From http://news.excite.com/news/pr/990503/fl-fpl-y2k-test-good

FPL's Y2K Test Is A Success; National Report Confirms Utility Readiness UNO BEACH, Fla., May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Power & Light Company employees at the Lauderdale power plant had reason to cheer the New Year early this weekend when their generating station successfully "rolled over" into the next century at full power -- the first complete unit rollover test for FPL's system.

The test also came on the heels of a positive Y2K-readiness industry status report to the federal government. FPL is about 95 percent complete with its Y2K project and expects to finish virtually all systems by the industry's June goal.

"The test at Lauderdale was one of the most comprehensive in the country," said Dennis Klinger, FPL's vice-president of information management. "It confirms our belief we can generate electricity without interruptions caused by year 2000 issues."

About two weeks ago, one of two 430-megawatt natural gas units at FPL's Lauderdale site was restarted after routine maintenance with its internal clocks already set in year 2000. After passing this Y2K startup test, the operators then rolled the clocks back to Dec. 20, 1999, allowing the unit to continue its countdown to Year 2000.

At midnight Friday (5/1), the clocks reached Jan. 1, 2000, and it was business as usual with continued full power operations.

"What is especially significant about this test is this Lauderdale unit represents one of the most technologically advanced units in FPL's fleet," said C.O. Woody, president, FPL power generation. "It has many digital microchips in equipment that could have experienced Y2K issues. This plant, along with all the other FPL generating facilities, have gone through months of evaluation and testing. All have operated successfully during critical tests."

The Lauderdale unit will continue to run in the year 2000 until next spring when the clocks will be reset to the correct calendar date during a scheduled maintenance outage. Rollovers, like Lauderdale's, will continue for the rest of FPL's fossil plants, with the entire fleet operating in 2000 well before the new millennium arrives.

As further confirmation of the U.S. electric utility Y2K readiness, the North American Electric Reliability Council reported Friday (4/30) it appeared the country's electric utilities will be ready for the year 2000 transition. NERC is a non-profit industry group that works with all electric utilities to "keep the lights on" throughout the country and is coordinating national Y2K tests among utilities, including FPL.

FPL started its Y2K project in 1995, budgeting $50 million for a comprehensive program to inventory, assess, fix and test computers and other technology systems. About 80 equivalent full-time employees are involved in the project.

"We are in the home stretch of our Y2K project, and I believe our customers will be the winners given the strong, comprehensive program FPL has had in place," said Mr. Klinger. "FPL is doing everything possible to make sure when you flip the light switch on Jan. 1, 2000, the lights will come on."

Florida Power & Light is the principal subsidiary of FPL Group, Inc. (NYSE:FPL), one of the nation's largest providers of electricity-related services with annual revenues of more than $6 billion. The company serves 3.7 million customer accounts in Florida. FPL Energy, Inc., FPL Group's U.S. and international energy generating subsidiary, is a leader in producing electricity from clean and renewable fuels. For more information on FPL's Y2K project, please see the Internet web site, www.fpl.com.

Contact: Media Relations, Duty Officer, 305-552-3888 or Investor Relations, Max Kuniansky, 561-694-4697, both of FPL Group, Inc.

-- Hoffmeister (hoff_meister@my-dejanews.com), May 03, 1999

Off?

-- Hoffmeister (hoff_meister@my-dejanews.com), May 03, 1999.

Thanks, Hoff. Good news.

FPL started its Y2K project in 1995, budgeting $50 million for a comprehensive program to inventory, assess, fix and test computers and other technology systems. About 80 equivalent full-time employees are involved in the project.

My concern is for those utilities that didn't have the foresight that FPL did.

-- regular (zzz@z.z), May 03, 1999.

At least this was a non-destructive test ;>)

LM

-- LM (latemarch@usa.net), May 03, 1999.

SO .... they have a fully remediated "Hot Spare." That is good! Now lets hope that the rest of the country follows shortly!!

-- k Stevens (kstevens@scared out of my wits.com), May 03, 1999.

Another nail in the coffin for those who are hoping for a ten.

-- Helen Wheels (helen@wheel.s), May 03, 1999.

Good news. Hope it travels fast. What's your take on the "most technologically advanced" when compared to other in teh grid. And the how does it compare with those in Europe, or Russia?

-- spun@lright (mikeymac@uswest.net), May 03, 1999.

2 or 3 years ago the only thing you could find out about Y2K problems in electricity was the work of 2 utilities. One was the utility in hawaii which ran a simulation with alarming results, the other was FPL looking into production and distribution and finding problems. What you are seeing is "the Bell Curve" scenario (don't remenber the author unfortunately). The "A" students are finishing the test early, and getting ready to hand in their papers. Somewhere behind them are the "B"s and then the "C"s who got some of it wrong. The "D"s are going to not finish all the test. Then there are the "F"s.

