About 12,000 of its 12 million customers have phoned with Year 2000 concerns. To that end, we're in the process of developing contingency plans, things we have in place for snow storms, ice storms, etc. Meanwhile, cellular-phone companies are readying their systems to handle an influx of calls expected if traditional phones fail. Columbia's emergency plans cover problems occurring within 20,000 miles of interstate transmission pipelines and 30,000 miles of pipe connected to consumers' homes. For three days each year, the company pretends that part of the pipeline fails.
Engineers then figure out how to ship gas to the fictional problem areas.
Backup generators can support the company's main control center, a Columbus-based clearinghouse for gas flowing to industrial and residential customers and a second, emergency control center outside the city. More information about Y2K readiness likely will emerge after utilities start testing their systems. In addition to an April test of communication systems, AEP will conduct a test of power plant operations on Sept. 8 and 9, when utilities roll the clock forward to work out kinks in the system. Perhaps to prove confidence in their plans, many utility executives said they personally won't stockpile canned goods or buy bottled water. But I feel confident we'll be prepared.