Is the regional power grid ready for Y2K?
There are three main grids in the U.S. – the East, the West and Texas. City Light is one of the control areas in the western grid that includes 13 states and 31 separate control areas owned and operated by different electric utilities. The Western Systems Coordinating Council (WSCC) has developed a comprehensive Y2K contingency plan in cooperation with the region’s utilities, including City Light. The plan provides for operating the power system without disrupting electrical service should Y2K failures occur. The WSCC system is designed to handle load or generation losses at any time, and the generators in the WSCC instantly help each other when they occur. In the worst case scenario, where one or more utility areas fail, the system automatically disconnects them to localize problems. “Safety net” systems drop load at some sites to preserve the bulk transmission and generation and keep the lights on for the majority of WSCC customers. According to the North American Electric Reliabilit
