T&D World - September 2024

NO BURN-THROUGH CHAMPION DUCT® ELBOWS

SOLVE PROJECT CHALLENGES

No burn-through eliminates elbow repairs

Lower material and installation costs

Fault resistance makes repairing cables easy

Durable and corrosion-resistant for project longevity

Champion Duct® Electrical Conduit Elbow

Discover new ideas and connect with industry leaders

The Power Grid 2024 Summit focuses on power grid modernization, optimization, and digitalization, while addressing safety and reliability in a rapidly evolving energy landscape. This three-day event brings together industry leaders for insightful discussions, featuring top electrical testing and transformer specialists. Attendees will explore the latest advancements, insights, and strategies shaping the industry through presentations from esteemed speakers. Join us for an electrifying journey of learning and discovery!

Attendees will receive the following

NETA Continuing Technical Development Credits (CTDs)

Access to all sessions

Access to the exhibition area

Lunch and coffee breaks

Interaction with industry leaders

Conference material

Attendance certificate

Scan here to learn more

From material-handling equipment and aerial-work platforms to backup power generation and complete tools solutions, we’ve got the equipment you need for your power project. Planned and unplanned outages, transmission lines or substation construction projects, we’re there for you. Call 800.UR.RENTS or visit UnitedRentals.com/Power

New on tdworld.com

Utility Business: Steel Maker to Build Transformers in West Virginia

Cleveland-Cliffs will convert a section of an idled plant with an eye to starting production in two years. https://tdworld.com/55127726

Electrification:

How Distributed Intelligence Can Address the Electric Vehicle Charging Challenge

Utilities are tasked with ensuring the grid can accommodate the energy demand of charging millions of vehicles; however, traditional approaches, such as expanding grid infrastructure, are by themselves, no longer sufficient. https://tdworld.com/55093724

Utility Business: NextEra CEO on Possible IRA Credits Turmoil: ‘We Feel Good About Where Things Stand’

Group Editorial Director Nikki Chandler nchandler@endeavorb2b.com

Managing Editor Jeff Postelwait jpostelwait@endeavorb2b.com

Senior Editor Christina Marsh cmarsh@endeavorb2b.com

Associate Editor Ryan Baker rbaker@endeavorb2b.com

Art Director Susan Lakin slakin@endeavorb2b.com

Field Editor Amy Fischbach EOUeditor@endeavorb2b.com

Technical Writer Gene Wolf GW_Engr@msn.com

Community Editor Rich Maxwell tdwmediapartners@gmail.com

Senior Editor-at-Large Geert de Lombaerde gdelombaerde@endeavorb2b.com

VP, Market Leader, Energy Diana Smith dsmith@endeavorb2b.com

Director, Business Development Steve Lach slach@endeavorb2b.com

VP, Customer Marketing Angie Gates agates@endeavorb2b.com

Senior Production Operations Manager Greg Araujo garaujo@endeavorb2b.com

Ad Services Manager Shirley Gamboa sgamboa@endeavorb2b.com

Audience Marketing Manager Sonja Trent strent@endeavorb2b.com

Audience Development Manager James Marinaccio jmarinaccio@endeavorb2b.com

Endeavor Business Media, LLC

CEO: Chris Ferrell

President: June Griffin

COO: Patrick Rains

CRO: Paul Andrews

Chief Digital Officer: Jacquie Niemiec

Chief Administrative and Legal Officer: Tracy Kane

EVP Endeavor Business Intelligence: Paul Mattioli

EVP Industrial and Energy Group: Mike Christian

T&D World (USPS Permit 795-660, ISSN 1087-0849 print, ISSN 2771-6651 online) is published monthly by Endeavor Business Media, LLC. 201 N Main St 5th Floor, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Atkinson, WI, and additional mailing offices. Canadian GST #R126431964.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to T&D World, PO Box 3257, Northbrook, IL 60065-3257.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Publisher reserves the right to reject non-qualified subscriptions. Subscription prices: U.S. ($137.50); Canada/Mexico ($170.00); All other countries ($210.00). All subscriptions are payable in U.S. funds.

Send subscription inquiries to T&DWorld, PO Box 3257, Northbrook, IL 60065-3257. Customer service can be reached toll-free at 877-382-9187 or at tdworld@omeda. com for magazine subscription assistance or questions.

REPRINTS: To purchase custom reprints or e-prints of articles appearing in this publication, contact Reprints@endeavorb2b.com

PHOTOCOPIES: Authorization to photocopy articles for internal corporate, personal or instructional use may be obtained from the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) at 978-750-8400. Obtain further information at copyright.com

PRIVACY POLICY: Your privacy is a priority to us. For a detailed policy statement about privacy and information dissemination practices related to Endeavor products, please visit our website at www.endeavorbusinessmedia.com

CORPORATE OFFICE: Endeavor Business Media, LLC, 30 Burton Hills Blvd, Ste. 185., Nashville, TN 37215, U.S.; www.endeavorbusinessmedia.com.

© Copyright 2024 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

BE AUSE SAFETY IS OUR NUMBER ONE ORE VALUE, TRAINING IS ESSENTIAL AND REQUIRES ON-GOING SAFETY EDUCATION. OUR CREWS ARE TRAINED TO PROBLEM SOLVE AS A TEAM, RESPOND TO DISASTER, CLEAR THE WAYS TO RELIABLE ELECTRIC SERVICE, AND TO PROMOTE A CULTURE OF TEAMWORK AND SAFETY.

NIKKI CHANDLER

Fall Fun and Safety

The International Lineman’s Rodeo and Exhibition takes place in my region each year and has truly become a fall tradition for my work family, as well as my immediate family. As we prepare to move all three of our children to college this year, I have found myself reminiscing about their childhood and realized I am thankful for the experiences my job at T&D World has given us.

Just like pumpkin patches and fall festivals, my children grew up going out to the rodeo grounds each year and marveling at the lineworkers at the top of the poles working quickly and safely on several different types of tasks. My two boys and girl have gone up in the Altec bucket truck, jumped in the bouncy houses, and even climbed a mini-pole one year they had set up just for kids.

I remember my first time ever attending an International Lineman’s Rodeo and Exhibition, I was so taken with the brotherhood and pride that all the competitors, judges and families had for what they do. It seems to really be a calling for most of them, and it made me proud to be part of a media brand that recognizes and serves this part of the power delivery industry. When I came back to T&D World after taking a hiatus with a different brand in the late ‘90s, the magazine featured an Electric Utility Operations special section, put together by our Field Editor Amy Fischbach, dedicated to celebrating the line trade and the men and women who keep the lights on. As digital content became more prevalent, we launched an enewsletter covering the life and work of lineworkers: Lineman Life. And now we have a weekly podcast called Line Life in which you will hear from people who are in the skies and in the trenches.

But as much “fun” as it has been for my family and me to be entertained by the rodeo competition and children’s area, there is always the realization that this is a dangerous job. It’s not an undercurrent of a feeling; it’s front and center, with safety being the #1 priority at the event. The International Lineman’s Rodeo Association starts the week with a safety conference where you will hear the sad and scary stories of accidents, but also stories of triumph. Each rodeo event has safety as part of the points evaluation.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2021, “electrical powerline installers and repairers” came in as the 10th most dangerous job. Out of those top 10 jobs, lineworkers came in at the second-highest average salary, just behind aircraft pilots and flight engineers. So, despite the danger, line work can be a high-paying, rewarding job. The most common fatal accidents were transportation incidents, as lineworkers travel to areas

affected by storms and other disasters. The fact that the most common accident is from being on the road tells me that the safety training and processes for the actual line work are paying off. The risk is always high when working with electricity.

In 2012, one of our editors Paul Mauldin wrote about his experience in being called in as an expert witness to determine how an accident had happened that killed a lineworker. He said that the forensic evidence had indicated that the hydraulic coupling on the boom slid along the neutral, and somehow scraped off enough insulation from one of the phase wires to create a high current arc, melting the coupling and igniting the highpressure stream of hydraulic fluid. Harnessed in the bucket, the worker was caught in the blast of a flame thrower and his clothes flashed into cinders. At that time, linework was in the top 10 most dangerous professions; we checked the ranking again in 2015 and updated the article. The editor cited 30 to 50 workers in every 100,000 as being killed on the job every year. That has decreased to 22 per 100,000 workers as reported by BLS in 2021.

Mauldin went on further to cite that lineworkers had twice the fatality rate of police officers and firefighters. One thing he wrote that I still appreciate: “When the television news cameras pan across the destruction [of a disaster], take a moment to remember the utility workers who are putting things together again and making life livable. And remember their families.”

This month, T&D World celebrates the line trade like we do every fall with a special Lineworkers’ Supplement, mailed with the September issue. It’s that time of year when we look forward to covering the International Lineman’s Rodeo; the air is turning cooler, the leaves are changing color, and the line teams are getting prepared to converge on the Kansas City area for the “Super Bowl” of line work.

We are proud of this year’s stories, written by our beloved Field Editor Amy Fischbach. I really enjoyed the feature on how lineworkers have made a difference in their communities and beyond. Also check out the article on lineworkers as inventors.

We also feature our other fall event in this issue, T&D World Live Conference and Exhibition. We are celebrating the third year of this event and are particularly proud to have three utilities hosting: Southern Company, Georgia Transmission Co. and Cobb EMC. This event is the “live” version of what we do in our pages and our website: give utilities a voice to share and learn. See you in Atlanta for T&D World Live and in KC for the rodeo!

https://jobs.tdworld.com/search

BY JEFF POSTELWAIT, MANAGING EDITOR

Running the Show: Women in Energy

Sharelynn Moore, CEO of 4Liberty and utility industry veteran, shares her views on what it is like to be a successful woman in the energy industry.

4Liberty’s CEO, Sharelynn Moore

, recently celebrated her one-year anniversary at the company. We sat down to discuss her journey as a woman leader in the energy and technology sectors to learn more about her experiences and how they have propelled her to leading a fast-growing womanowned technical and professional consultancy. Moore spent nearly 20 years with Itron, where she focused on smart grid and advanced metering technologies as the head of one of the company’s largest businesses. She also worked at Bloom Energy and Avista Utilities before joining 4Liberty, a womanowned, San Diego-based firm that helps utility, commercial and government clients plan and run initiatives and major programs to deploy and secure critical infrastructure, meet regulatory mandates, hit sustainability goals and deliver capital projects on time and at or under budget.

Traits of a Leader

Moore, a natural leader, has been managing teams throughout her career, having to balance work and life in challenging ways.

“Early in my career, I found myself managing a team of 35 customer service and business analysts at just 26 or 27 years old, all while expecting my first baby,” Moore said, adding that she truly appreciated the women mentors who helped steer her through her early days.

Throughout, Moore said, listening to her instincts has always been important, as has cultivating talented people who know how to collaborate.

“I think there were moments in my career where I recognized that I brought something different. Was it because I was a woman, or was it because I’m me? How do I really know? But I do know

there were moments in my career where my empathy and my intuition served me well,” she said.

Following one’s own intuition is a theme that has run through her career, Moore said.

“There were moments where I felt more in tune with what was really going on, simply by reading the room. I have been participating in board meetings for more than 15 years, well before I had to run a board as a CEO and that was an invaluable experience,” she said.

“I think my ability, whether it’s sitting across the table with customers, in a leadership meeting, or back when I worked as a product manager with engineers, being able to read that room and recognize when I needed to adapt or pivot, whether it was the direction we were taking the solution, the strategy, or the way we’re messaging something, I could tell if we were on point or off base,” she said.

Working in the energy sector and driving the energy transition requires engaging people both within and outside the industry, she said, and carefully cultivating people within our organizations is important regardless of gender.

“I value strong relationships regardless of position. As a leader, I recognized that my job wasn’t just to do what my bosses asked me to do and make them look good. My job was to pull the right teams together to accomplish business objectives. My job wasn’t to think I already knew better and do things my way regardless of what was asked. My job was to collaborate with my peers and their teams, ensuring we were all working towards a common goal” she said.

The ability to be flexible and adaptable is a workplace trait that serves workers at every level, she said.

“In my various roles, I have always worked well across functions with different leaders across a range of personalities and workstyles. And later in my career, working for CEOs, that practice of adaptability served me well. I wasn’t locked into my one work style, and I was able to adjust when I needed to drive results. And, I could get the sense of when to change a strategy early,” she said.

When running an effective workplace or smaller group of workers, carefully cultivating people, including their on-thejob skills and interpersonal relations is a recipe for building a successful company and culture.

“Aligning my team in my organization has been my superpower. A high-performance team isn’t just about hiring the right people. A lot of times you don’t hire them, you inherit them. But it’s how you knit a team together. It’s important to pull out the best in people. It is about holding a high bar and ensuring accountability. And making tough decisions when you need to

make a change for the sake of the performance of the team,” she said.

As her career progressed, Moore said she didn’t think much about the fact that she was a woman or about the identities of her colleagues. But after taking a year-long leadership program at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern, she picked up some interesting, science-based tidbits about how women and men can navigate workplaces in subtly different ways.

“I was one of the very few women at the table many times. It just wasn’t something that I thought about. I didn’t worry about it,” Moore said. “One of the things I learned was that women roll up their sleeves and we do the hard work, but some of us don’t tout our achievements or build a professional network in a way that gives us the shortcuts. And, behavior science has proven that men often do these better than most women.”

