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"Fizzle is good ... dull is good," U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson observed today about the energy sectors' smooth transitions into 2000. "Our goal was for a simple, uneventful, uncomplicated changeover, and we achieved that. Despite doomsday predictions by some, the lights stayed on and energy supplies kept flowing."

The U.S. electricity, natural gas and oil industries spent an estimated $5 billion in Y2K remediation and rapid response systems -- an investment Richardson said was money well spent. "The fact the fire department didn't have to put out any fires this weekend doesn't mean we shouldn't have a fire department," Richardson noted. "I believe the American people are happy and positively surprised that things are going so well."

Richardson stressed that the Energy Department will continue to monitor the situation in the days ahead, as the holiday weekend ends and business returns to its normal level of intensity. "Every indication we have, however, is that America's energy systems are ready. We believe that any Y2K-related glitches will be minor -- again, because we prepared."

The U.S. and international community seem to have entered the new millennium with their energy infrastructures in good shape, Richardson said. "We have safer, more efficient and more reliable electricity, natural gas and oil supply and delivery systems because of the joint efforts of the U.S. Department of Energy and the private energy sectors in preparing for Y2K."

Secretary Richardson pointed to four direct energy related benefits that have resulted from Y2K preparations:

• Some electric and natural gas utility systems contained equipment and computer chips that required Y2K remediation. If these fixes had not been made, millions of Americans potentially could have lost heat and power.

• If preventive Y2K measures had not been taken, there could have been numerous glitches in world oil supply systems that could have combined to disrupt global oil supplies.

• Because of Y2K preparations, the nation's utility industries and the federal government are now better able to coordinate in a manner that will serve the nation well in improving reliability and preventing future disruptions in service.

• The Energy Department has enhanced its internal procedures for the utilization of the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve in the event of a future oil supply disruption.

Richardson also praised the strong international cooperation. The Energy Department maintained constant communications with the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy. He and his Russian counterpart, Minister Adamov, spoke directly several times via video conference.

"The U.S. government and American industry were very well prepared for Y2K," Richardson said. "We have been confident for some time that the rollover here would go smoothly; the fact that things went so well throughout the world was an added bonus."

Richardson concluded, "We've learned when government agencies work cooperatively, and when government, industry and the American public work together, we get very positive results. We've also learned that when you're open and candid with the public, they know what to do. The public and the news media exercised very good judgment in handling this situation. There was no hoarding. People prepared in a reasonable way. If we were to face some serious threat to our infrastructure down the road, our experience this weekend will serve us well."

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