Interesting link from down under on utilities. (unsure of how recent it is)
Note that the gentleman focuses on "generation" and then later on there is discussion of Y2K problems in electricity monitoring systems.
Sorry, but that kind of a "duh" from my perspective. Producing the power is based upon decades old technology.
Controlling and monitoring the distribution of said power is what worries me, rightly or wrongly.
Regards,
Ron
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theaustralian.com.au
Grid safe for 2000: power boss
By MARK HOLLANDS
8dec98
FEARS the Year 2000 problem will unplug the electricity grid could prove unfounded, according to Electricity Association of NSW executive director Michael Sinclair.
Few Y2K problems had been found that could affect electricity generation, he said.
The statement comes on the eve of the release of findings by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), which has surveyed every industry sector – including the utilities – about Y2K efforts.
The Government's Y2K Industry Program has billed the survey as "the most comprehensive national Y2K research results to date".
Y2K program chairman Maurice Newman has expressed concern about electricity companies' efforts.
Mr Sinclair said the Y2K problem had been found in equipment that monitored electricity supply.
But he said only three instances had been found in which Y2K problems affected generation, and they were on the fringes.
"There is nothing to date to show the Y2K problem will affect generation," he said.
Three electricity companies refused to comment when asked to verify Mr Sinclair's statement.
Mr Sinclair said electricity generation relied on electrical pulse-based technology, rather than microprocessors which could have an embedded Y2K problem.
"The principal use of microprocessors is in the area of monitoring," Mr Sinclair said.
At one company, only 0.5 per cent of one type of distance-protection relay was non-compliant, he said.
Twenty-six per cent of sub-stations had non-compliant distributed control modules.
Another 2 per cent of protection relays were affected, but this problem was considered cosmetic, he said.
Mr Sinclair said his member companies would have their Y2K efforts completed before the deadline.
Among the companies cited by Mr Sinclair were Australian Inland Energy, Advance, Energy Australia, Great Southern Energy, Integral Energy and North Power.
His association's figures indicated member companies had completed about 90 per cent of risk analysis.
By February, more than 70 per cent of remediation work and testing should be finished.
The companies were also on schedule to complete 80 per cent of their contingency planning by early next year.
Electricity companies around Australia have set aside more than $200 million for Y2K work.
Mr Sinclair said his members, who had a combined customer base of 2.7 million and more than $4 billion in revenues, had spent $22 million of their $85 million budget on Y2K work.
The ABS figures, which have been kept under wraps, appear unlikely to include compliance statements from the Federal Government, which has refused for the second time to reveal the progress of Y2K projects for its 37 departments and agencies.
The requests were made by the ALP frontbencher Kate Lundy, who said the Government should at least "guarantee agencies such as the Civil Aviation Authority, Tax Office and Centrelink are not going to have their systems crash on January 1, 2000".
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