Learning about these differences led Moore to want to mentor more women throughout her career.

“I ended up being in a position where I could hire some amazing early-stage career women. And I, to this day, follow them through their entire career. And when they make that next move, I’m the person that they’ll call for coaching,” she said. “That’s really rewarding to me because I’ve seen them grow over the course of quite a long time and see them successfully drive their careers.”

For transmission and distribution projects, 4Liberty provides a consultative approach to solving tough problems, identifying solutions, and then implementing solutions with turnkey project management, construction management, design and engineering oversight and vendor management services. The company also does project planning for power grid modernization projects, low voltage installations and distributed energy installations, as well as expertise on physical security of critical infrastructure.

Thoughts on Diversity and Attracting the Next Generation of Workers

Fostering greater diversity is something that needs to be done deliberately, so that it is built into how a company functions, Moore said.

“Diversity isn’t just a certification. At 4Liberty, women represent more than half of our company, 51% of us are women. And we have more than 23 different nationalities represented. And, as a result, diversity is exactly who we are, without it even being a goal. It is actually the company that we are. I believe that this diversity allows us to listen to our clients more carefully, craft creative solutions, and deliver better results”.

Leaders in the energy industry need to recognize there is power in bringing all kinds of people and ideas to the table, she said. This may begin with attracting younger workers to the field.

“As an industry, we need more people than we ever have had to solve more complex problems than we’ve had in the last two decades,” she said. “To attract a more diverse population of workers, we have to talk about our purpose... We are working on climate goals, we are electrifying transportation and advancing

AI, and we are keeping the lights on in some of the toughest conditions, all of which keeps our economy thriving. And we need to do all this with affordability top of mind.”

Younger people in particular want to feel like the work they do is creating change, she said.

“They want to feel like their work has purpose in the world, that they’re doing good,” she said, adding that teaching prospective employees about the work utilities are doing toward decarbonization can be valuable for cultivating the kinds of people you want.

The utilities are making important strides in representing the communities they serve, Moore said, and diverse workplaces will become self-sustaining at a certain point.

“I’m proud of the steps utilities have taken to enrich the careers of women in the industry. If you look at the number of women CEOs, the women in directors’ seats, and the women you know that are up for the next generation of leadership—it’s attributed to the opportunities and their hard work,” she said. “It serves as evidence that once we’ve overcome those initial challenges of ensuring diversity, it just happens organically. It’s encouraging because it does become a bit of a virtuous cycle. I think that’s pretty satisfying and where we want to be going forward.”

A Collaborative Industry

4Liberty will be exhibiting with T&D World Live 2024, Oct. 1 – 3 at The Hilton Atlanta. At the show, 4Liberty is hosting reception events and CEO Sharelynn Moore will speak on a panel at the T&D World Live Women’s Empowered Breakfast Session.

Moore said her company wanted to get involved with the show because they believe in collaboration and knowledge sharing.

“A hallmark of our industry is we like to learn from one another. We’re not really a competitive industry. In fact, many of the utilities share common challenges and opportunities. So, sharing best practices and collaborating are inherently designed into our culture as an industry. Organizations like T&D World enable that, whether it’s through publications or events, we can come together.”

Editor’s Note: Register for T&D World Live at https://events.tdworld.com/2024.

Are Data Centers the Grid’s Next Crisis?

Who would have thought old webpages were valuable? According to a Sunday morning news show they are not only valuable, but they’re being archived and useful for research. There’s a website called the Internet Archive, and its “Wayback Machine” has been making digital backups of the world wide web since 1996. This digital time machine allows users to see how websites looked in the past. The Internet Archive has over 900 billion webpages backed up representing over a 100 petabytes of data. A petabyte is equivalent to 20 million filing cabinets worth of paper storage.

If my inbox is any indication, big-data handling has become a trending issue for the power delivery industry. This hot topic is demanding attention with its ever increasing numbers of data centers coming online around the globe. Each of these facilities needs power and as they increase in size and numbers so does their power consumption. Worldwide there are roughly 11,000 data centers pulling power from the grid.

Exponential Load Growth

Let’s look at the power consumption numbers. The 2024 figures are still a work in progress, but they do show an upward trend. The 2023 statistics reveal that data centers accounted for roughly 4% of the global energy consumption. In tangible terms that represents about 7.4 gigawatts for 2023’s data center power consumption and it’s expected to double that amount by 2026. Goldman Sachs predicts that over the next decade the power consumed by data centers could be close to 47 gigawatts. This type of exponential growth is unprecedented. That brings us to another facet of the trending data center phenomenon.

Have you ever heard of hyperscale data centers? It’s the latest wrinkle on the big-data landscape. IBM says that hyperscale data centers “are massive data centers that provide extreme scalability and are engineered for large-scale workloads.” Professional data handlers are finding that bigger is

better when it comes to managing the tsunami of big-data zettabytes flooding the world. These data handling specialists are evolving toward hyperscale data centers faster than expected and there’s no sign it’s going to slow down soon.

According to Synergy Research Group, hyperscale data centers hit the thousand mark worldwide in early 2024 with the US accounting for 51% of that global capacity. Synergy is forecasting that the total hyperscale data center capacity will double every four years and it’s safe to expect the demand for power will continue expanding. Applications like generative artificial intelligence are driving this capacity growth along with hyperscale computing, and cloud services are making gigawatt loads more commonplace for these facilities.

It’s Manageable

Over the last several months “Charging Ahead” has been looking at a series of grid enhancing technologies. These applications are designed to increase the power grid’s capacity quickly while more traditional methods catch up with the demand. Technologies like dynamic line rating applications, advanced overhead conductor gear, power flow controllers, etc. have been the subject of the section, but what’s happening on the data center’s side of the equation?

Data center owners/operators are feeling the pressure to improve their overall efficiency and in the process reduce their energy demand. On-site renewable energy sources (i.e., wind solar, geothermal, etc.) plus storage are being developed as a strategy to offset power grid capacity issues. Turning them into microgrids has a lot of appeal for data center management. Along with reducing their energy bills, microgrids provides more resilience as the power grid struggles with climate change. It also helps them reduce their carbon footprint, which is good for the environment too.

Speaking of the environment, data centers produce a great deal of heat. That excessive heat has to be dissipated, but cooling can be a large energy expenditure. Several measures are being explored such as liquid cooling technologies, but excessive heat may not be a bad thing. Experts see excess heat as “the world’s largest untapped energy resource.” Tapping this source would improve the efficiency of data centers and this waste heat could be utilized for better purposes.

Asset management systems have been developed for large and small data centers. These DCIM (Data Center Infrastructure Management) systems are critical for running an efficient data center. They are holistic systems that continuously monitor, measure, and manage all the physical infrastructure of the data center to improve cooling and energy consumption. There are cutting-edge, technological applications that can lessen the impact of hyperscale data centers on the power grid and keep the electricity flowing!

Interoperability Makes V2G More Flexible

As more wind and solar are added to the power grid mobile batteries make sense.

It’s a pretty good bet that most of us haven’t thought much about vehicle-to-grid technology (V2G). It’s one of those techs that’s evolving and starting to attract an audience. It has numerous advantages, but also many challenges. What is V2G tech? It’s a bidirectional charging technology that can either charge the parked electric vehicle’s (EVs) battery or send its power back into the grid, but implementation is complicated. Interestingly, V2G is about to reach the point where there are sufficient numbers of EVs available to play a significant role in improving the flexibility of the power grid. Several current news releases reported on the upward trend being experienced in EVs sales in recent years. Worldwide, about 14 million EVs were sold in 2023. The EV industry was excited by that quantity bringing the total number of EVs on the road to about 40 million. The projections indicate this trend will continue growing. With those increasing numbers of EVs, there’s excitement for both the EV manufacturers and the grid operators because of the possibilities for that V2G tech represents.

Batteries on Wheels

One EV with the ability to supply power to its home is important to that homeowner, but it hasn’t generated much interest from electricity providers. However, if several hundred or thousands of EVs were aggregated together that’s electrifying. These combined EVs make it a totally different ballgame. Imagine, suddenly V2G tech is capable of being scaled to

megawatt-hours of energy storage. That gets everyone’s attention, from EV fleet operators, third party aggregators, grid operators, etc.

It’s similar to having mobile microgrids available throughout the network, since the EVs move between different charging points during a typical day. They can be utilized wherever V2G-equipped public parking points are located. These mobile batteries can have a stabilizing effect on the power grid. This is especially important as the power grid shifts toward more wind and solar renewable energy. V2G tech can diminish grid challenges rather than exacerbating them.

It’s important to remember that V2G tech not only offers stored energy, but it can provide ancillary grid-services. As more of these renewable energy sources come online, the need for ancillary grid-services increases. They address local grid challenges like frequency support, voltage support, congestion management and power flow support to name a few. There are, however, some infrastructure issues that still need to be addressed.

Hardware Hodgepodge

The EV infrastructure is beset by proprietary technologies. In short the EV industry has not addressed interoperability. An example can be seen in the public EV charging process. A driver of an EV from automaker A can only use a compatible non-standard public charger. The same holds true for EVs from automaker B and so on. There is no universal charger that accepts any EV driven to it. For that matter, there’s no standard charger plug-in/port hardware.

While we’re on the subject, very few of today’s public charging hardware is capable of bidirectional charging, which is critical for V2G tech. That’s not to say the technology doesn’t exist. It does, but its limited and standards are in development. Also, there are only a few EVs that come equipped with their own bidirectional charging features such as the Ford F-150 Lightning or the Nissan Leaf. Interestingly, Tesla has included this feature in their Cybertrucks. It’s been speculated that more of its future models will incorporate this feature.

Speaking of Tesla, they made V2G interoperability news with a series of announcements last year. Their first announcement revealed they were making the design and specifications for their network’s charging plug-in/port hardware available to the EV industry. Next they renamed that hardware the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector. Then another statement said seven automakers had adopted the NACS standard. That group has expanded and now it’s easier to list who is not in it than who is!

This was followed by SAE International’s publication “J3400 Technical Information Report.” It recognized the NACS connector as the standard connector for EVs and renamed it the J3400 connector. SAE’s report said that now any North American manufacturer can use the J3400 connector on their EVs and charging stations. This too has been met with widespread industry acceptance. Automakers have begun supplying adapters for current EV models and said they will be using the J3400 hardware on their 2025 EVs.

Tricky Situation

Standards wise we have to ask how is V2G tech controlled gridwise? How is permission given for vehicles to charge/ discharge at various times? How will aggregated EV batteries operate as a single power source? What about communication protocols? Those are only a few of the basic questions posed by grid operators and third party developers. It shows how badly we need these standards and protocols, and the standards

organizations are working to address these and other issues.

With that in minded, it’s time to talk with the experts. “Charging Ahead” contacted Mark Siira, the chairperson of IEEE’s Standards Coordinating Committee 21 to get his views on this complex subject. Mr. Siira and Committee 21 have been working on the standardization/interoperability standards that are necessary for making the EV infrastructure more efficient and user-friendly.

Mr. Siira began the discussion saying, “As we look at the issues facing the EV infrastructure it’s evident that interoperability and standards are becoming increasingly important for enabling the EV industry and the power grid to work together. Standards establish common terminology and the framework needed to ensure safety and guarantee reliability of the product. They also give clarity to specifications and requirements. Standards improve the overall quality of the installations that the industry relies upon. This is especially important when we consider how the demand for EVs has skyrocketed in the past five years and where it’s going in the next decade.”

Siira continued, “As standards are developed, the ability for EV manufacturers to work together increases. This is important for overcoming proprietary technologies used by many in the EV industry. Developing standardization ensures that all future EV systems are mutually compatible and interoperable by design. These interconnection standards are needed for the automotive and power grid to work together. IEEE SA is working on several elements that have

CHARGING AHEAD

been recognized as needing smoother interface points. One of the most successful standardization projects has been the J3400 connector, but that’s only the beginning. Another area attracting attention of the standards community is EV charging plazas.”

Mr. Siira explained, “ Proprietary technologies slow progress toward fast charging plazas as a user-friendly facility. Initially, suppliers developed proprietary technologies for charging their EVs. It wasn’t an issue when the EV charger was in the owner’s garage, but it became an issue away from home. Consumers want reliable fast-charging stations wherever they

travel like gas stations for internal combustion engine vehicles. Doing that requires an EV technology that works across the EV infrastructure. On the surface an EV charging plaza may not seem that complicated, but that’s not the case. Large charging plazas integrate a wide variety of digital technologies, which interface with each other throughout the plaza and with the power grid on the other side of the meter, which requires a great deal of operational coordination.”

Siira concluded, “User-friendly charging plazas need sophisticated energy management systems to make it happen. It starts with the monitoring and control of EV charging profiles where projecting charging station energy needs will be critical. Many of these charging plazas will have supplemental power sources such as a BESS (battery energy storage systems) or other DERS (distribution energy resource systems). They have to function together perfectly, which aids in the collaboration between the plaza and the power grid. All this and more is why standards are important as EV deployment grows.”

Contributing to Grid Stability

It goes without question, proprietary technologies are needed for innovation and offer stability for product development, but with many technologies there’s a point where moving to interoperability is necessary for both the developer and the customer. It happened with many other technologies and it’s happening with EV tech. We saw what is happening with the interface between the EV and the power supply.

