Jan.1, 2000

CONTACT: Leslie Peterson

720-962-7052 peterson@wapa.gov

To ensure normal operations, nearly 450 Western employees staffed more than 90 facilities across 15 states.

"While we are not surprised by the outcome of the rollover, we certainly are pleased," noted Western Administrator Mike Hacskaylo. "It is gratifying to see the hard work of hundreds of people over the past three years has paid off."

As the rollover passed through the Central, Mountain and Pacific time zones, Western rollover coordinators and its Y2K Coordination Center in Lakewood, Colo., kept in constant contact monitoring events in their regions and around the world. In addition to monitoring, the rollover staffs submitted technical operations data to the North American Electric Reliability Council and filed summary status reports to the Department of Energy. This information was then compiled at the President's Information Coordination Center and used to brief the nation on the country's status during the rollover.

"I'm happy to say this has been one of dullest, and longest, News Years I've ever experienced," commented Western's Y2K Project Manager Don Nord at 2:30 a.m. MST, Jan 1. "We were all looking forward to a non-event, and I'm glad to say, that is precisely what we got."

"Instead of being a disaster, the Y2K transition has strengthened this agency," said Hacskaylo, who was also on-site at Western's Y2K Coordination Center. He further noted, "Western is better prepared to handle any emergency than it ever has been. It's a great way to start a new century and a new millennium."

Western Area Power Administration annually markets and transmits more than 10,000 megawatts of power from hydroelectric powerplants owned and operated by the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 15 central and Western states.