This is a report I recieved. It shows that while the NERC did not think 9999 would be a problem, they used that date for a drill to simulate possible Y2K problems.

Subject:

NERC September 8 - 9, 1999 Y2k Drill Initial Results

Date: Thu, 09 Sep 1999 14:43:55 -0400

From: "Jon C. Arnold" JARNOLD@eei.org

To: "EEI Public Information List for Y2K Information"

y2kpublic@ls.eei.org September 9, 1999

Electric Utilities Roll Through the 9s With No Y2k Problems

As the clocks across North America rolled past midnight into Thursday September 9, the electric power industry was at full alert in a dress rehearsal for the rollover to January 1, 2000.

The *9/9/99* date provided an excellent opportunity for the industry to practice for the transition to the year 2000 (Y2k) at the end of this year.

*9/9/99* has been described as a possible Y2k problem date due to computer systems reading the four nines *9999* as the end of a data file. Exhaustive testing by the electric industry has shown that the September 9 date would not effect electric systems, but it was a perfect time for training and practice, under realistic conditions. Initial reports from across the United States and Canada indicate that about 15,000 people participated in the drill at 400 to 500 electric utilities.

Control-center operators, power-plant operators, substation technicians, computer technicians, and many others performed their roles in the drill as they will on December 31.

The centerpiece of the drill was observing the rollover past midnight from September 8 into September 9 and closely monitoring the operations of the industry"s various control systems.

Drill participants were trained in their responsibilities and prepared to respond to any unusual conditions. As September 8 ended at midnight and September 9 began, electric systems across North America experienced five midnights

/

the Atlantic, Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific times as well as the Greenwich Mean Time rollover in Great Britain.

In addition, the drill included simulations of advanced warning from New Zealand, Australia, Europe, and other time zones in which midnight occurs earlier than in North America.

The electric industry will use lessons learned from this drill to continue improving contingency plans, training, and other preparations for the transition to the new century.

Some of the highlights and lessons learned:

No Y2k problems with the 9/9/99 date occurred, no Y2k problems were reported, and all electric systems transitioned normally into September 9, 1999.

At no time during the drill were any electric customers affected and all systems worked as planned.

The drill started early in the morning on September 8 and ran through the Greenwich Mean Time, Atlantic (Maritimes), Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Western time zones.

The exercise was ended in the early morning hours of September 9.

Initial estimates indicate about 15,000 utility personnel participated at 400 to 500 utilities and at least 1,000 substations & power plants were involved in the drill.

The drill simulated a number of Y2k contingencies:

Loss of energy management systems, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, and data communications

Use of backup control centers

The start up of black start units and implementation of restoration plans

Some systems operated with extra generating reserves on line

Communications failures and the need for backup voice systems by field, power plant and,

control area to control area contact personnel

Loss of customer load, generation, and transmission

Loss of transmission reservation and scheduling systems

Loss of computer systems

Utilities set up emergency operations centers, storm centers, customer service centers, and media information centers.

Utilities communicated with emergency management services.

A utility in the Midwest communicated with the Ameritech Emergency Operations Center by satellite.

The drill objectives were met. A summary report of this drill will be posted on the NERC web site,

http://www.nerc.com/y2k

in early October.

A copy of this press release will be available from the NERC web site Thursday morning, September 9, 1999. This site also includes other information on the electric industry's Y2k coordination program and results.

*********************

Phone 609-452-8060 ! Fax 609-452-9550 ! URL www.nerc.com

NORTH AMERICAN ELECTRIC RELIABILITY COUNCIL

Princeton Forrestal Village, 116-390 Village Boulevard, Princeton, New Jersey 08540-5731

Contact: Eugene F. Gorzelnik

efg@nerc.com

NERC is a not-for-profit industry group that works with all segments of the electric industry as well as customers *to keep the lights on* throughout North America. It does this by setting reliability standards for interconnected electric transmission system operations. NERC comprises ten Regional Reliability Councils that account for virtually all the electricity supplied in the United States, Canada, and a portion of Baja California Norte, Mexico.

END

---

Visit www.eei.org/y2k for that latest electric utility y2k information!

**This is a Year 2000 disclosure pursuant to the "Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act"**

-- Cherri (sams@brigadoon.com), September 09, 1999

Answers

**This is a Year 2000 disclosure pursuant to the "Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act"**

I'll just BET it is.... So NICE to have a SECOND "communications" drill. What a shame it had NOTHING WHATSOVER to do with power generation or delivery. (But that's not how it's painted, now is it?)

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), September 09, 1999.

They passed! We're saved! Yippee. That was a close one. Now I have to go clean the bull**it out of my keyboard

-- (rcarver@inacom.com), September 09, 1999.

Attention, please be seated in the back there, ok yea, that's good.

Thank you uh uh for being here so late. I know that many of you have had to make personal sacrificies to uh... be here tonight for the ...uh . ...uh, hey bill, what's this thing called?

Oh YEA, that's it, "The Y2K Simulation Thing."

Did everybody get a copy of our program for tonight? They're on the refreshment table in the back of the room. I'll give you some time to look it over before we start.

Remember, when any of the ten scenarios starts, all you do is call Jack on the cell phone and tell him. Everybody knows Jack. Right? ok.

OK, were flyin' now. Any questions so far........ Uh, no were out of the jelly filled ones. ....Uh, I don't know. .....I talked to Jack last week........... Uh, uh,,,,, what do you mean...Jack is on vacation?

Ok, ok ok this is just gonna be a very short simulation...

Can somebody get some more of those doughnuts???

-- no talking please (breadlines@soupkitchen.gov), September 09, 1999.

So the utilities are not only making contingency plans, they're testing those plans and practicing what to do just in case. And for this, they are mocked?

I know that practice makes perfect. To this, I can add that practice makes people who don't know what it's for, look like idiots. Personally, I'll be quite happy if I have power (or get it back very quickly) because someone learned what to do and where to be during this drill. No matter how useless some dimwits think that knowledge might be.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), September 09, 1999.

Right on, Flint.

-- Lane Core Jr. (elcore@sgi.net), September 09, 1999.

Flint,

Yes I agree, but this being pushed by the media as a grid test, and it isn't! Just like our other talk about the FAA. Jane did say phase 2, but the media said 99%, period. Why can't the media figure out what's going on? They have access to just about everything. Why, Flint??? <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), September 09, 1999.

Flint -- Agree with you and Lane 100% about the contingency planning and drilling. But this is a flagrant example of "deliberate misleading" (lying) by NERC who know perfectly how this is being reported and want it reported that way.

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), September 09, 1999.

And while we're talking about the media, what about this post from Researcher today, a member of the media:

Hi -

The spot on the FAA hearing will not air. They killed the story in the afternoon meeting. I am probably going to write something for the website now instead. Although, I am losing my will to get this stuff on our broadcast. So much work - never used. When I presented my research (quotes, IV&Vs, GAO report, etc) to the correspondent he said, "Whatever, the FAA is ready. They said so months ago."

ugh - maybe I can't change the system from within. -- Researcher (tao8@earthlink.com), September 09, 1999.

Why Flint? I'm not much of a believer in the big C theory, but somethin' just ain't right here.

" <:00=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), September 09, 1999.

You are not a Jedi yet Flint.

-- Will (sibola@hotmail.com), September 11, 1999.