News from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission

Jim Palmer, Director of Information

April 21, 2000

(OKLAHOMA CITY)—What started for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission in November of 1997 came to an official end this week when the Commission voted to close the Y2K causes with a final status report. Two and a half years ago the Commission began surveying all regulated water, gas, electric and telecommunications utilities in the state to assess the extent of Y2K readiness. Guidelines were established and quarterly reports were compiled to provide public information on the status of utility preparedness. All of the work was designed to make sure there would be a minimum of Y2K, utility service interruptions in the lives of Oklahomans.

The Commission inquired into utility preparedness for both the year 2000 and the leap year transitions. The detailed description of the Y2K plans of facilities-based utility companies operating in the state helped encourage further readiness and provided a single base of public information on Y2K. This information was shared with Oklahomans statewide through the Commission’s internet web site, regular news releases and the commission’s weekly radio program and monthly TV show.

In an effort to remain informed on relevant Y2K issues, Commission staff continued to monitor national Y2K web sites, particpated in the Governor’s Y2K Task Force and web site, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissions (NARUC) Ad Hoc Y2K Task Force along with continuous reviews from other states and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Commission staff also engaged in a Sapulpa town meeting, a Tinker Air Force Base Partnership Forum and a presentation to the Office of Emergency Management Contingency Workshop at OU.

The last status report in response to letters from the Commissioners was at the end of last September. Phone calls from staff resulted in 100% compliance by December 15. Final status reports were submitted in January prior to the leap year event.

The facility-based utilities all reported Y2K readiness including all 34 electric companies, all 12 gas companies, all 44 incumbent local exchange telephone companies, all 8 interexchange telephone companies, all 6 competitive local telephone exchange companies. The water companies regulated by the Commission are small and manually operated so Y2K problems were not anticipated as long as they continued to receive electricity.

(continued)

page 2, "close Y2K causes"

The Commission assessed the utility groups as they had the greatest impact on Oklahoma customers due to their ownership of facilities and their operation of supply and delivery networks.

-occ-