Consumers have been struggling with the non-standard chargers and their hardware. It’s resulted in potential EV buyers sitting on the sidelines waiting to see what falls out. Another issue is the charger itself. Most (i.e., Level 1 and 2) are unidirectional and only compatible with specific EVs. Everybody needs to be on the same page with the compatible hardware. That requires interoperable and standardization for the EV infrastructure.

Standards organizations like IEEE SA, SAE International, ANSI, IEC to name a few are working on these and other EV tech issues. V2G technologies are available and have the potential to make a sizable difference for owners with a revenue stream and improved grid stability via grid-support services, but interoperability is critical. V2G will bring much needed flexibility and resilience to the grid!

DOE ANNOUNCES $371 MILLION IN 20 PROJECTS TO ACCELERATE TRANSMISSION PERMITTING ACROSS AMERICA

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced 20 projects across 16 states selected to receive up to $371 million to accelerate the permitting of high-voltage, interstate transmission projects.

These projects, funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, will also support community infrastructure projects along major new and upgraded transmissions lines, including upgrading public school buildings and emergency response facilities.

Administered by DOE’s Grid Deployment Office, the Transmission Siting and Economic Development (TSED) grants will help advance at least 16 high-impact transmission lines across the country supporting the deployment of reliable and affordable energy for consumers and creating good-paying jobs.

“Today, every pocket of the country is experiencing the grueling impact of extreme weather and there’s no doubt that we must expand our transmission grid to get more clean, resilient power to more people, in more places,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.

The Biden-Harris Administration is taking a wide range of actions to expand and improve electric transmission systems, including streamlining federal permitting and deploying billions

of dollars to strengthen grid infrastructure. To complement these unprecedented federal actions TSED will support permitting progress at the state and local level and ensure that communities hosting new and upgraded transmission infrastructure benefit directly.

The TSED selections will help uplift communities through economic development investments that generate benefits in communities impacted by transmission development, while also accelerating project reviews by siting authorities.

Selected projects include support for:

• Providing state and local siting agencies with the resources, tools, and capacity they need to complete timely review of transmission projects, which strengthens robust regional and interregional planning.

• Upgrading critical infrastructure in communities impacted by transmission development.

• Investing in community upgrades by developing community and tourism attractions, protecting cultural and heritage landmarks, and conserving lands identified by the community as highly valued.

• Example: Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources ($42.3 million) will be deploying a microgrid at a school in Barnstable, Massachusetts to reduce energy expenses, improve indoor air quality, and strengthen community resilience in emergency situations.

• Supporting localized workforce development and training in communities impacted by transmission development. Selected projects will support the creation of training, apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and adult-education programs:

• Example: Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians ($5.6 million), located in California, will support community workforce development with education, training, and professional development in ocean and coastal policy and science.

SENATE PASSES ENERGY PERMITTING REFORM ACT TO BOOST U.S. CLEAN ENERGY AND CLIMATE GOALS

The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has advanced the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024, a bipartisan measure designed to accelerate the expansion and upgrade of the U.S. electricity grid.

The proposed legislation comes on the heels of recent actions by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Department of Energy (DOE). FERC has released a new transmission planning and cost allocation rule, while the DOE has identified potential National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETC), areas where grid congestion or capacity constraints are anticipated.

A key provision in the Energy Permitting Reform Act mandates that FERC establish a rule on interregional planning within 180 days of the

bill’s passage. This rule would require transmission planning regions to collaborate on plans for new power lines, emphasizing projects with significant economic and reliability benefits for customers.

Another notable aspect of the bill is the expansion of FERC’s backstop siting authority. Previously limited to projects within NIETCs, this authority would now extend to any project deemed “in the national interest.” This change aims to expedite the construction of transmission infrastructure by allowing developers to appeal to FERC if states delay or obstruct permit approvals.

Additionally, the bill clarifies cost allocation processes. It also includes provisions to support community benefits and advancements in grid-enhancing technologies and conductors.

CENTERPOINT ANNOUNCES ACTION PLANS TO BUILD MOST RESILIENT COASTAL GRID, IMPROVE HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

At a hearing before the Public Utility Commission of Texas, CenterPoint President and CEO Jason Wells apologized for the frustration Houstonians experienced during Hurricane Beryl and made a company-wide commitment to improve. In the hearing, Wells, accompanied by Tony Gardner, SVP and chief customer officer, and Randy Pryor, VP Major Underground & Distribution Modernization, announced an initial series of specific actions that will increase the resiliency of the electric system, improve customer communications, and strengthen emergency response coordination and partnerships.

CenterPoint’s plan of action that was submitted to the PUC includes:

Resiliency Investments: By accelerating adoption of the latest construction standards, retrofitting existing assets on an accelerated basis, and using predictive modeling, AI and other advanced technologies, CenterPoint will harden its distribution system and speed restoration. The company

will also take action to protect its electrical assets by nearly doubling the size of its vegetation management crews and targeting higher risk vegetation to address the cause of damage and outages in Hurricane Beryl.

Best-in-Class Customer

Communications: To ensure customers have the information they need, when they need it, CenterPoint will launch a new and more customer-oriented outage tracker by August 1. This online tool will provide better and more complete information during storms and is designed to handle increased demand during such events.

Strengthened Partnerships: Effective emergency preparedness and response requires close coordination with government officials. CenterPoint will hire a seasoned response leader to help the company rapidly accelerate its planning capabilities and develop close community partnerships to ease the burden of storm events on more vulnerable communities.

P HASE T RAKKER J R +

The most advanced, user-friendly Phase Identification system available, the PhaseTrakker Jr+ is the essential tool for identifying phase and phase angle on overhead, underground and substation assets. Works indoors or outdoors, 0.5V - 500kV, or 10A - 600A.

OCTOBER 1-3, 2024

FACING THE FUTURE

By NIKKI CHANDLER , Editorial Director

This event will bring together industry experts to explore solutions for a sustainable and resilient electric grid through in-depth sessions on DER integration, grid resiliency, and the future of T&D grids.

HOSTED

BY

GEORGIA TRANSMISSION, SOUTHERN CO and COBB EMC

Electric utilities are facing several pressing challenges that are reshaping the industry. One of the primary issues is the integration of renewable energy sources into the power grid. The aging infrastructure of many utilities is another major concern, as outdated equipment can lead to frequent outages and increased vulnerability to cyberattacks. Regulatory and policy uncertainties always add another layer of complexity, with changes in government policies and environmental regulations impacting long-term planning and investment decisions.

Addressing these challenges is essential for creating a sustainable and resilient electric grid, and T&D World Live, which will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 1-3, 2024, does just that. The main topic areas for a robust conference program include DER integration, grid resiliency and black sky hazards, the future T&D grid, AI and digitalization and electrification.

The conference and exhibition reflects the long tradition of T&D World magazine being a place for utilities to share with one another. Covering the cover topics of the power delivery industry, T&D World gives utilities a voice to share best practices, lessons learned and innovations for the future so they can transition to a new energy world all while keeping the lights on right now.

In 2022, T&D World introduced T&D World Live, an annual event, which premiered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and last year was held in Sacramento, California. Both events were successful, and we’ve been hard at work building on those events to create what we believe is an even better event in 2024.

HOST UTILITIES

The conference we’re offering at T&D World Live 2024 is the product of some truly talented industry experts and professionals, as well as in-house editorial staff, who make up our advisory board. Our host utilities, as well, play a pivotal role in the event by sharing their expertise, showcasing innovative solutions, and facilitating crucial conversations on grid transformation. Their involvement underscores the importance of collaboration in navigating the complexities of the evolving energy landscape.

Southern Company: Based out of Atlanta, Georgia, Southern Company serves 9 million customers through its subsidiaries. The company provides clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy through electric operating companies in three states, natural gas distribution

companies in four states, a competitive generation company serving wholesale customers across America, a distributed energy infrastructure company, a fiber optics network and telecommunications services.

Georgia Transmission: Georgia Transmission is an electric cooperative owned by the 38 Georgia EMCs it serves. They are responsible for planning, building and maintaining high-voltage

transmission lines and substations that carry power from generation facilities to the local EMC.

Cobb EMC: Cobb EMC is a not-forprofit, member-owned electric cooperative. The company safely delivers reliable electricity to nearly 200,000 residential and commercial consumers in Cobb, Bartow, Cherokee, Fulton, and Paulding counties. Cobb EMC is one of the largest EMCs in the nation, and the company’s wholly owned subsidiary Gas South is a provider of natural gas in the Southeast.

When you view the program, you’ll see that several individuals representing these utilities are participating in our conference program, including Tim Jarrell, vice president of Power Supply, Rates and DER Strategy at Cobb Electric Membership Corporation; Keith Daniel, senior vice president of transmission policy at Georgia Transmission; and Rachel Williams, vice president, Transmission Field Operations, at Georgia Power.

In the opening general session, they will delve into both national and regional T&D industry trends, discussing the challenges utilities of all sizes face and the crucial

Darren Tillman of Baltimore Gas & Electric spoke at a workforce development session last year. This year, Tillman will chair a session on grid modernization.

The conference and exhibition reflects the long tradition of T&D World magazine being a place for utilities to share with one another. Photos by Endeavor.

technologies and solutions needed to keep pace with the energy transition.

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

The conference brings together some of the top minds in the electric utility sector during an exceptionally important time in the world’s energy future. It begins on Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 9 a.m. local time, with multiple super sessions from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. The second general session will happen at 4 p.m. on Oct. 1, covering executive insights into the transitioning distribution grid. Nichole Owens, vice president of distribution operations at ComEd and John Cornelius, vice president, of Distribution Field Operations at Georgia Power, will discuss how the utilities they represent are implementing new technologies, programs and processes to meet the current and future requirements for the low-carbon electric power industry of the future.

The TDW Live conference program continues throughout the day on Wednesday and into Thursday morning, wrapping up at 12:30 p.m. that day.

The conference program includes 24 breakout sessions, four super sessions and four general sessions, featuring nearly 67 speakers and moderators, more than 42 of whom represent utilities or transmission operators. These sessions will provide a

Schedule at a Glance

This schedule has been built in ET. It may evolve over the next monthcheck back often for updates.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

1:00pm-3:30pm Tech Tours

1:00pm-5:00pm Learning Labs

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2024

7:30am-6:30pm Registration Open

8:00am-9:15am Empowered Breakfast - Inspired by Women in Energy

8:00am-2:00pm Exhibitor Move in 9:30am-10:45am General Session 1

11:00am-12:00pm Session Block 1: Super Sessions

12:00pm-1:30pm PowerUp Lunch 2.0

1:45pm-2:45pm Session Block 2: Super Sessions

3:00pm-3:45pm Conference Optimizer Workshop

4:00pm-5:30pm General Session 2 – Keynote

5:00pm-7:00pm Exhibit Hall Open

5:30pm-7:00pm Welcome Reception

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2024

7:30am-6:00pm Registration Open

7:30am-8:00am Attendee Breakfast

8:00am-8:45am General Session 3: Host Utility Spotlight

wealth of information and the chance for attendees to interact with speakers by asking questions and discussing their own

The conference brings together some of the top minds in the electric utility sector during an exceptionally important time in the world’s energy future.

8:45am-9:45am Innovation Shares

10:00am-10:45am Session Block 3

10:30am-3:15pm Exhibit Hall Open

10:45am-11:15am Beverage Break

11:15am-12:00pm Session Block 4

12:00pm-1:00pm Attendee Lunch

2:00pm-2:45pm Session Block 5

2:45pm-3:15pm Beverage Break

3:15pm-4:00pm Session Block 6

4:00pm-6:00pm Exhibit Hall Open

4:30pm- 5:30pm Happy Hour Reception

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2024

7:30am-12:30pm Registration Open

8:00am-10:30am Exhibit Hall Open

8:00am-9:00am Attendee Breakfast & Roundtables

9:15am-10:00am Session Block 7

10:00am-10:30am Beverage Break

10:30am-2:00pm Exhibitor Move out 10:30am-11:15am Session Block 8 11:30am-12:30pm General Session 4

12:30pm T&D WORLD LIVE CONCLUDES

challenges and successes. The sessions include panel discussions, use cases, and formal presentations about the latest trends and cutting-edge technology. The schedule also includes ample networking opportunities for casual conversation with colleagues and peers, including the Power Up Lunch on Tuesday, which offers an opportunity to exchange ideas, discuss best practices and learn from your peers in a small group setting. You pick the topic and sit at a table with others who are interested in the same topic. We will also host the EMPOWERED breakfast: Inspired by Women in Energy, at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 1. Our program will feature a panel discussion with three female utility leaders from our event hosts

ALEX BONNETTE

Lower Colorado River Authority - LCRA Transmission Line Engineering Supervisor

AMANDA AHL

BloombergNEF Associate Analyst

ANN MOORE AVEVA Industry Principal - Power & Utilities

ASHLEY LYNN QUA Smart Electric Power Alliance Senior Manager, Transportation Electrification

