If Y2K glitches cause power plants to shut down, is it possible to override the systems and fire up a plant manually? If we're in, say, the third week of a black out (damn cold here in Conn. mid-Jan.) and the president declares a state of emergency and orders the utilities to do whatever it takes to get back on line, is it even possible? Will the plant managers have to reply, "Sorry, Chief, no can do"?

-- Anonymous, June 10, 1998

Answers

Bill has asked:

"If Y2K glitches cause power plants to shut down, is it possible to override the systems and fire up a plant manually?"

It is our understanding that the majority of large Power Facilities no longer have this "Manual" option.

"If we're in, say, the third week of a black out (damn cold here in Conn. mid-Jan.)"

Being from Mass., at one time I can appreciate your question.

"and the president declares a state of emergency and orders the utilities to do whatever it takes to get back on line"

It is quite possible that we will see this "State of Emergency", Country wide sometime prior to the Grid emergency.

"is it even possible? Will the plant managers have to reply, "Sorry, Chief, no can do"?

Very possible.

This is why, Sen. Bennett has targeted the areas of Power and Water to be priorety in his committee.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 1998

I spoke with a fellow tecnician today at length about our abillity to run the steam plants manually here in California. He responded to my query with "Yes it could be done, however it would require ALL HANDS and they would start droping like flies from fatigue after a couple of days". There would be the need for AQMD leaniancy because the efficiancy of automation would be out the window lots of black smoke and wasted heat.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 1998

Declare a state of emergency? Are you kidding? We have been (technically) in a state of emergency since WW2. Presidents have been signing those "Executive Orders" left and right since then. It is so ironic to read that "the Line Item veto was knocked down in order to preserve the balance of powers". Total crap!!!

For complete details on the Executive Orders pertaining to the Y2K problem, be sure to check out http://www.y2knet.com/news/98-5/crisis.htm

I want to encourage all to be a MAJOR thorn in the ass of your public utilities. Constantly bug your state senators and reps to have public forums (aka Town Hall Meetings) on a monthly basis in order to get the truth out of YOUR public utilities.

I attended a Town Hall meeting in a suburb of Detroit (Davisburg) on June 26, and it was interesting to say the least. There was a person from my utility there (Detroit Edison). She spoke about electric outages and essentially said that we are always on the verge of a power outage. Also, that our power grid was strained excessively in May of this year when a storm hit North Carolina. When she got through speaking, I spoke.

I said 'with most utilities around the country, we are walking a fine line between having just enough power and having a power outage. Scheduled maintenance on a power plant must be done very carefully in off-peak seasons in order to prevent an outage. I also said that after having seen their website and the presentation that she just did, I was absolutely terrified because I could not see that the company was taking seriously the Year 2000 problem. She said she did know a little bit about that problem, and the name of the person who is working on it. But, she said, she had not prepared to talk about it. I made it very clear, that she certainly should have been. And I pointed out that every time that I talk to someone at Detroit Edison they give me different information on where they are at with the correction of the Y2K problem.

For instance, here are the different answers that I have received: First, in early June, I called up Detroit Edison and asked if they had fixed the problem. They said "Yes. The problem is fixed". So, I asked for them to send me that in writing. Then, they sent me a form letter stating that their goal is "to begin testing their mission critical systems by the beginning of 1999".(By the way, my goal is to be a billionaire by the beginning of 1999). Right after I mentioned this, the "Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response" at Detroit Edison, Leon Niebrzydowski, told me that they are "essentially finished with their repair and ready to begin testing". And I told him, that last April, John Lobbia, Chairman and CEO of Detroit Edison, in a speech before the Financial Analyst of Detroit said, "One of the challenges in the core business is to address Year 2000 issues. While we have worked diligently on this for some time, we continue to find new issues. We should complete information system work in early 1999. The more difficult Y2K issues for us are process control systems and hardware. We are in the middle of intensive testing and should have better answers by the middle of this year...Costs are currently estimated to be in the $35 to $50 million range". I made it clear to the presenter that I wanted a presentation of the current state of the Y2K project at the next scheduled meeting on July 9th. I also stated that I wanted an ongoing monthly forum on this issue (that has not yet been granted). The Michigan Senator hosting the event agreed on the Y2K update on July 9th.

Then, the Director for Oakland County's Emergency Management Dept stood up and gave a canned speech on something (quite boring). When she finished, I asked "What are your contingency plans for the Year 2000 if there is no water, no food, no heat, no telecommunications, no transportation, and etc.?" She said that "we would move you and your family to a shelter (warehouse) and provide those needs for you". She misunderstood the question, so the Senator had to explain it to her. She said that her department has not discussed that in detail. The Senator told her to have something on this for the meeting on July 9th in White Lake, MI. The Senator also said "she'll have her job for at least another week" (laughing).

After the meeting, I spoke with the Senator. I gave him the address to Dr. Yardeni's site and I made it clear that we are in the 11th hour on this problem and we must do whatever it takes to solve it, even if it means drafting the necessary people to do it. I also stressed the need to have media at the next meeting in White Lake.

In case someone from Detroit reads this before July 9th, PLEASE ATTEND THE TOWN HALL MEETING ON 7/9/98 CONCERNING Y2K. It will be located at White Lake Township Hall, 7525 Highland Road, White Lake, MI 48383 at 8am. Questions? Contact: Joelle Demand, Senator Dunaskiss' office (517)373-2417 or Sharon Harris, Rep. David Galloways office (517)373-2616

P.S. Great forum / website !!

-- Anonymous, June 29, 1998