'Power grid in grip of testing paralysis
WHETHER the electricity remains on after January 1, 2000, is the big unknown of the millennium
computer glitch, says power industry consultant John Catterall.
The West Australian manager for Infrastructure Control Systems, Mr Catterall says if the computers
controlling the electricity grid fail, the consequences could be nothing short of catastrophic.
Yet, to date, the electricity industry has been reluctant to test for the problem.
"It's the most important aspect of year 2000 compliance. If the electricity doesn't make it, and we
have significant problems in the electricity industry, all the work being done elsewhere will have been
a waste of time," he says.
...
But Mr Catterall warns that time is running out. With summer and winter as peak load times, the only
period of the year with adequate excess capacity to allow power stations to shut down, and back-up
grid control systems to operate, are spring and autumn.
"Time is running out and there still is no co-ordinated plan to get the generation aspects of year 2000
certified," he says.
....
Power stations are "chock-a-block" full of embedded systems, that is, silicon chips that control
electricity production that could be affected by the millennium bug.
He says he knows of only one power station that has been tested for millennium bug compliance by
winding the date forward to year 2000. That was in Britain and the power station failed.
theaustralian.com.au |
