GRISTMILL FALLS, Ohio (CNM) -- At precisely 11:59 p.m. -- in the middle of a Monday afternoon -- engineers at the Tri-County Electric Cooperative set their computer clocks forward to the last minute of 1999 and held their breath.
 |
| Engineers at Tri-County Electric watch the clock roll over during Monday's drill |
Sixty seconds later, the clocks read January 1, 2000. The turbines kept spinning, the substations hummed, and the only reported failure was a break-room coffee maker that began brewing at what it believed was 1900.
"We are as ready as anybody can be," said co-op general manager Norma Pettibone. "And we have candles. A lot of candles. The candles are not part of the official plan."
Similar drills were held Monday by utilities in 38 states, along with banks, phone companies and emergency dispatch centers. The President's Council on Year 2000 Readiness said 99.6 percent of systems tested passed, and it was "working closely with the remaining 0.4 percent, several of whom are coffee makers."
Officials urged Americans not to hoard cash or fuel. "Keep a few days of supplies, as you would for a snowstorm," said council spokesman Bert Lavalle. "Do not build a bunker. We have seen some of the bunkers. Please stop."
MAIN PAGE
