Utilities `complacent' over 2000 crisis
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The heads of the privatised utilities have been accused of complacency by a government-sponsored taskforce over their response to the looming year 2000 computer crisis, writes Chris Godsmark.
Taskforce 2000, the body set up by the Department of Trade and Industry to publicise the so-called "millennium problem", wrote to the chief executives of all the utilities in November asking them what preparations their companies had made. However, only a third of the utilities bothered to reply to the letter. Robin Guenier, head of the taskforce, described the response as "extremely thin."
Industry experts have predicted chaos across the world as computer systems shut themselves down when the date changes. Most programmes can only register the last two digits of the year, so that when 2000 approaches, many will interpret the date as 1900, causing widespread and unpredictable problems. Taskforce 2000 fears that electricity supplies will be cut off in many places as fail-safe systems are automatically activated.
Though the Taskforce 2000 letter was addressed to chief executives in the utilities, only two replied in person. The rest of the responses were mostly delegated to less senior individuals. Mr Guenier said he would take up the issue up with the companies personally.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments