Recently, representatives of these industries came together to collaborate on Y2K-related readiness efforts in an environment of candor, hard work and collaboration. In the event of a temporary malfunction, natural gas utilities have been working on detailed preparedness plans to continue supplying natural gas to their customers. In addition, many of the functions that are controlled by computerized equipment or embedded chips can be handled manually. Most natural gas utilities have more than one natural gas supplier. Also, unlike electricity, natural gas can be stored.
Many utilities can store several days supply in underground storage tanks and in pipelines.
The natural gas industry takes seriously its responsibility to deliver safe and reliable natural gas service to about 60 million customers, including homes, businesses, manufacturing facilities and electric power generation plants. The natural gas industry s top priority is to see that natural gas continues to flow safely and reliably on and after January 1, 2000. The entire natural gas industry is working hard to be Y2K ready by the end of this year and most natural gas companies are in the final stages of their Y2K repair programs. Separately, a Merrill Lynch survey of Y2K disclosures filed with the SEC concluded that investor-owned natural gas utilities will be Y2K ready before the end of the year. For the most part, business systems refer to both the computers and the software that gas companies use to run their accounting, personnel and delivery operations.