because of} [fill in the blank here]"

[snip]

"When something does go wrong... [fill in the GAPING blanks here, myopic ones...]

DO COME ON Hoff-baby,

Can't you do any better than regurgitate this spinmistress claptrap?

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), April 09, 1999.

Well, Andy, some are never satisfied.

The point wasn't any specifics on the state of the utilities in Massachusetts. This was obviously a PR piece. The point was the statement made, a statement that has been called for by many.

-- Hoffmeister (hoff_meister@my-dejanews.com), April 09, 1999.

"The point was the statement made, a statement that has been called for by many - OTHER SHILLS.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), April 09, 1999.

Rather general, generic, not addressing anyhting but making the state administrators "feel better" - their "confidence" is about as reliable as the DC Parks administrators who claimed there was only one beaver - observers last night found two.

Not that the report is wrong, just doesn't provide any new information, and nothing to substantiate her wishes.

-- Robert A Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (Cook.R@csaatl.com), April 09, 1999.

Andy:

Shills have been asking for this statement? Your losing me there, guy. It has been those worried about power asking for it, not industry shills.

Robert:

Like I said to Andy, the point wasn't any specifics mentioned. It was the statement made that caught my attention.

-- Hoffmeister (hoff_meister@my-dejanews.com), April 09, 1999.

Once one shill makes such a ludicrous statement - (was she pressured to do so one wonders?), the way is open for other shills to follow suit. It is absolutely beyond me that she could make such a statement, we all know that power is never guaranteed - so why say so now and then follow up with a list of pre-defined excuses for how then non-event will be handled when it goes tits-up. Some people will actually believe her. Yes the words were twisted - but at face value it comes across as a power guarantee - that was and is the specific intent. Look for more weaselly worded statements - reminds me of Clinton's finger wagging definition of sex with "that woman" - not funny when power is likely to go out in a Boston winter.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), April 09, 1999.

Hoffmeister:

You are never, ever going to satisfy a doomer like Andy. He (and his Legion of Doom friends) will always find a reason (however tenuous) to disbelieve. Many on this forum have asked utilities to make the "no guarantees, but nothing will be different" claim. Now that it is made, it is poo-pooed as a "a ludicrous statement".

Doomers like Andy drool at the thought of the end world - how dare you get in their way!

"So, of course I want to see y2k bring down the system, all over the world. I have hoped for this all of my adult life." -- Gary North

-- Y2K Pro (2@641.com), April 09, 1999.

The following list of Utility companies pay this group $75,000 annually for help in finding embedded chips. There are about 8,000 companies: these 110 may be ok (if they wern't interconnected). Are all Mass. Utilities on this list? If not, "You're Toast".

EPRI Year 2000 Embedded Systems Project Participants (Agreements Finalized and or In Process)

Revised: March 25, 1999 There are currently more than 110 companies participating. Subsidiaries of all companies listed are also participants. Alabama Electric Cooperative Kansas City Power & Light Alberta Power Ltd. (Canada) KeySpan Energy Allegheny Power System LA Dept. of Water and Power Alliant LG&E Energy Corp. Ameren Union Electric Lower Colorado River Authority American Electric Power Lucent Technologies Arizona Public Service Manitoba Hydro (Canada) Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. MidAmerican Austin Energy Minnesota Power & Light Co. Baltimore Gas & Electric Montana Power Basin Electric Power Corp. National Power Corporation (Philippines) BC Hydro (Canada) Nebraska Public Power District Bonneville Power Administration Nevada Power Company Boston Edison New England Electric System Calpine Corporation Newmont Gold Company Carolina Power & Light New York Power Authority Caribbean Consortium Niagara Mohawk Central & Southwest Northeast Utilities Central Hudson Gas & Electric Northern States Power Chevron Nuclear Electric (England) Chugach Electric Association, Inc. Omaha Public Power District Cinergy Ontario Hydro (Canada) Citizens Utilities Corp. Orange & Rockland City Public Service of San Antonio Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. CLECO PacifiCorp Commonwealth Edison PECO Energy Co. Conoco Pemex (Mexico) Consolidated Edison Potomac Electric Power Company CMS Energy Corp. Public Service Co. of New Mexico Dairyland Power Coop. Public Service Electric & Gas Dayton Power & Light Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (Puerto Rico) Delmarva Power Co. Puget Sound Energy Detroit Edison Rochester Gas & Electric Dominion Resources Sacramento Municipal Utility District Duke Energy Salt River Project Duquesne Light Company SASK Power (Canada) East Kentucky Power Coop. Seattle City Light Edmonton Power (Canada) Sempra Energy Electricitii de France Shell Oil Co. El Paso Electric Company Sierra Pacific Power Company Empire District Electric Co. Singapore Power (Singapore) Enbridge (IPL) Sithe Energies, Inc. Enmax Corp. (Canada) South Carolina Electric & Gas Enron Southern California Edison Entergy Southern Company Eskom (So. Africa) Southern Indiana Gas & Electric FirstEnergy Corp. Taiwan Power Company (Taiwan) Florida Power Corp. Tennessee Valley Authority Florida Power & Light Texaco Georgia Transmission Texas Utilities Electric Company GPU Generation, Inc. Tokyo Electric Power Company (Japan) Hongkong Electric Holdings Ltd. (China) Trans Alta (Canada) Houston Industries Tri-State G&T Illinois Power Company Washington Public Power Supply Indianapolis Power & Light Western Area Power Administration Intercsnexion Elictrica S. A. (Columbia) Western Power Corporation (Australia) InterGen Energy, Inc. Western Resources Israel Electric (Israel) Wisconsin Electric Power IVO (Finland) Wisconsin Public Service Corp.