-- noel (ngoyette@csc.com), May 03, 1999.

Helen:

Please tell me who, exactly, is "hoping for a ten"?

-- regular (zzz@z.z), May 03, 1999.

Other than GN, that is.

-- regular (zzz@z.z), May 03, 1999.

'The Lauderdale unit will continue to run in the year 2000 until next spring when the clocks will be reset to the correct calendar date during a scheduled maintenance outage. '

Can someone explain to me how this is done without causing conflicts with other systems on the grid that are set at current date? I thought the electric grid was really sensitive to the coordination of these timing issues. Obviously, I'm not clear about how this happens...in other words, clueless.

-- Shelia (Shelia@active-stream.com), May 03, 1999.

this site has very good information regarding the grid and timing.

-- lurky lurker (e-mail?@why.would I), May 03, 1999.

This is good news, I hope they get them all fixed.

-- Nikoli Krushev (doomsday@y2000.com), May 03, 1999.

Thanks for the update, Hoff. Not to diminish the significance of this event, but over 100 other power plants have already been tested this way with success, from dozens of other utilities. Each successful test gives us in the power biz even more confidence.

Sheila, to answer your question: Numerous devices in a typical power plant have clocks in them, and these clocks operate completely independent of each other, just like your alarm clock and VCR clock do. A modernized power plant will have a "system clock" used in its distributed control system or DCS. This clock is only used for data logging and reporting functions, and will not affect the ability of the power plant to operate. That's why one plant can be "in the year 2000" while another is not. The key is to make sure the plant is synchronized to the 60 Hertz grid before it is electrically connected. Hope this helps.

-- Dan the Power Man (dgman19938@aol.com), May 03, 1999.

...And the generators on the Titanic hummed along merrily too-yet that did not stop it from sinking from that big hole in the hull that no one had the resources or time to deal with...

This "success" is just one more finger in the dyke. Give 'em an 'A' for effort though. Especially since they had the foresight to pull a 'Social Security' and start relatively early.

-- Jeremiah Jetson (laterthan@uthink.y2k), May 03, 1999.

yep. Just be sure to turn off the lights so you can go outside and see the faint glow over the horizon as Chernobyl melts down. - karen

-- karen (karen@karen.karen), May 03, 1999.

Cheers Hoff,

The buggers all are linked together - if one goes tits up it's problems for the rest.

From what I hear so far I am not conviced.

Got tesla?

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), May 04, 1999.

Andy:

Why not read one of the articles on the link that lurker posted above. Then get back to us on your "The buggers all are linked together - if one goes tits up it's problems for the rest" analysis. I thought you were ex-BA? Now you are a power plant expert as well?

-- RMS (rms_200@hotmail.com), May 04, 1999.

The problem is when Andy makes these kinds of statements (The buggers all are linked together - if one goes tits up it's problems for the rest), the other doomers will take it as fact. You know, I've see many go tango up for one reason or another and yet did see the rest have problems. New Zealand had a power outage in Aukland and I don't recall problems in the rest of the country. Hmmmmmm Andy likes to fantasize after a few beers.

-- Maria (anon@ymous.com), May 04, 1999.

RMS,

Andy is a Virtual Expert. On everything. If you don't believe it, just ask him ... but you may have to wait a moment while the RAM is paged in from disk.

-- Stephen M. Poole, CET (smpoole7@bellsouth.net), May 04, 1999.

"if one goes tits up it's problems for the rest"

This is a true statement. Here's another:

"if several go tits up it's bigger problems for the rest"

and another:

"if a significant percentage go tits up, the grid goes tits up"

and another:

"if the grid goes tits up and cannot be restarted in two weeks because of external complications due to y2k, Rome burns."

Apparently you pollys were having so much fun criticizing people's grammer you missed the press release yesterday from the French government that said they are concerned about their entire grid going down.

-- a (a@a.a), May 04, 1999.

My mistake. It was today, not yesterday:

French N-plants could be jeopardised by Y2K bug

PARIS, May 4 (Reuters) - Safety at France's network of nuclear power stations could be jeopardised by the millennium computer bug, the French Institute of Nuclear Safety (IPSN) said in a report on Tuesday.

The state organisation said nuclear power stations were threatened not just by possible failures from their own internal computer systems, but also by the prospect of problems with the general French electricity grid.

It said research showed that between 45 and 80 percent of internal systems ``could be sensitive'' to the arrival of 2000.

``Malfunctions of certain computer and automated systems at the power stations could weaken safety levels,'' the IPSN said, adding that more than 40 percent of the systems needed to be operational to guarantee short-term safety at the plants.