BALA KOTHARU Burns & McDonnell Sr. Electrical Engineer

BRAD BOWNESS Systems With Intelligence Chief Information Officer

BRIAN DALE Duke Energy Lead Engineer

CARLOS NOUEL National Grid Vice President, Transformation Programs

CAROL JOHNSTON IFS Vice President, Energy, Utilities and Resources

CHICO HUNTER Salt River Project Manager, Innovation and Development

CHRISTOPHER MULLINS Power Monitors, Inc. President

DAVID SCHALLER NACFE Industry Engagement Director

DAVID DALY EV Edison Corp. President and Lead Advisory Board member

DOUG HOUSEMAN 1898&Co. Managing Consultant

DOUGLAS FOLEY Eversource President, MA Electric Operations

ELIZABETH COOK AEIC Vice President, Technical Strategy

SPEAKERS LIST

ERIC POFF

Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)

Director for Substations, Telecommunications, and Metering Assets

ERIC SMITH

Southern Company & BMO Bank Vice Chair, Southern Company Board of Directors

FOUAD DAGHER National Grid Director

GISELA SOSA ComEd

Principal Business Program Manager

GLENN WILSON

Southern Company Principal Research Engineer

HAIDER KHAN ICF

Vice President, Energy Analytics

HANI ALARIAN

California ISO

Executive Director, Power System Technology Operations

JAMES R. STAGE Dominion Energy Engineering Technical Consultant

JAYSON SHIAU ComEd Sr Engineer

JING YANG

Eversource Energy Senior Data Scientist

JOHN CORNELIUS

Georgia Power Vice President, Distribution Field Operations

JOSEPH BENZAQUEN

Georgia Institute of Technology

Research Faculty

JOSHUA LOYD 1898 & Co. Senior Project Manager

JUNHUI ZHAO

Eversource Energy Manager of Engineering Data Innovation

KEITH DANIEL

Georgia Transmission Sr. Vice President, Transmission Policy

KEVIN STEWART DTE Energy

Principal Supervisor - Pilots Program

KRISTI KNIGHT Cobb EMC Vice President, Internal Audit & Compliance

Southern Company and COBB EMC. Hear how these trailblazers have shattered glass ceilings and ignited change. In addition, we’ve organized several

LARRY GASTEIGER WIRES

Executive Director

MARTIN SZCZEPANIK

Baringa Partners Director, Energy & Resources

MASROOR KHAN

Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) Manager, Technology Engineering

MICHAEL CHAMP SMUD

Manager, Finance and Analytics

MIKE PHILLIPS Sense

CEO

MIKE BEEHLER

Power Delivery Intelligence Initiative National Spokesperson

NATE BLAIR

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Group Manager

NICHOLE OWENS ComEd VP Distribution Op

NICK CHOI

Lower Colorado River Authority - LCRA Senior Engineer

NILESH KANE Tata Power Company Ltd. Chief Distribution-Mumbai Business and Home Automations Business

PAUL BOWER Southwire Director, Data Engineering

PETER MANOS

ARC ADVISORY GROUP

Director of Research--Electric Power & Smart Grids

PRADHEEP KILETI

National Grid Director

RACHEL WILLIAMS

Georgia Power Vice President, Transmission Field Operations

RAIFORD SMITH AES Chief Utility Innovation Officer

ROBERT KONDZIOLKA

CAISO Western Energy Imbalance Market Governing Body Member and Vice Chair

ROBERT ULUSKI ESTA International Executive Consultant

pre-conference offerings, including a Technical Tour and two Learning Labs (workshops). Both Learning Labs and the technical tour will take place on

ROBIN THOMPSON Power Intelligence LLC CEO

ROGER ELY

Southern Company-Georgia Power Senior Engineer

RONALD CRITELLI, JR. Florida Power & Light Vice President Grid Transformation & Integration

RONALD HART Dominion Energy Senior Business Development Manager

SALAM BANIAHMED Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) Director, Energy Storage

SATVIR DEOL DTE Energy Director, Distribution Operations Central Engineering

SHARELYNN

Monday afternoon. The first workshop will look at some of the “No Regrets” strategies and tactics that will lower the cost of upgrades and stretch scarce dollars to do more. Regulators are going to be tough negotiators on new capital investments as the cost of energy rises and will look to minimize cost increases for infrastructure. The second Learning Lab will provide information electric utilities need to plan, integrate, and commission an advanced distribution management system (ADMS) that includes functions for electrical optimization, outage management, DER Management, and other advanced applications.

Attendees must register for the Learning Labs, Technical Tour, Power Up Lunch, and EMPOWERED Women’s

EXHIBITOR’S LIST

Breakfast separately from the T&D World Conference and Exhibition. Pricing and additional session and

speaker details are available at https:// events.tdworld.com/2024.

The conference content is extensive

and can’t be adequately covered here, but session and speaker details about the general and breakout sessions are available on the event website at https:// events.tdworld.com/2024/conferenceprogram.

EXHIBITION

T&D World Live also includes an exhibit hall that will showcase some of the latest and greatest new technologies and solutions from more than 50 exhibiting and sponsoring companies. The exhibition hall is designed to provide an ideal environment and plenty of time for attendees to network with other attendees, as well as these solution providers.

All event activities will take place at Hilton Atlanta Downtown in downtown Atlanta. Details about the venue and hotels are available here: https://events.tdworld. com/2024/venue.

For full details and registration for T&D Conference and Exhibition 2024 visit https://events.tdworld.com/2024/registration.

Note: All event details are current as of press time and are subject to change.

Revolutionizing Underground Enclosures

Eco-friendly, lighter material is the safer way to save time and money

By JESSE HUDGINS, Duralite® Product Manager, Oldcastle Infrastructure

Underground enclosures are crucial to provide access to fiber networks and electrical equipment while protecting them from frost, rust, and the elements. For decades, these enclosures have been constructed from polymer concrete –a heavy and bulky composite product. There had to be a better solution, and Oldcastle Infrastructure’s product team came up with the answer, Duralite®

The lightweight solution

With safety, efficiency, cost savings, and eco-friendliness at its core, Duralite is a lightweight alternative to polymer concrete handholes. Designed to exceed product performance standards for polymer concrete, Duralite is also 50% lighter than the old technology. This weight reduction creates value for buyers and end users downstream by reducing overall installation time, maximizing equipment efficiency, and mitigating safety risks. Duralite also meets all ANSI SCTE 77 performance standards.

Built to take the heat

Duralite is engineered to withstand high temperatures from heatwaves and wildfires. The product exceeds the standards in the ANSI/SCTE 77 section 6.5, ASTM D635 as well as and US Dept of Agriculture, Rural Utilities Service, 7 CFR 1755.910 – (e), 3 xiii, requirement A. This enclosure is designed to keep utility and service provider assets safe and functional even in a high-temperature environment.

Lower environmental impact

concrete, Duralite is a no-brainer for saving time, money, and the environment.

Saves time and reduces cost

Oldcastle Infrastructure is committed to improving manufacturing methods to be more sustainable. Duralite enclosures contain up to 65% recycled materials. Its eco-friendly profile allows easier and lighter transportation options, which translates to saving money and carbon footprint. Compared to polymer

Duralite is easier to maneuver at the inventory yard and installation site. Its reduced weight allows contractors to use lighterduty equipment like pickup trucks instead of flatbeds. This translates into fuel cost savings and a lower carbon footprint. The revolutionary product also maximizes excavator efficiency. With Duralite, an excavator can dig one hole and immediately move on to the next installation site. This is because

Photo 1: Duralite ® is lighter, faster, and safer than polymer concrete – allowing contractors to save time, money and the environment.

most Duralite products can be safely lifted and installed by two people by hand while the excavator is prepping the next installation site. This reduces installation time and the need for heavy-duty equipment while helping contractors install more boxes faster.

Data from multiple installations reveals that contractors complete their projects 30% faster by using Duralite instead of traditional polymer concrete.

Safer design limits injuries

Since Duralite is 50% lighter and easier to lift than polymer concrete, it reduces the risk of injury associated with maneuvering and leveling the box during installation. If a Duralite box falls on someone, they can walk away from the injury. The same incident with polymer concrete could result in severe injury or loss of life.

Dropping the cover into the body of a handhole is risky for hand and finger injuries as well. Since Duralite covers are significantly lighter than polymer concrete, installers are much less likely to break their fingers when inserting the cover into the box.

Lighter and better in every way

When choosing the right Tier 15 or Tier 22 enclosure to complete your job, the overall improvement of Duralite compared to polymer concrete cannot be

understated. Duralite is lighter, faster, safer, easier to modify in the field, and results in a lower carbon footprint – helping communication service providers and utilities save time, money, and the environment.

Broadband contractors know the difference

This spring we shadowed our customer along Hwy 17 in Richmond Hill, Georgia to compare the installation of polymer concrete versus Duralite. Our customer at Kennedy Broadband related how they have switched to Duralite because of the lightweight solution, which positively impacted crew safety and cost savings for fuel and equipment.

James Kennedy, operations manager at Kennedy Broadband said it best: “Sometimes we’re asked what we would prefer to use by our customers, and I would definitely prefer a Duralite versus polymer concrete because we’re minimizing the injury potential, the need for heavier axle trailers and heavier trucks to move vaults. Oldcastle has the technology to build a lighter, yet strong, tier-rated box and I would say don’t think about the old days – go with Duralite.”

Photo 2: Most Duralite ® products can be safely lifted and installed by two people by hand, thus reducing installation time while helping contractors install more boxes faster.

Photo 3: As Duralite ® is 50% lighter and much easier to lift than polymer concrete, it reduces the risk of injury associated with maneuvering and leveling the box during installation.

Good Maintenance Sets Trucks up for Second Life

A Mississippi cooperative shares its fleet maintenance rebuild strategies.

By RODNEY BEECH, Coast Electric, and ERIC PHILLIPS, Terex Utilities

With a reputation for having one of the nicest fleets in the Southeast, Coast Electric says the secret is a strong maintenance plan and rebuild strategy. Rebuilding its bucket trucks helps to maximize its fleet budget and gives the co-op flexibility to customize the upfit and take advantage of shorter turnaround times compared to waiting for a newly built bucket truck.

Coast Electric has a fleet of about 225 trucks. Half of those are aerial devices, the bulk of which are Hi-Ranger HR40 over center aerials from Terex. They also own several larger bucket trucks and digger derricks.

“The HR40 is bullet proof. It’s a solid unit that we can easily get 25 years out of when it’s all said and done,” said Jesse Hardee,

fleet supervisor. “It’s the chassis that wears out first, especially driving in rural areas with rougher roads, so planning to rebuild the aerial device just makes sense,” he said.

There are three factors the fleet supervisor considers when deciding to rebuild an HR40. If at least one of these factors are met, then he plans for the unit to be rebuilt.

• Is the aerial device 10 years old?

• Does the chassis have more than 350,000 miles on it?

• Is the truck chassis a lemon, experiencing an unusual number of needed repairs before reaching 350,000 miles?

The factors that trigger when it is time for a rebuild may vary based on geography, however, it is common in rural parts of

Coast Electric has a reputation for having one of the nicest fleets in the Southeast. According to the electric cooperative, the secret is a strong maintenance plan and rebuild strategy.

Photos courtesy of Coast Electric and Terex.

the country for the truck to get beat up driving up to 8 hours per day, while the boom and bucket are only used for three to four hours of that day.

While a rebuilt bucket truck is easily half the price of a new one, it’s also the lead time that appeals to the fleet supervisor. Back orders on the chassis are often the biggest delay. But once a truck is found in stock at a dealership, the rebuild process at Terex Equipment Services takes as few as 6 to 8 weeks. By comparison, the process to spec and buy a brand-new bucket truck can take as long as two years. With the rebuild, the co-op also gets to keep their old truck until the new chassis arrives. “That shortens the amount of time we are down a truck,” said Hardee.

The Right Way to Rebuild

A rebuild is not the same as a unit transfer. Hardee explains that moving a used aerial device to a new chassis without spending the money for a proper rebuild won’t get you the same performance. “Just giving the aerial device a paint job and new stickers and

putting it on a new chassis defeats the purpose. It’s not worth it,” he says. “When done correctly, expect the unit to look and operate like it’s brand new,” he said. In fact, of all the rebuilt

The factors that trigger when it is time for a rebuild may vary by geography; however, it is common in rural parts of the country for the truck to get beat up driving up to 8 hours per day, while the boom and the bucket are only used for an hour a day.

HR40s Hardee has put back into his fleet over the last five years, he has never had a warranty claim — or even a hose blow — on a rebuilt bucket truck from Terex. The extended operational life gained from the rebuild ultimately saves the co-op time and money.

Terex Equipment Services starts with doing an inspection. “When I know I have a unit that has reached the time for rebuild, I call Eric and he comes to our site to look at the truck. He goes back and starts building an estimate,” said Hardee.

Before beginning the project, Coast Electric seeks input from their line crews. This is a chance to change the fit to make their work more efficient. Things like moving the toolbox on top of bins, adding storage for guy wire reels, or adding new lighting packages give them a chance to customize the truck to the preferences of the crew.

Meanwhile, the Terex Equipment Services team starts a search for a new chassis. “We used to buy our own chassis, but letting Terex locate it and order it is so much easier. They know better than me how the chassis needs to be laid out for the wiring harnesses and suspension,” said Hardee. “I don’t want to mess that up when buying the truck, so I just let them take care of it.”

“Another perk is that this relieves the customer from having to finance the truck separately from the rebuild. We can invoice the entire thing at once, and the customer doesn’t have the chassis just sitting idle until it’s time for the rebuild,” adds Tony Cole, Branch

Manager at the Birmingham, Ala. Terex Service Center.

