Y2K bug won't affect power supply: PLN

JAKARTA (JP): State electricity company PT PLN declared on Wednesday Y2K readiness and assured the public that there would be no power failures at the turn of the millennium.

PLN president Adhi Satrya said power distribution across the country, as well as electricity billing systems, would not be affected by the millennium bug.

"The public can conduct their business as usual," Adhi said during a ceremony announcing PLN's Y2K compliance at the PLN Java-Bali power transmission unit in Cinere, South Jakarta.

The company began preparing for the millennium bug in 1997, and involved a three-year period of planning, testing and remediations on its computer systems. It has invested Rp 33.7 billion (US$4.8 million) in the program.

PLN placed priorities on systems affecting power supply and billing systems, Adhi said.

Systems deemed critical included power plants controllers, transmission and distribution controllers, billing processing computers and other support systems vital for PLN's operation.

Although only 3.8 percent of equipment at PLN's power units was exposed to the possible threat of the millennium bug, that equipment generated almost 60 percent of PLN's total installed capacity of 20,884 megawatts, he said.

PLN had upgraded 6,300 personal computers, 72 mini computers and eight mainframes, working with different firms issuing their own Y2K certification for their products, he said.

PLN's four independent power producers and Pertamina, the state company which supplied gas and geothermal energy, were also Y2K compliant, he said.

The millennium, or Y2K, bug refers to the inability of some computers to read the year 2000 and may revert to 1900, causing widespread havoc.

Adhi said PLN had established Y2K posts at all their power units. Besides informing the public about PLN's Y2K preparations, the posts would provide the public with assistance on power problems during the turn to the year 2000.

On New Year's Eve, all PLN directors would be on standby at several Y2K posts to anticipate the millennium bug.

"I'll be spending New Year's Eve at the Y2K central post," Adhi said, referring to the facility at PLN's head office on Jl. Trunojoyo in South Jakarta.

Before a small group of some 30 invitees, PLN ran a Y2K simulation on Wednesday morning, switching the date on the computer system to Dec. 31, and the time to just before 00 a.m.

When the clock in the control room showed 00 a.m, there were no disturbances in the transmission of electricity for Java and Bali.

Asked how PLN could guarantee consumers an uninterrupted power supply, Adhi said the company had policies to handle power failures, regardless of the cause.

PLN has also prepared several contingency plans should the millennium bug affect power supplies on Dec. 31.

Zulkifli, an official at PLN's Y2K central post, said PLN would activate its backup control, a device separate from the main computer systems, to prevent power failures. A second scenario would see the company switching to manual operations.

To anticipate a power outage, PLN would raise the reserve power supply in all its units. (03)