-- Jon Johnson (narnia4@usa.net), April 09, 1999.

hoff,

let me suggest a different take on this: if massachussetts can do this, why can't everyone? this proves it's time to stop hiding behind "lawyers won't let us tell how great everything is" stuff, doesn't it?

another interpretation (which, i rush to say, i am completely making up, without evidence) is that this state contains more "simple" power plants, with lower technology, and therefore has few problems to start with. on top of this, those plants which contain more complex, y2k-prone difficulties, got started early enough to deal with whatever needed to be taken care of. therefore, mass could legitimately make this claim. it would, however, mean *nothing* relative to other states.

fwiw, in my rather wide-ranging contacts in the utility industry across the country, i have heard nothing negative from mass. other states, yes, but not this one.

-- Drew Parkhill/CBN News (y2k@cbn.org), April 09, 1999.

Drew,

'Appreciate your input (I also know the secret of why you type in lower case!). It's been said that much of Y2K is about location, location, location. Would you be willing to share with us some more specific info (problem areas or not) about specific states? Thanks!

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), April 09, 1999.

vid,

i can't discuss the states; i don't feel i should. i don't want to violate any confidentiality.

why do you think i type in lower case? :) incidentally, were you going to send me some e-mail? if you did, i didn't get it.

-- Drew Parkhill/CBN News (y2k@cbn.org), April 09, 1999.

Drew,

I understand confidentiality. However, do you forsee a time when your reporting with regard to utilities will become more specific?

As for lower case--if you typed the way you normally typed at work, people would think you were SHOUTING! Yes?

:)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), April 09, 1999.

I live in a small jerk-water town where we buy our electric power from a system out of Anchorage ,Ak. A couple of months ago there were newspaper stories about everything was checked out and ok for y2k.

-- Capt D. (capt.d@northcountry.net), April 09, 1999.

I live in a small jerk-water town where we buy our electric power from a system out of Anchorage ,Ak. A couple of months ago there were newspaper stories about everything was checked out and ok for y2k. A couple of weeks ago I noticed a new diesel generator and fuel tanks being set up between the fire house and city hall. Then I drove out to where the towns emergency generator sits , to find a new tank farm going up. So I guess our city fathers dont put to much faith in the utility providers either. Sometimes its nice to be surounded be GI's.

-- Capt D. (capt.d@northcountry.net), April 09, 1999.

Mr. Parkhill,

Several power companies have publicly made statements similar to this one. Do some research! Maybe your problem is you hang out here too much (not that I don't :)) __________________________

Mr. Nugget, I nominate you as the new king of the doombrood with this statement:

"Don't be fooled by this. Of course some power companies plan on operating in the year 2000. But, the only reason they plan on doing this is to provide power for the Y2K American Death Camps (Y2KADC). "

What the hell planet are you on?

-- Doomslayer (1@2.3), April 09, 1999.