All rebuilds of the aerial device include replacing the rotation bearing and basket leveling components, resealing all the cylinders and replacing all the hoses. “Those are the main components that are quoted every time. Then as we are working on the aerial device, we may find other things, such as seized pins, electrical issues and minor body damage. We go back to the customer with estimates for those additional items as we find them,” said Cole.

The Birmingham team includes five people that solely focus on rebuilds. “They are just outstanding,” said Hardee. “I’ve even had problems on new trucks and called them for help — one of the guys is an electrical genius!”

At the Birmingham location, the rebuild team has 110 years of experience between them and they are trained on a variety of brands of aerial devices and digger derricks. “This team takes a lot of pride in their craftmanship. Many of them have been rebuilding equipment for 20 years,” adds Cole.

Spend Money to Save Later

The key to Coast Electric’s success is that they don’t cut corners on maintenance. Two shops house nine full-time technicians who are responsible for the fleet’s repairs. “We repair all of our own hydraulic leaks, replace buckets, repair fiberglass and do all of our own inspections except the five-year, which is

A newly finished Terex Hi-Ranger HR40 bucket truck rebuild awaits being picked up by the Coast Electric fleet crew. The lead time of a rebuilt bucket truck is very appealing to the fleet crew as once the chassis truck is found, the rebuild process at Terex Equipment Services takes as few as 6 to 8 weeks.

A rebuild is not the same as a transfer. When the Terex Services team in Birmingham, AL work on a rebuild unit for Coast Electric, it includes replacing the rotation bearing and leveling equipment, resealing all the cylinders, and replacing all hoses.

outsourced to Terex,” said Kellin Cuevas, Shop Technician for Coast Electric.

They also have the philosophy that maintenance — no matter how small — should not be deferred. “If you find something, go ahead and fix it, because in the long run you keep other problems from happening. That’s the difference in perspective if you want your equipment to last a long time,” said Hardee.

However, they are also smart about it. Coast Electric invested in an oil analysis system for the chassis engine oil. They started out testing the oil at 3,000-mile intervals, then at 4,000, 6,000 and 8,000 intervals. Based on this they determined that they didn’t need to change the chassis engine oil until 8,000 miles.

The oil analysis also helps them catch problems before they become expensive. “In one case, the analysis showed us that we needed a new fuel pump, which saved us from having to put in a $50,000 motor that got ruined,” said Hardee.

“We see other equipment being considered for rebuild that is not taken care of as well as Coast Electric’s fleet. It just makes financial sense to spend a little money up front on maintenance, which cuts down on the work involved in the rebuild,” said Cole. Units that have not been as well maintained over their life are going to be more expensive to rebuild.

Cuevas suggests keeping up on inspections of hoses, air lines and handles. “Keeping up on the little things keeps big problems from happening,” he said. “The annual inspection is very important. We take the time to check everything — rotation

bearing torque specs, pressures, every nut and bolt. It takes a while, but we catch everything,” said Cuevas.

Ultimately, the three factors Hardee uses when deciding to do a rebuild were established based on input from the experienced technicians at Coast Electric. Those triggers account for getting as much life as possible out of the chassis, but before the aerial unit is too worn out to warrant rebuilding it.

“If you have a good solid maintenance program, then rebuilds are the way to go. I’d tell any fleet manager out there, this is the best business decision you’ll make when it comes to managing your budget,” said Hardee. On average, he sends three to four units per year for rebuild. The money he saves is re-allocated for investment in other equipment. “We buy something new every year, so that we can stagger the units that are eligible for rebuild,” said Hardee.

RODNEY BEECH is Director of Compliance and Maintenance for Coast Electric. He has more than 37 years of experience in the industry and began his career as a lineman. Rodney has also held positions at the cooperative as a Journeyman Lineman, Senior Engineering Technician, System Right-of-Way Coordinator, Safety & Training Coordinator and Vehicle Maintenance Shop Supervisor.

ERIC PHILLIPS (eric.phillips@terex.com) has been with the Terex Utilities for the past five years and is currently a Territory Service Sales Manager. He supports his Alabama and Mississippi Terex customers through the Birmingham Terex service branch. He is an electrician and mechanic by trade and enjoys being a problem solver and providing solutions to all fleet needs.

TOUGHENED GLASS INSULATORS

Expanding Diversity in the Lineworker Pipeline

The first part of our DEI series takes us to California, where Edison International launched a Lineworker Scholarship Program to drive diversity in the line trade.

By AMY FISCHBACH, Field Editor

Southern California Edison (SCE) serves one of the most diverse populations in the country. Three years ago, the California utility’s parent company, Edison International, launched the Lineworker Scholarship Program to build and strengthen a diverse workforce that reflects the communities it serves.

“Lineworkers are among the front lines of our workforce who are safely delivering reliable power to the 15 million residents in Southern California Edison’s service area and making the clean energy transition possible,” said Heather Rivard, SCE’s senior vice president of transmission and distribution. “The Lineworker Scholarship Program opens the door to a rewarding and enriching career.”

In 2021, Edison launched the Lineworker Scholarship Program, in partnership with IBEW Local 47, to provide opportunities for a diverse range of people to become lineworkers. Since then, it has awarded 48 scholarships and has enhanced

representation among the Edison skilled trade workforce.

“I believe it’s important to have diversity in this trade because of the influence it will have on the next generation of men and women looking to join this trade,” says Nicholas Chavez, a 2024 scholarship winner. “This scholarship impacts diversity in the field workforce, which is progress and it’s awesome to see.”

Alan Martinez, another 2024 scholarship winner, says diversity is important to help Americans to better interact with each other.

“We are a country with diverse people and bringing that mentality into our everyday lives will make it easier to interact with each other,” he says. “Everyone comes from different walks of life, but we all have one goal in common and that is to work together to get back home to our loved ones.”

Supporting Scholarship Recipients

As part of the Lineworker Scholarship program, the recipients earn a $25,000 scholarship, which covers the tuition, tools

Edison International’s Lineworker Scholarship program provides tuition, tools and support services needed to complete training at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College.

Photos courtesy of SCE

and support services needed to complete the Powerline Mechanic Certificate offered at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College (LATTC), says Gabriela Ornelas, spokesperson for Edison.

The scholarship covers LATTC prerequisite fees, the costs of the certificate program and tools needed for the climbing portion of the program as well as support services as needed, including housing, transportation and childcare.

“It is reassuring that the program will not only open a door of opportunity, but also maintain it open,” Martinez says. “From housing costs, tuition and transportation costs, these expenses can cause a good amount of stress. With the support we are given with this scholarship, we have the necessary tools at our disposal to achieve success.”

Linda Reach says the financial burdens of education and daily living expenses can be overwhelming.

“With this invaluable support, I will be able to dedicate myself fully to my coursework and practical training without the constant worry of financial strain,” Reach says. “This opportunity will not only help me complete my program successfully but also empower me to build a stable and prosperous future for myself and my family.”

Chavez agreed, saying the scholarship program will ease

some of the pressure of the financial and other responsibilities he will have.

“The program just shows how committed Brotherhood Crusade and Edison are to make sure we have every resource and opportunity available to attain our certificates,” Chavez says. “It only makes me want to commit to my success at LATTC even more.”

Upon completion of the Powerline Mechanic Certificate program, a Class A license and SCE pre-employment

OUR WUNPEECE TRANSMISSION SPACERS REDEFINE THE INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR UNDERGROUND POWER TRANSMISSION INSTALLATIONS. WITH PRECISION ENGINEERING AND UNMATCHED QUALITY,

2021 Edison Lineworker Scholarship recipient Djon Greer during training at L.A. Trade-Tech.

requirements, graduates are then eligible for an entry-level skilled trade position at SCE. All jobs will be located within SCE’s 50,000-square-mile service area, and graduates may be required to relocate for their positions. After they are hired on, SCE will continue to support the scholars through its Lineworker Navigator Program, which pairs each new lineworker with an experienced lineworker to increase focus on safety and retention.

The four-year, $1 million program is part of Edison International’s comprehensive DEI strategy, which guides efforts to build an inclusive workplace that encourages the

innovation, teamwork and continuous improvement critical to it’s shift toward a clean energy future. As California approaches its ambitious 2045 carbon-free goal, the need for a skilled workforce to power the electric transition is more important than ever, Ornelas says. The Lineworker Scholarship provides individuals with the opportunity to have a hands-on role in making the clean energy future a reality.

“We’re entering a period of rapid and accelerated electricity demands,” Rivard says. “We need well-trained and highly skilled workers to join us in our work to continue to build a grid that is reliable, resilient and ready. The Lineworker Scholarship

The recipients of the 2024 Edison International Lineworker Scholarship were honored at a recent reception.

recipients will help us meet the needs of our customers while they embark on a rewarding and enriching career.”

The 2024 scholarship cycle continued the previous cycle’s expansion to attract Black, Asian Pacific Islander, Native American and female applicants. This year’s cohort has three female winners — the most of any cycle to date. Meet five of the 12 scholarship winners for this year’s Lineworker Scholarship Program. To learn about the other seven scholarship winners, visit the Edison Lineworker Scholarship Spotlight page.

Alan Martinez of Escondido, California

Alan Martinez first heard about the scholarship program on Edison’s social media page, and after researching the requirements to apply, he discovered he met all of them. After he submitted his application, he had confidence that he had a good chance of being selected.

“I decided to apply for the scholarship because it is unique, and Edison is a great company to work for,” Martinez says. “I decided not to pass on this opportunity. The scholarship program has a great support team, the necessary services to get you through and a reputable trade school to learn at. I know I made the correct choice to apply for the Lineworker Scholarship Program.”

When he got the call that he was accepted into the program, he immediately called his wife to share the good news.

“It was nothing short of a life-changing moment,” Martinez says. “It is a memory I will forever cherish.”

His family and friends were also happy to hear the news he was selected, and they sent messages of support to congratulate him on the next step of his life.

“I will become the first of my family to pursue this trade, and it’s a great feeling,” he says. “Having that support from friends and family is a great boost to your confidence and mental health.”

Before joining the program, he drove commercial vehicles after earning his class A license. He says he’s learned to work hard and be reliable.

“I believe my past work experience has led me to this trade and opened many doors,” he says. “I am enthusiastic about the new experiences I will learn.”

While beginning a new trade can be intimidating, he says he will give 110% every day and will not take it for granted.

“From learning electrical theory or climbing a pole, it will be physically and mentally demanding, but nothing in life is easy,” he says. “I welcome the challenges and know I will overcome them with grit and determination.”

The scholarship has already changed his life for the better,

and it has given him the opportunity to pursue a career in a competitive trade. He strongly believes the skilled trades offer many opportunities for growth.

“This trade will provide financial freedom, a title that belongs to an elite group of people, a sense of pride, and most

Six Strategies to Increase Diversity in the Electric Utility Industry

The 2024 scholarship recipients shared advice for electric utilities to diversify their field workforce.

1. Have a strong social media presence, says Alan Martinez. “It can help advertise new and exciting opportunities companies want to bring to fruition,” he says.

2. Take inspiration from Edison and lead the charge in offering opportunities like the scholarship program, says Nicholas Chavez.

3. Visit high schools and host workshops, Chavez continued.

4. Implement targeted outreach and recruitment programs. These can help diversify their workforce and make job opportunities more visible, says Linda Reach. For example, electric utilities can partner with community organizations, educational institutions and job fairs on underrepresented groups.

5. Create inclusive marketing campaigns, provide mentorship and internship programs and offer training to foster an inclusive culture, she added.

6. Address biases in hiring practices. This will further ensure a welcoming environment for all employees, Reach says.

Zuriel Moreland from the 2021 class of scholarship recipients works in the field.

importantly, knowing I will be an asset to society by helping to keep the electricity running,” he says.

He has always strongly believed in helping people, and as a lineworker, he can serve a purpose of keeping electricity running.

“Maintaining power in businesses, residential homes, commercial buildings, hospitals, clinics, etc., is crucial to our society,” he says. “Power is essential to our everyday lives and many people depend on power for their health and to stay connected with friends and family. I hope to make a difference in the future by helping repair or maintain our electrical infrastructure. “

His plan for the future in the trade is to ultimately become a journeyman lineworker.

“I’d like to work to gain more experience and to one day pass on my knowledge to future apprentices,” he says. “I’d like to stay at Edison and see myself mentoring others and guiding them on how to become a lineworker.”

Bryy Marriott of Buena Park, California

Bryy Marriott, who learned about the Lineworker Scholarship program from her dad, has always wanted to be a lineworker to help people. She applied for the scholarship in 2023, and didn’t get it, so when she got the call this year, she couldn’t believe it, and she’s still in shock and disbelief.

“My friends and family are prouder than ever,” she says.

She has worked in many industries—from construction to electrical to mechanical—and she’s also an Army veteran, which she thinks will help her to overcome any challenge during the training program. When she got the call, she was working as a project manager, and she says the scholarship will set her up with a lifetime career. By having the additional support from the Brotherhood Crusade, she says it will allow her to fully focus on the task at hand.

She says it’s important to give everyone the same opportunity to be successful in life, and the scholarship gives her and others the chance to make a difference.

“I’m honored to be given this opportunity to become part of a very important community and bring hope and smiles to people’s faces when they see our trucks coming down the road,” she says. “I’m excited to get all of this started and see where it takes me in the future.”

