From the euy2k newsroom, and The San Jose Mercury News:

BY STEVE JOHNSON Mercury News Staff Writer

The lights probably will stay on in the Bay Area come Jan. 1.

Then again, who knows for sure?

That's the gist of Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s assessment of its ability to withstand the year 2000 computer problem in its most recent report on the subject to the California Public Utilities Commission.

On the positive side, PG&E officials concluded that with a few minor exceptions, ``we anticipate that our mission-critical systems will be year 2000 ready'' sometime between July 1 and September.

``However, because achieving year 2000 readiness is subject to various risks and uncertainties, we are not able to make . . . guarantees,'' the officials added. ``Unlike a natural occurrence such as a storm, the year 2000 problem is a unique event without precedent, which makes predictions about the potential impact of not resolving the problem difficult.''

One reason for the company's hesitancy, it noted, was that ``we have yet to receive responses'' from some of PG&E's critical suppliers about their own readiness.

Many people fear that the so-called Y2K problem could disable a wide range of older electronic equipment, including some operated by public utilities, because their computerized parts record dates entries with only the last two digits of the year. If uncorrected, such systems could treat 2000 as 1900, generating errors or system failures.

PG&E reported that it has been working to update its equipment since 1996 and that, as of the first of the year, it had 192 employees assigned to the problem. It estimated the overall cost of the work, when completed, at $107 million. But in an interview, PG&E vice president and chief information officer George Orlov said he now believes ``it's going to be less than that,'' although he wasn't able to provide a more accurate figure.

PG&E's state of preparedness appears to be typical among California's utility companies, according to Brian Schumacher, a commission official who has been reviewing Y2K reports from around state. ``None of them, as far as I know, are ready now,'' he said. However, ``essentially all of them are on schedule to be ready midyear.''

-- regular (zzz@z.z), May 11, 1999

Answers

Wrote to PG&E last week asking them if an independent OUTSIDE audit of their Y2K compliance works has taken place and what the results were. Haven't heard anything thus far. Will post PG&E's reply when and if it comes.

-- Brian E. Smith (besmith@mail.arc.nasa.gov), May 11, 1999.

*Sigh*

Kind'a funny, the lights flickered when I read this.

Good 'ole PG&E. Such a comfort.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), May 11, 1999.