PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- PECO Energy Company (NYSE: PE) said
Y2K presented a simple yet massive problem, and the challenge was met.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990921/PELOGO )
With hundreds of employees working on New Year's Eve, PECO Energy
officials watched the roll over to the year 2000 pass without any troubles
that could have been caused by the so-called millennium bug -- the computer
glitch that may not allow equipment and programs to recognize dates after
December 31, 1999.
Computer and telecommunications specialists spent the first few hours of
the New Year putting the Company's primary business systems through another
Y2K compliance test. They too detected no problems early this morning.
"The project has been a success," said Cassandra Matthews, PECO Energy
vice president, Information Technology. "Many people worked very hard,
aggressively and meticulously preparing us for the rollover. Y2K is here and
we are all very happy."
Ken Lawrence, PECO Energy Distribution president, said, "As expected, the
lights stayed on and the gas kept flowing. We are the same today as we were
before midnight. Y2K did not stop us from reliably serving our customers. We
aim to keep doing that throughout the New Year."
Lawrence and Matthews stood together in the Company's Energy Control
Center as the clock neared midnight. It had been an uneventful, even boring
New Year's Eve thus far, a good night by utility standards. As the New Year
began, co-workers and colleagues smiled, exchanged best wishes, and expressed
thanks that all of the anticipation around Y2K ended without disruptions.
Soon after, utility officials checked operations at the region's power
plants, substations, natural gas gate stations, dispatch centers, and other
key locations for the Company. Systems were stable, everything acted
normally.
PECO Energy devoted three years to its Y2K readiness program and spent
more than $50 million. The program involved the most complete inventory of
all technology -- computer and embedded systems -- utilized across the
business, comprehensive compliance testing, and repair or replacement of
systems when necessary. More than 300 PECO Energy personnel and contractors
contributed.
Over the last year, the Company also interacted with numerous customers,
suppliers, governmental agencies and regulators to review Y2K readiness
efforts.
Additionally, the team developed extensive contingency plans for every
"what if" to maintain stable operation and reliable service if any unforeseen
problem occurred.
The Company will maintain increased staffing in operations and information
technology for the remainder of the weekend. Employees will continue to
perform compliance tests on everything from e-mail and phone systems to
critical data bases and plant monitoring systems.
Outside Limerick Generating Station in Montgomery County, Pa., where unit
two shut down automatically at 1:12 a.m. on Friday, workers will be repairing
substation equipment to allow the plant to return to full operation. A
failure occurred on the main transformer in Limerick's high-voltage
substation, which directs the plant's power output to the region's electrical
grid. Plant operators are preparing the unit for restart as substation
mechanics repair the substation transformer. The plant experienced no
operational problems and the shutdown was completed safely as designed.
Limerick Unit 2 is expected to be back producing electricity again by Monday.
PECO Energy operates 11 regional power plants, delivers electricity to
1.5 million customers, and supplies natural gas to 420,000 customers in
southeastern Pennsylvania.
CONTACT: Michael Wood of PECO Energy, 215-841-5555.
SOURCE PECO Energy Company
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Related links:
http://www.peco.com
Photo Notes:
NewsCom:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990921/PELOGO
PRN Photo Desk, 888-776-6555 or 201-369-3467
CONTACT:
Michael Wood of PECO Energy, 215-841-5555
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