Nicholas Chavez of Covina, California

While searching for jobs on Edison’s website, Nicholas Chavez came across news about the scholarship. He has always wanted to work for Edison, and the opportunity was one-of-a-kind in a field he’s always admired and wanted to work in.

“I feel so much gratitude for being chosen,” he says. “When I first got the call, I couldn’t believe I was a recipient. I was in shock because I know how meaningful this scholarship is for the future of my family and pursuit of a career. It’s a major honor and something I look forward to fulfilling by helping make sure my community and others are never in the dark.”

Up to this point, his work experience has been in retail, the auto industry and construction. He currently works for In-N-Out at their production facility.

“This scholarship will give my family and me a life-changing opportunity to employ me and teach me skills that will feed and sustain a home for my family,” he says. “First, I must attend and pass school, but I look forward to being able to take care of my household.”

Working a job and going to school may be challenging, but he looks forward to building relationships with his fellow recipients and classmates who are going through the same pressures.

“We can help each other, and together, we can overcome a lot,” he says.

In the future, he wants to perform well at LATTC and pass the program and then complete his apprenticeship and earn his journeyman card.

“I want to learn all I can and become the main financial provider for my family,” he says. “I have received nothing but congratulations and well wishes for receiving this opportunity, which feels amazing and encourages me even more to succeed.”

Lineworker Scholarship: How to Apply

For the Lineworker Scholarship Program, preference is given to California residents, and military veterans are highly encouraged to apply. Interested applicants in next year’s scholarship can learn more about the program at www.edison.com/lineworkerscholarship.

While the program for the fall 2024 semester is now closed and the recipients have been selected, the following are criteria for applications to future scholarship programs.

• Be at least 18 years old.

• Self-identify as Black, Asian Pacific Islander, Native American or female.

• Enroll at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College for the preferred semester.

• Enroll in the Powerline Mechanic Certificate Program.

• Have a high school diploma or a GED equivalent.

• Eligible to work in the United States.

• Possess a valid driver’s license and be eligible to obtain a Class A license.

Through the Lineworker Scholarship program, recipients can gain real-world experience.

Linda Reach of Long Beach, California

Back in the 1970s, Linda Reach’s parents escaped from Cambodia during the Khmer Refugee crisis. Her mother, with limited formal education, successfully raised five daughters on her own.

“Her resilience inspired me to embark on a path of exploring various career opportunities,” says Reach, who learned about the scholarship program through a professional network, initiated by Cambodia Town, a cultural organization of which she serves as the event coordinator. “I am the middle daughter raised by a single mother. Witnessing her daily challenges in maintaining financial stability while caring for my youngest sibling with a developmental disability motivates me. I view this scholarship as a chance to provide more financial support for my mother in the years ahead.”

Receiving the lineworker scholarship is a dream come true, says Reach, who described it as a once-in-a-lifetime blessing.

“I remember sitting at work when I received the call,” she says. “My heart raced with a mix of disbelief and joy. I recall expressing, with a tremor in my voice, ‘I’m going to cry,’ as I struggled to hold back tears and composed myself with deep breaths.”

Throughout her academic path, she initially enrolled in courses at Cerritos Community College and explored different fields such as psychology and criminal justice. Traditional education didn’t suit her, but when she joined American Career College, a trade school, she thrived academically, graduated with honors and obtained a medical assistant certificate.

In 2008, she began her career as a security officer for television and production at Fox Studios and events in Hollywood. From 2014 to 2015, she embraced the challenge of juggling two full-time positions — one in security and the other as a medical assistant at a general practice clinic while also participating in the Long Beach Neighborhood Leader Program.

“Over 14 years, I gained valuable experience in various security roles, including television and film production, community security patrol and corporate security in a predominantly male-dominated field until late 2022,” she says. “Throughout my professional path, I have remained a committed and diligent worker.”

When she announced to her family that she decided to pursue a career in the electrical trade, the reactions varied from excitement to surprise.

“Those closest to me, recognizing my dedication and strength, showed genuine

enthusiasm for my chosen path,” she says. “On the other hand, some individuals expressed doubts about my ability to succeed in a male-dominated industry, questioning my potential in a field often seen as male-oriented. Through my experiences in male-dominated work environments, I have proven my ability to handle assigned tasks effectively.”

In early 2023, she transitioned from a security position to take on the role of case management coordinator at a community clinic in Long Beach, California. Between late 2023 and early February 2024, she served as a traffic control technician (flagger) at Phoenix Traffic Management. Later, due to a decrease in staff,

YOU CAN COUNT ON HUGHES BROTHERS

Hughes Brothers is your reliable partner, forging top-quality American-made products for the utility industry for over a century. From steel and wood structure kits to storm restoration solutions, we ensure efficient operations. Over 75% of our steel products, made in our ever-expanding local factory, stand the test of time.

Diversity at SCE: By the Numbers

Southern California Edison not only serves a diverse service area, but it also features diversity in its workforce. Note that the veterans, individuals with disabilities and LGBTQ+ numbers are based on self-ID data.

• 63.6%: Racially or ethnically diverse

• 31.8%: Female

• 38.6%: Females in executive roles

• 2.1%: LGBTQ+

• 5.8%: Individuals with disabilities

• 4.3%: Veterans

she took on a temporary part-time position at the Cambodian Association of America.

She says the scholarship has sparked a transformative journey for her, enhancing her self-confidence and encouraging her to strive for greatness in both her personal and professional endeavors.

“By easing financial burdens, this scholarship allows me to focus more on my academic aspirations,” she says. “Above all, it motivates me to make a positive impact by engaging with the community on a larger scale and bringing stability to my personal life.”

She is the first Asian Pacific Islander (API) woman recipient of the scholarship, which she says is truly an honor. Her goal is to inspire API women to embrace, explore and enhance their skills while advocating for women’s contributions to the lineworker profession.

“I believe the collaboration among individuals from varied backgrounds allows for the integration of unique experiences, leading to a more creative and efficient approach to addressing challenges,” she says. “Embracing DEI in the workforce not only ensures equal opportunities for all but also breaks down barriers, enabling the line trade to access a broader range of talent, thereby strengthening the workforce.”

Reach, who resides in Long Beach, California, which is renowned for its large Cambodian community, has observed SCE’s enthusiastic involvement in the parade and cultural festival. As a traffic control technician, she has also worked alongside SCE’s subcontracted lineworkers.

“I have witnessed their impressive technical skills firsthand,” she says. “Engaging in conversations and building connections while in the work zones has piqued my interest in learning more about the trade.”

The scholarship will give her the opportunity to meet her dream of working toward a future role as a lineworker.

“I am filled with both enthusiasm and gratitude for the chance to serve my community by ensuring the uninterrupted flow of electricity, a necessity in daily life,” she says. “The opportunity to play a part in upholding and reinstating the power supply, particularly in times of crisis, instills in me a profound sense of purpose and honor. The knowledge that my efforts directly enhance the well-being, security and efficiency of my fellow community members is truly fulfilling. I look forward to embracing the challenges and obligations in this

profession, and I am dedicated to executing my responsibilities with unwavering commitment, expertise and dependability.”

She is prepared to face potential challenges as she anticipates the upcoming training program at LATTC. For example, she must readjust to a classroom setting after a prolonged break and grasp new concepts in an unfamiliar field. To tackle these obstacles, she plans to build connections with her peers to recognize their shared educational journey. Additionally, she is conscious of potential biases as an API woman in this domain.

“Past experiences have shown instances where my skills were underestimated based on my gender and ethnicity,” she says. “Despite these concerns, I am confident in my ability to succeed by dedicating myself and adapting to new learning environments. To combat any underestimation, I aim to actively engage with individuals from various backgrounds to demonstrate my competence professionally.”

Reach, who is committed to serving her community, is dedicated to ongoing community service.

“As an API woman, my goal is to be a role model, demonstrating that we can thrive in male-dominated fields, challenging societal expectations that often steer us towards roles like nursing or administration,” she says. “Additionally, I am interested in exploring further opportunities where Edison acknowledges my contributions to maintain its esteemed reputation. I am open to engaging in community activities like participating in career workshops or visiting local schools to promote the industry.”

Lindsay Bohmwald of Long Beach, California

Lindsay Bohmwald says she has dreamt about working in the electrical industry from a young age and one day always wanted to work for Edison.

“Not only will I be doing what I love but I’ll also be helping the country stay lit, literally,” she says. “Words cannot express the satisfaction that comes with helping our communities and businesses keep living and running. I feel it is my calling to serve in this industry.”

Bohmwald follows Edison on social media, and when she noticed the scholarship opportunity, she thought she should give it a try and apply, but she never thought she’d be picked. The minute she found out, she called her spouse and family, but it took her about two weeks for the good news about the scholarship to sink in.

“I felt it was too good to be true, and I still can’t believe it,” she says. “I know my family is extremely happy for me to start the training program and pursue this career. They have shown me their support throughout my educational journey and will continue to stand by my side. My wife reminds me that this opportunity is a result of all my hard work and accomplishments.”

Before entering the program, Bohmwald worked as a buyer for the purchasing department at JBI Interiors. She also has experience in quality control inspection, metal fabrication and chemical and paint processing.

For the past seven years, she has been a student at Long Beach City College, and she has taken general education courses and tried different majors to fit her work experience. In the end,

she followed her heart and applied to the electrical technology program, and she completed her associate’s degree in electrical technology with a certificate in high-voltage testing. She says the scholarship will change her life in so many ways.

“It’s important to do what you love for a living, but for many years, I’ve had a void in my heart for not working in a field that makes me happy,” she says. “I’ve had many obstacles in my life that did not allow me to pursue this career. I was not where I wanted to be, but now I am and I’m so grateful. This scholarship will also give me the tools and skills I need to become a confident lineworker.”

She says the scholarship with help both her and her family financially, and she wouldn’t have been able to afford the training program without the scholarship.

“The tuition and tools alone are out of my budget, and acquiring the Class A license would have been out of the question,” she says. “I’ll finally get hands-on experience, something I’ve put aside because it was too expensive. This support will allow me to study without the financial burden of paying for school. Not only will it help me financially to acquire all that is needed to finish the program at LATTC, but it also will give me a chance to work for such a recognized company.”

She says in the utility industry, it’s important to meet the eligibility requirements to do the job first, but it’s also important to have representation in the trade.

“We don’t often see women working in the skilled trades, but we are capable, and we are out here,” he says. “When I see

someone else who looks like me working in this field, it gives me reassurance and a push to continue down this road.”

She says DEI initiatives like the Lineworker Scholarship Program can make a big difference in diversifying the workforce.

“Coming from a low-income and immigrant family, opportunities like this can feel out-of-reach in our communities,” she says. “It is programs like these that make it possible for people like me to have an opportunity.”

Because she is fully committed to this program, she can only see work as being a challenge.

“I’m thankful to have a job that is willing to work with my schedule and a partner who will also be helping me manage my time throughout the program,” she says.

She says the possibilities are endless for her in the skilled trades.

“I want to learn as much as I can from my fellow veteran lineworkers,” she says. “I want to fulfill and move up in any position necessary for the success of this organization.”

She advises anyone who is considering a career in line work to go for it.

“For anyone who comes from nothing, do not give up,” she says. “Find your willpower because life is what you make it, and the doors will open when they are meant for you.”

Editor’s Note: To learn more about Edison International’s programs highlighting its commitments to DEI, go to https://www. edison.com/sustainability/diversity-equity-inclusion.

Off the Ground

Drones are pitted head-to-head against on-the-ground crews in this Georgia Power Transmission Co. pilot program.

By JEFF POSTELWAIT, Managing Editor

For electric utilities and grid operators, uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS, or drones) are a force multiplier. Given a bit of special training and equipment, a small number of utility workers can keep an eye on miles and miles of power lines a day, or inspect dozens of transmission towers — all without sending people to work at height.

With more accurate inspections, lower costs and fewer risks to workers, it is no surprise that many utilities have chosen to train up their workers to be pilots and form their own in-house UAS departments.

I recently spoke with Jesse T. Watts, project manager for Georgia Power Transmission Co., who provided me some details on how his utility, a unit of Southern Co., got into the drone business and proved that UASs could be a tool for effectively and efficiently addressing potential power grid problems.

Georgia Power Co. owns 11,855 miles of transmission lines in total, as well as 78,583 miles of distribution lines. These lines run across terrain that is sometimes mountainous, hilly, forested, crowded and urban or remote and rural. The utility is also on

the grow along with the state of Georgia itself, with 2,712,780 customers serviced as of December 31, 2022.

Liftoff

Southern Co.’s UAS got its official start in 2015 when it won its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Chapter 333 exemption. Since the federal government issued the Part 107 Certification, Southern has used both piloted aircraft and third-party contractors.

The utility currently employs more than 160 in-house pilots with more than 200 aircraft. Southern requires these pilots to complete extra training in addition to their Part 107 certificates.

Georgia Power Co. kicked off its UAS Transmission Tier II Working Group in 2018. This group started as a team of ten transmission subject matter experts who were also trained drone pilots. Their mission was to operate and test out more advanced UASs on work such as power line maintenance, line construction and property and casualty (P&C) field services.

Georgia Power Transmission Co. lines run across terrain that is sometimes mountainous, hilly, forested, crowded and urban or remote and rural. Photos courtesy of Georgia Power Transmission Co.