France relies more than any other nation on nuclear power and also supplies many of its neighbours with electricity.

-- a (a@a.a), May 04, 1999.

FPL has a successful test and good ol' Andy thinks it doesn't matter. If one is bad, there all bad. Is that the way it works Andy? I'm really just curious and needed the opinion of an expert, so I thought I would ask you. You're a trip dude! I'm dissapointed you missed the boat again...... Deano

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), May 04, 1999.

My good buddy aaaaaahhhh!!!

"if one goes tits up it's problems for the rest"

This is a true statement. Here's another:

Says who, you? Andy? Boy, I'm convinced now!

"if the grid goes tits up and cannot be restarted in two weeks because of external complications due to y2k, Rome burns."

If pigs had wings, they could fly. If you or Andy had a brain, you would be dangerous. Luckily, you just have computers!

From the Reuters report:

French N-plants could be jeopardised by Y2K bug

Safety ... could be jeopardised... by possible failures from their own internal computer systems, but also by the prospect of problems with the general French electricity grid.

... internal systems ``could be sensitive'' to the arrival of 2000.

``Malfunctions of certain computer and automated systems at the power stations could weaken safety...

Read the NERC report! There is no chance that the grid in the US is going to go down, let alone be down for 2 weeks. You are regurgitating the same trash over and over and you are just as wrong now as you were before. Find a new horse, the 'grid going down' pony is dogfood now!

-- RMS (rms_200@hotmail.com), May 04, 1999.

RMS you asshole, stick to the argument and stop setting up strawmen. Andy was discussing the interconnectedness of the grid. I cited an example where the French that were concerned with the same problem. But you, CET and maria sit back and mock poor ole Andy because he says "if one goes down it causes problems for the others". This is a true statement idiot. If you disagree, chime in at euy2k.com and dazzle them with your large cranium.

-- a (a@a.a), May 04, 1999.

Andy--

Gee ....let's just hope that one of our .... let's say, less than friendlies.... doesn't find a web page somewhere on how to make one of those graphite devices we used against the Serbs yesterday. Let's hope that we never show the weakness, that would come with a chaotic episode in our country, that would place us in a compromised position. Talk about a power outage. Whew!!! The night the lights went out in Belgrade.. But of course.... things such as that are completely out of the question. All of our "secrets" are safe from prying eyes. Right? You and I both know that the National news didn't give away enough information about devices to worry about. Right? Besides, who listens to the news anyway? By the by; just who are these unfriendlies anyway?

-- spun@lright (mikeymac@uswest.net), May 04, 1999.

Besides there is NO CHANCE of the grid in the US going down, let alone for 2 weeks... RMS said so ( :(<

-- spun@lright (mikeymac@uswest.net), May 04, 1999.

Well aaahhh, at least you are consistent. When you have nothing to say, resort to your 8th grade vocabulary.

What strawman did "I" set up? Andy is the one who said if one fails they all have problems which is NOT a true statement. Like I said, look at the link that lurker provided above or read the NERC report or both and then tell me why you think they are so tightly interconnected that they will all come tumbling down. It may be difficult for you aaaahhh because there are multi-syllable words but give it your best shot. And the grid will not fail, not because of what I said, but because of companies like FPL that are doing the work. Go ahead, do any research whatsoever and tell me that you are still convinced that widespread power outages in the US are a realisitic concern. Show me any single piece of evidence that would lead anyone to believe thatyour grid down for 2 weeks scenario has any realistic chance of happening!

-- RMS (rms_200@hotmail.com), May 04, 1999.

RMS - fool that you are,

I lived in San Francisco recently when a mouse walked across a wire that blew the system to shreds for the best part of a day.

Do you know what happened in NYC when the lights went out?

The jury is still out on this one friend - check out the Rick Cowles forum, PUHLEEEZE do a little research before bad-mouthing me.

Let me state this quite plainly.

I DON"T WANT THE GRID TO GO DOWN.

Or Banks.

Or society.

I'm selfish. I'm having WAY too much fun now. I have plans. Women are lining up for me :) etc.

However, my gut feeling, based on internal and external stimulae, is that we are heading for a cliff.

That's all.

BTW Germany (The Ruhr) relies on FOF Russia for 40% of it's power. Think about it, maroons.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), May 04, 1999.

A,

This merely confirms that the French have just as many clueless people writing about power plants as we do.

-- Stephen M. Poole, CET (smpoole7@bellsouth.net), May 05, 1999.

What a lot of Pollyanna CRAP there is on this thread. These Pollys are a real laugh! There is some funny stuff on this thread!

-- Amused (amused@laughing.com), May 05, 1999.