January 12, 1999: Y2k Power Grid Problems - Stuart Rodman

Art Bell welcomes Stuart Rodman, a researcher who has studied the North American Electric Reliability Council's assessment of Y2K vulnerabilities in the continental power grid. Rodman explains that the real threat lies not in computers, which handle mostly billing functions, but in automated embedded chips found in voltage regulators, digital surge protectors, circuit breakers, and relay switches scattered throughout the infrastructure. Many of these mission-critical components were built without human-accessible controls and may contain date-sensitive chips that have never been tested.

Rodman introduces the concept of a common mode failure, the nightmare scenario in which identical components from the same manufacturer fail simultaneously across multiple regions, defeating the grid's built-in sector isolation. He reveals that NERC's official plan calls for operating the grid in a precautionary mode during a critical transition period around the year 2000 rollover, reducing power transfers between utilities and bringing older generation equipment online as backup.

Art presses Rodman on whether January 1, 2000 will be a good day or a bad day. Rodman answers that it depends on where you live, noting that midwinter weather emergencies could compound any technical failures. Callers share early Y2K glitches already surfacing, including Social Security phone outages and taxi meter failures in Singapore.