These pilots were located across Georgia and selected for their skills learned in their other full-time jobs. Some were line workers, some specialists, some engineers and so on.

Piloting the Pilot Project

With a core group assembled, the utility moved on to pilot this new UAS-powered line inspection program in two phases. In phase one, the team would perform 1,000 structural inspections on three transmission lines with a combination of drones and ground inspection crews. Lines were selected to demonstrate effectiveness in three different terrains found in the GPC service territory: Urban, rural and mountainous. Comparing the effectiveness of ground crews with UAVs on line inspections under different conditions was one goal of the first phase. That effectiveness would be weighed based on the inspection results as well as safety and cost considerations.

The aerial inspection checklist consisted of image collection as well as thermal inspection and analysis. The UASs took images on approach, zoomed in on approach, from overhead and zoomed in on departure as well as a final departure image.

The ground line inspection crews did their inspections after the drone, performing a typical ground inspection on the line segments.

In Phase II of the pilot, the team tackled 50% of the planned 2022 line inspection work plan with the transmission UAS pilot team. The group targeted inspections in all areas of the service territory with a goal of completing 50% of inspections within the first 6 months.

In this phase, the team’s objective was to help increase the utility’s commitment to innovation, efficiency and employee development. Specifically, this meant deepening the utility’s skill set with UAS technology, developing the team of pilots further, gathering feedback from all areas across the utility’s footprint in Georgia, compare costs at all transmission voltage levels and determine which workforce and technology resources might be needed to deliver the desired results.

Putting a Team Together

The UAS inspection teams used a project manager, who managed project operations, supervised data collection, made sure airspace restrictions were followed, trained line inspectors and pilots, and took notes on potential areas for improvement within the program.

A group of five full-time line inspection specialists were also on the team. These workers conducted all line inspections in accordance with industry best practices and Georgia Power policies. They collected text data and imagery to help generate a work plan for maintaining the inspected transmission lines.

The inspection specialist team had over 90 years of experience working on transmission lines and more than 3,000 hours of combined UAS inspection flight hours logged. They performed tasks as varied and wide ranging as storm support, infrared

Today the utility pilots have dozens of drones, taking them into the field with a mini-fleet of six Jeep Wranglers.

Overhead shot, taken from a UAS.

inspections, switch inspections, UAS-based line pulling, fiber evaluations and UAS night operations.

Findings and Results

Once Phase I and II were complete, GPC found that its 3-worker UAS pilot team was able to complete inspections on 7,000 structure locations in eight months. GPC’s decisionmakers received reports on abnormal conditions and the imagery associated with those conditions immediately after the area inspection was completed.

The teams averaged 14 miles of power line inspections per day on average, with 1,400 line miles inspected in total. This took about 1,000 flight hours logged, with each structure averaging about seven minutes to fully inspect with a UAS.

In total, the drone team discovered 5,174 abnormal conditions on lines and structures as compared with 1,150 abnormal conditions found by the traditional inspection team from the ground only. Of those, 35 conditions were considered critical and needed to be addressed as soon as possible. The team from the ground found 17 critical conditions by comparison.

For the problem areas identified, the drones took about 48,000 images for diagnosis and analysis. GPC found it could realize cost savings of about 60% on a yearly basis with drone inspections while producing improved image data sets, locating more critical problems on lines, generating clear documentation of repairs needing immediate attention, less environmental impact, resolving most inspection access issues, and delivering the added benefit of thermal imagery.

After the pilot project’s analysis, GPC also surmised that line inspection crews could conceivably lose familiarity with lines,

Infrared photography taken from drones can spot problems even on a hot day.

Thermal image, taken

a drone’s infrared camera, of a potential trouble spot.

access points and line inspection best practices if they relied exclusively on drones over traditional from-the-ground inspections.

Another drawback of drones is UASs can perform visual inspections only, and cannot for example hammer a pole above the groundline. This could lead to more rejected poles. Furthermore, there is a limited availability of ground inspection crews.

Deploying Drones Widely

Today, the UAS work teams have more and more sophisticated equipment to perform their work with, which is a good thing because they are performing a lot of important work. The team uses a mini-fleet of a half-dozen Jeep Wrangler 4XEs, 14 DJI M300 quadcopters with H20T payloads, ten DJI M30T quadcopters and three Skydio X10 quadcopters with thermal imaging capabilities.

With this experience and this equipment, the team has an average annual workplan today of:

• 10,000 to 15,000 structure locations

• 2,500 average line miles

Below are examples of potential trouble spots caught by a drone that a ground crew may have missed.

Once Phase I and II were complete, GPC found that its 3-worker UAS pilot team were able to complete inspections on 7,000 structure locations in eight months.

• 100,000 average images collected

• 3,000 average flight hours

• 2,000 average data processing hours

The team can perform evaluations of the age of individual transmission assets, their overall condition, their potential deterioration, environmental concerns, the criticality of the line and the potential operations and maintenance cost to repair.

Comparing inspections performed of a similar area and equipment in two different years, the UAS team identified 37,904 total abnormalities in 2023 compared with 18,662 from the traditional on-ground team in 2020. Of those, 113 found by the drone pilots were potentially critical and in need of immediate repair compared to 46 critical problems located by the ground team. The drone pilots also discovered 1,757 line health issues that the ground crew was not able to.

Drones are not the end-all, be-all for line inspections. There are still some tasks they cannot yet perform with existing technology. Their advantages in efficiency, cost-effectiveness, safety and precision, however, are easy to quantify.

Long-Awaited SunZia to Transmit Wind Power

At ±525 kV and 3000 MW, the historic transmission project will raise the ceiling on long-distance high-voltage voltage source converter transmission.

By RALPH KURTH, Stantec, and VAJIRA PATHIRANA, Pattern Energy Group LP

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating the climate crisis is requiring communities around the world to rethink how they generate their electricity. Of course, this is the great energy transition, and it involves moving away from traditional fossil fuel-based generation and toward renewable sources of energy. And, it is happening across the U.S. From offshore wind farms in the Northeast to solar developments in California as well as new hydrogen hubs popping up throughout the country, the onboarding of new renewable energy projects is encouraging to see.

However, generating renewable energy is only half the battle. These kinds of projects also require a significant amount of grid infrastructure, as utilities must be able to deliver the energy. Many sources of renewable energy can only be produced in certain geographic locations. Generating solar power requires plentiful sunlight. Hydropower relies on bountiful water resources. And wind power needs, well, a lot of wind. But what about the regions that do not have those characteristics? They need renewable energy sources, too.

That is why T&D infrastructure is so important and why more grid modernization projects are happening around the country. Case in point: The purpose of the SunZia transmission project is to deliver renewable energy from wind farms in New Mexico to

communities in Arizona followed by California. It is part of the largest clean energy infrastructure initiative in U.S. history and can serve as an example for future grid modernization projects.

A Brief History

The state of New Mexico boasts some of the most abundant, constant wind in the U.S. As of 2022, the state generated approximately 4000 MW of wind power — about 30% of New Mexico’s total energy generation. New Mexico has the potential to produce much more wind power, but it lacks the transmission infrastructure needed to deliver the electricity to consumers in other locations. That is where the SunZia transmission project comes into play.

The SunZia project is part of a larger initiative driven by Pattern Energy Group LP. It is enabling Pattern to develop an approximately 3500-MW wind farm in the state of New Mexico by providing the transmission infrastructure to deliver this energy where it is needed. The project will help to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and provide communities with low-cost, reliable, carbon-free energy.

The SunZia transmission project had been discussed in the U.S. for several years. In May 2023, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) announced its decision, and construction was

The project is also one of the few VSC HVDC overhead transmission line projects in the world. A VSC converts the electrical power generated by the wind turbines from alternating current to direct current.

Photos courtesy of Pattern Energy.

allowed to commence. As per the DOI, the project “represents another milestone in the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to accelerate transmission buildout to lower consumers’ energy costs, prevent power outages in the face of extreme weather, create good-paying union jobs, and make progress towards achieving President Biden’s goal of a 100% clean electricity grid by 2035.”

The SunZia wind farms are being built southeast of Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the counties of Lincoln, Torrance and San Miguel. The energy generated there will be delivered across 12 counties — via the SunZia transmission project — to Arizona, just southeast of Phoenix, in Pinal County. It is an approximately 550mile (885-km) long transmission system that traverses federal, state and private lands to reach its destination. From there, it is distributed to communities in Arizona or sent on to California.

miles is a great distance and HVAC transmission lines do not offer the same effectiveness at such distances as HVDC.

Projects like SunZia are massive endeavors that require significant planning and investment. They also depend on robust collaboration, new and innovative technologies, and community partnerships.

Leveraging HVDC

One of the biggest trends with renewable energy integration projects is the increasing use of high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) power transmission. This is because HVDC transmission can transmit large amounts of power over long distances more reliably and affordably than alternating-current transmission. It is perfect for projects like SunZia and can deliver wind power from the middle of New Mexico where production is plentiful to communities in the Southwest where it is not.

HVDC transmission acts almost like a pipeline, sending large amounts of electricity from where it is produced over long distances down the line for use. Using traditional high-voltage alternating-current (HVAC) transmission lines on this project would be less cost-effective over the life of the project, as 550

Another innovative aspect of SunZia, the project combines multiple proven technologies in a unique way. For example, when the project goes into service, it will be one of the highest-capacity HVDC voltage source converter (VSC) systems in operation in the world. At ±525 kV and 3000 MW, the SunZia transmission project will raise the ceiling on long-distance high-voltage VSC transmission.

The project is also one of the few VSC HVDC overhead transmission line projects in the world. A VSC converts the electrical power generated by the wind turbines from alternating current to direct current. Up until now, VSCs were only typically used for transmission underwater by way of submarine cables. However, SunZia uses VSC converters with overhead line transmission, and this combination will enable SunZia to transmit larger amounts of power over a long distance in a reliable, cost-effective way. SunZia also uses alternating-current (ac) choppers to allow wind farms to ride through disturbances affecting the HVDC transmission system. Traditionally, islanded wind farms connected by HVDC submarine cables have used direct-current (dc)

Map of the SunZia Transmission Project.

Groundbreaking of the SunZia Transmission Project.

choppers to protect the dc system and provide fault ride-through capability to the wind turbines. However, ac choppers enable high-speed fault clearing on the dc transmission line as well as the receiving-end ac system, providing improved system reliability.

The SunZia project can serve as a great example of embracing new technologies and methods. The electric utility industry can expect these innovations to continue evolving, so it is important to stay aware of developments within the transmission industry.

Community Partnerships

Establishing relationships with local stakeholders and nearby communities was foundational to developing SunZia. This is typically true with any project, but it is even more so when designing infrastructure that spans 12 counties, multiple states, and federal, state and private lands.

What does this mean? Firstly, thoughtful and proactive engagement. Stakeholders must feel engaged, and the project needs to solicit input, consider concerns, and incorporate feedback in the planning and development process. This can come in the form of in-person community meetings, online communications, stakeholder surveys and general communication of facts to project stakeholders. The SunZia project spans several communities with unique input, so taking this into account in the project design was key.

One of the key messages of the SunZia project was the opportunity for good-paying, local jobs in the region. Just as it was communicated by the BidenHarris administration, the team at SunZia had to outline how local stakeholders could benefit from increased job activity in the region. Another key message was highlighting how the project would be completed with respect for the environment. Again, this project spans over 550 miles. It was incredibly important and necessary to demonstrate strong environmental stewardship across the entire transmission line, including paralleling existing infrastructure, when possible. The project also benefited from the support of the National Audubon Society, which believes SunZia serves as a case study for how a project can be designed to avoid the worst impacts to birds.

Design and construction are only a couple aspects of grid modernization projects. It also takes strong community partnerships and robust stakeholder engagement to make the local communities part of the overall vision.

Grid Modernization

The race to renewable energy is on — and it looks to be staying that way as utilities strive to reach the ambitious decarbonization targets. To achieve these goals, utilities must be able to deliver renewable energy to the communities that need it. The energy transition will not happen overnight; it will take decades of planning and trillions of dollars in investment to

Heavy equipment moving into place at a SunZia construction area.

The SunZia project spans several communities with unique input, so taking this into account in the project design was key.

make that dream a reality. And, modernizing the electrical infrastructure will play a significant role in these net-zero efforts.

Massive endeavors like the SunZia transmission project can help utilities to modernize the grid and drive the energy transition forward. These projects will rely on industry experts from around the world coming together to derive solutions that may not have existed before. They will also demand robust partnerships, innovative technology, new methodologies and strong stakeholder engagement.

However, projects like SunZia demonstrate that these kinds of grid modernization efforts are achievable, and they can help deliver renewable energy to communities around the world. Heading forward, more projects like SunZia need to be developed. The energy transition demands it.

RALPH KURTH (ralph.kurth@stantec.com) is senior principal of energy at Stantec. With more than 35 years of experience, he has worked on a range of power system projects. His focus is currently on HVDC transmission systems, ac substations and their automation systems. Kurth’s passion for bringing multidisciplinary teams

together to execute challenging projects further drives his work to positively impact the communities supported by his projects. He has served as technical advisor, project manager and commissioning manager on several technically advanced projects around the world.

Nordic’s Home for Fiber Enclosures

● Nordic’s PSP-151530-MG-CB-FIBER pedestal is the enclosure for a fiber optic enclosure.