FM,

actually, the real reason i type in lower case is cuz i'm too lazy to use the shift key unless i have to. either that or it just slows me down, & i'm normally a fairly fast typist. seriously, though, i've done it for nearly 20 years now that i think about it.

as far as the utility companies situation goes... i really can't say at this point.

doom,

i know several companies have made such proclamations. i didn't mean to imply i thought otherwise. i have posted many of these announcements on our site (like southern cal ed's last friday). "do some research!" - ? what, 3-4,000 hours in y2k doesn't count?

-- Drew Parkhill/CBN News (y2k@cbn.org), April 09, 1999.

As a Massachusetts resident, I would point out that THE most important electric utility in this state, Boston Edison Company, isn't mentioned in the article. As of January, Edison has refused to share its status with either the business community or the major rags, for liability reasons. I don't have any reason to believe that Edison is behind the others, but the arrogance is overwhelming when residents and businesses have to decide what contingency plans are appropriate for them.

Second, we are home of Congressman Ed Markey who is doing his best to shut down the nukes (wish he would put that effort to work on the other utilities).

Third, notice the general contingency plan of the MA utilities to shy away from natural gas where possible.

And my usual lament that our braindead state Y2K coordinator doesn't believe that contingency planning is appropriate.

All in all, nothing in this announcement that makes me regret the installation of a wood stove to back up my natural gas furnace.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), April 09, 1999.

brooks,

are you aware of the upcoming public debate in boston over y2k & electric power? i believe rick cowles & lou marcoccio (gartner) are both going to be there, along with various others. i wanted to make it, but can't.

-- Drew Parkhill/CBN News (y2k@cbn.org), April 09, 1999.

Drew,

Do you think they'll be media there (at that debate)? Print or electronic or both?

Thanks!

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), April 09, 1999.

My mother in law lives in Seekonk Mass, and said a while back when part of New York lost power, she lost power. They're also connected to a power grid in Canada.Anythings possible. She's not worried. People of her generation have lived through alot and have celars full of food, and supplys. Last year she went home to a no clean water situation due to flooding. She was fine about it, (Has bottled water in her celar,) but her daughter was upset. Still hasn't caught on to Moms emergency preparedness.

-- Justin Case (justin case@Aloha.com), April 09, 1999.

fm,

yep, media will be there. in fact, the plan is to have a special time for media after the public debate portion of the program is over. or at least, that's my understanding.

-- drew parkhill/cbn news (y2k@cbn.org), April 09, 1999.

"Doomers like Andy drool at the thought of the end world - how dare you get in their way!"

Y2K pro you chickenshit asshole, come out from behind your hole. It's precisely because I DON'T want an Infomagic that I take the trouble to post as those who know me on this forum will verify.

Cheap shot and one that does you a disservice Sir.

FWIW I will be working at a major data centre at rollover - what will YOU be doing? No don't bother replying, from previous posts the most you will probably be mustering is loading a Win 98 fix on your 386 and writing out a cheque to Billy Boy.

Maroon.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), April 09, 1999.

Thanks Drew, wasn't aware of the Boston debate. Can you give me any details (where, when, etc)? Thanks.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), April 09, 1999.

it's wednesday night, april 21, 7 to 9 pm. the rest of the stuff i'll have to get monday. i'll send myself a reminder to get the info & post it in a separate thread here.

-- drew (y2k@cbn.org), April 09, 1999.

To Hoff, drew et al.

Read and digest the chilling information provided at this link by faith and the y2k oil refinery interview.

Now tell me what is wrong with the statement of compliance in Boston.

Get a grip guys.

Link at

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000hbh

-- Andrei-hung-lo (2000EOD@prodigy.net), April 10, 1999.

I met with a representative of our local power company "PacifiCorp." She said that their testing had surfaced very few embedded chip problems, except in meters, switching stations and desktop computers. She explained that this is because "all their field systems care about is measuring power, not dates." According to her, their hydoelectric operations don't even have computer chips. She assured me that they will be finished replacing errant systems well before July. I did, in fact, notice a PacifiCorp truck replacing something on a pole nearby. This, of course, could not be related to the subsequent short power outages that lasted throughout the week, culminating in a 5 hour power outage last weekend. Lord, I do hope PacifiCorp's engineers are better informed than she was.

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), April 10, 1999.