●Lockable & Removable lid allows open access foreasytrainingoffiber strands inside the flared base.

●Pedestal’s built-in mounting bracket makes it easy to attach the fiber optic enclosure.

●Large expansive interior cavity for easy fiber enclosure installation.

●Accommodates a variety of fiber enclosures

●The word “FIBER” is imprinted on the top lid.

●*Hand holes available for other fiber applications.

VAJIRA PATHIRANA is senior director of project engineering at Pattern Energy Group.

Construction begins at the SunZia Transmission Project in Corona, New Mexico.

Meet Derek DiCastro

National Grid

Derek DiCastro is focusing on distribution and gaining as much experience and knowledge as possible until he receives his hot stick qualification.

• Lives in Westernville, New York, with his wife, Katie, and their three children: Dash, 4, Demi, 2, and Kane, who was born on June 20, 2024.

• Enjoys spending time with his family, coaching his son’s T-ball games, fishing, boating, snowboarding and skiing.

• He once competed as a professional snowboarder traveling around the United States and Canada.

• Won the speed climb at the International Lineman’s Rodeo as an apprentice.

• Can’t live without his hooks, belt, handline, ox block, rescue equipment and battery-powered guns, gators and cutters, staple guns and ground pounders.

Early Years

My friend was preparing to go to line school, and he invited me to come with him. Instead, I joined the Operating Engineers Union to become a journeyman heavy equipment operator. I enjoyed this job, but I couldn’t help but being drawn to line work. More of my friends had gone to line school and began their careers as lineworkers, and it looked interesting and fun. I applied to Local 1249, and they told me I needed to finish my crane license, attend line school or get some experience to be competitive. While I worked on my crane license hours, I worked as a line technician for eight months for Verizon, which had a climbing school in Virginia. I then got a temporary field helper job as a flagger for my utility. After a few months, I won a bid on a line progression job, and I topped out as a C lineman after completing the three-and-a-half-year apprenticeship this past December.

Day in the Life

At National Grid, a C lineman can work all voltages and perform all duties while accompanied by a hot stick lineman. I will hold this title for two years and then be sent to hot stick school where I will become a fully qualified hot stick lineman upon completion. As a C lineman, no two days are the same, which is part of the job I love. Unless we have a big job scheduled and assigned, we could be doing anything from maintenance, 911 and service calls and trouble work to setting new poles or upgrading and installing new equipment.

Challenges and Rewards

We are on call 24/7, and we often work late or through the night due to wind and storm damage, motor vehicle accidents an equipment failures. For me, one of the biggest challenges is finding a sustainable work/life balance. I love my job, and I’m still taking in a lot of new information and experiences daily.

I find myself having a hard time saying no to the callouts and overtime to the point where I’m not seeing my family as much as I’d like to and ending up burning myself out. The biggest rewards come from the customers and their appreciation after working all night to get their power restored. Learning and being part of a trade that has an abundance of work and opportunities while earning a decent wage is also really awesome.

Safety Lesson

I came into this career with a high regard for safety, and I’ve been lucky so far with none of my own eye-opening experiences. By hearing others with more experience talking about their near misses, I’ve learned if it can happen to them, it can happen to me. I’ve learned no matter how long you’ve been doing the job or the task you are about to do, we are humans who can make mistakes. When you add in the long hours, lack of sleep and variables that come with an old deteriorating system you really need to take every opportunity to protect yourself.

Competing at the Lineman’s Rodeo

Rodeoing has given me an outlet to scratch my competitive itch while bettering my line work skills and safety. When I found out National Grid had a Lineman’s Rodeo Team, I think I was probably the first name on the roster for tryouts that spring. This will be my first year competing as a journeyman. My team and I recently made the trip down to the NSUJL Rodeo in Pennsylvania on our own to gain a little extra experience and prepare for the International Lineman’s Rodeo this year. We placed first in the speed climb, third in hurtman rescue and received an award for fastest speed climb of the day.

Plans for the Future

I’m proud of my career, background and path that brought me to where I am now, but I wish I would have gotten into the power industry sooner. There are so many avenues and types of work in this field. As much as I enjoy learning and gaining experience, I enjoy sharing what I’ve learned and helping others who have the same outlook and approach as I do. Someday if and when I’m ready to slow down, I could see myself becoming a trainer or educator in the industry.

Director, Business Development

Stephen M. Lach

Phone: 708-542-5648

Email: slach@endeavorb2b.com

Account Manager

Brent Eklund

Phone: 303-888-8492

Email: beklund@endeavorb2b.com

Account Manager

Steve Rooney

Phone: 781-686-2024

Email: srooney@endeavorb2b.com

Account Director

Bailey Rice

Phone: 630-310-2598

Email: brice@endeavorb2b.com

Account Manager

John Blackwell

Phone: 518-339-4511

Email: jblackwell@endeavorb2b.com

Account Manager

Denne Johnson

Phone: 607-644-2050

Email: djohnson@endeavorb2b.com

Sales Director, Energy

Jeff Moriarty

Phone: 518-339-4511

Email: jmoriarty@endeavorb2b.com

Sales Support Manager

Debbie Brady

Email: dabrady@endeavorb2b.com

International Linemen’s Rodeo, and Events

Sam Posa

Phone: 913-515-6604

Email: sposa@endeavorb2b.com

Analytics Institute Memberships

James Wingate

Membership Development Manager

Phone: 404-226-3756

Email: jwingate@endeavorb2b.com

Analytics Institute, Smart Utility Summit and Smart Water Summit

Reliability? The Silver Bullet is Skilled Workers

An unprecedented 52.4% of Union County Electric Cooperative’s entire system is under ground. Recently we have converted another 19 miles of overhead to underground and added an additional 12 miles of new distribution underground. For a small rural electric cooperative, this is great progress. The upgrades have greatly improved reli ability and reduced the number of outages.

Over the next several years, they will increase the number of underground miles as we slowly, but steadily re place an aging overhead system. Undergrounding these lines has also reduced the risk of public contacts from storms and farm equipment. The goal has been to improve reliability and mitigate hazards as much as possible.

Revenues from sales and service come primarily from customers in the surrounding region. As the workload increased, an apprentice electrician was added to the wiring department and a third one is planned for later this year.

Adding an EV and Charging Station

Late last year, the co-op added an electric vehicle and charging station to their fleet. The 2023 Tesla Model Y is utilized by staff to attend meetings and training, saving the co-op approximately $5,000 per year in fuel costs. But it was purchased in part to allow employees to learn about the technology so they could answer questions that they were receiving from members.

UCEC has also upgraded its metering system to an AMI system. Previously, line workers were reading meters for three to four days a month or the customers had to read their own meter and submit the reading monthly. Metering is now automated, freeing up the line crew to do what it was trained for and making our operation more efficient.

Vertical Integration

The South Dakota Co-op has also started an in-house wiring department with a full-service certified electrician, an important service for members and non-members. That was greatly needed due to the shortage of electricians coming from nearby cities. The intention was not to take business from another electrician, but to provide a service for smaller jobs. Billing is at competitive and fair rates.

In response to the needs of customers, the co-op also began selling and servicing Generac Home Standby Generators.

This year, a grant application has been submitted to install a solar array and standby battery system at the headquarters. Again, this is a saving to the co-op, but the Board of Directors felt it is just as important from an educational standpoint. As our generation portfolio continues to diversify, their members are exploring this technology and looking to us for answers. Their employees want to learn more about this so they can educate our members.

So, How did UCEC Do All This?

The key is cultivating a skilled workforce. It all starts with the employees. Without employees who are engaged, willing to work together and having the ability to look to the future, UCEC couldn’t accomplish this. They encourage our employees to think outside of the box. The UCEC Board of Directors provides opportunities for the employees to continue learning from others. The more people that the employees can interact with, the more ideas they can come up with to solve problems.

UCEC has a young staff right now, but there is a need for more people to enter the trades. Eventually, UCEC will need more employees and what better place to get them than right here at home? In 2023, UCEC began partnering with some area high schools to bring in interns who are interested in either being electricians or linemen. This has allowed them to understand the duties of being in these trades.

Further, it has given UCEC some insight into these young people and helped build relationships with their potential future workforce. These are great career opportunities. If they are hardworking and have an eagerness to learn they can have a long, meaningful career with a rural electric cCooperative.

MATT KLEIN is general manager at Union County Electric Cooperative in Elk Point, South Dakota.

Summer intern Tayden Wells Hake learns by doing from UCEC journeyman line worker Brandon Warnke on a deenergized junction box, a common piece of equipment on UCEC’s system.

Quanta has built the largest skilled labor force in North America by uniting over 300 operating companies to tackle the most complex infrastructure challenges in the world.

Lighting Up the World and Powering the Future

By AMY FISCHBACH , Field Editor

For four decades, lineworkers have come together to celebrate the line trade at the Lineman’s Rodeo. What started as a small competition in Manhattan, Kansas, has exploded into an international, record-shattering event following an entire week of activities for lineworkers and their families.

More than 15 years ago, I attended my first International Lineman’s Rodeo, and over the years, I’ve seen the event continue to grow and expand to where it is today. I’ve met the men and women in trade who sacrifice time away from their families to keep the lights on in the most severe weather conditions imaginable.

Honoring the History of the Rodeo

For this year’s Lineworker Supplement, we are honoring the history of the International Lineman’s Rodeo with the feature, “Cheers to 40 Years.” In this article, we are highlighting the movers and shakers of the Rodeo from the competitors to the judges to the board members.

For many lineworkers, the Rodeo is an annual tradition. Every year, they bring their families to the event to meet new friends, connect with old ones and enjoy the camaraderie of the line trade. This year, they will be able to enjoy a new event — the first International Kids’ Rodeo — sponsored by Buckingham Manufacturing and organized by Missouri Valley JATC. Children can compete in two divisions including 1st Step Apprentice for eight- to 10-year-olds and Little Lineman for 11- to 14-year-olds.

To learn more, visit T&D World’s website at www.tdworld.com/ electric-utility-operations, subscribe to the International Lineman’s Rodeo News e-newsletter and check out the December issue of T&D World magazine to see the highlights of the 40th International Lineman’s Rodeo.

Recognizing Volunteers in the Line Trade

In our next feature, “Lighting the Way for the Line Trade,” we are shining the spotlight on lineworkers who have made a difference in the line trade or in their communities. These lineworkers put in long days and nights, yet they still find time to volunteer their time and talents.

For example, we are highlighting volunteers from two special programs to provide first-time electricity — Light Up

Navajo, which was featured in last year’s supplement, and the NRECA International program in Guatemala.

We are also featuring other lineworkers who have done everything from serving as a volunteer firefighter to starting a foundation for fallen lineworkers’ families to launching a campaign to raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. They share how they got their start in the line trade and are changing lives through their volunteer experiences.

Showcasing Leaders in Line Work

This year’s Lineworker Supplement is also celebrating those lineworkers who have gone from the field to the boardroom and beyond with the feature, “Lineworkers to Leaders.” While many lineworkers climb up the ladder to work in supervisory positions, a select few go on to start their own companies or serve as executives for their utilities.

You will be able to meet three former journeymen lineworkers who now work in the office instead of the field and learn how they navigated challenges along the way. For example, Patrick Smith of Ameren has worked in the industry for nearly four decades, starting as a meter reader, then as a journeyman lineworker and eventually to his current role as the senior vice president, operations and technical services for Ameren Illinois.

We are also featuring two journeyman lineworkers — Tim Greenwood and Aaron Palmer — who have started line contracting businesses on the union and non-union side and hear about their experiences going from serving on a line crew to managing their own businesses.

Sharing Inspiration from Inventors

The final article, Problem Solvers,” profiles lineworkers who also work as inventors. Through their creative spirit, hard work and ingenuity, they have launched new products to help their fellow lineworkers save time and increase productivity. They have secured patents, field tested their products and launched them into the market to share with the line trade.

As you and your families prepare to travel to Kansas City for International Lineman’s Rodeo Week, make sure you tune in to the Line Life Podcast at linelife.podbean.com. Also, be sure to share your best photos from Rodeo Week with me at amyfischbach@gmail.com and tag us on social media on Instagram @linemenworld and on X (Twitter) at @tdworldmag with the hashtag, #linemansrodeokc. We’d love to hear from you so we can put you and your loved ones in the spotlight.

In

Cheers to

the journeymen events, it’s all about teamwork as shown by this team back in 2022. Photo by Amy Fischbach.

Over the last four decades, lineworkers and their families have come together to celebrate the line trade at the International Lineman’s Rodeo.

By AMY FISCHBACH, Field Editor

If lineworkers could snag a time machine, they could set it to September 1984 at the Manhattan Vocational Technical College in Manhattan, Kansas — the date of the very first International Lineman’s Rodeo. On that day, a dozen teams of journeyman lineworkers from four utilities in Kansas and Missouri blazed the trail to an annual tradition.

Last year, the number of competitors skyrocketed to 440 apprentices and 292 journeymen teams compared to 36 journeymen lineworkers in 1984. While the event has experienced explosive growth, its mission has remained the same — to showcase safety in the line trade and educate the public about what lineworkers do to power their communities.

As the event is heading into its 40th year, it’s a great milestone to celebrate, says Dennis Kerr, who retired from DTE Energy and is now the co-chairman of the International Lineman’s Rodeo Association (ILRA). He says overall, the International Lineman’s Rodeo is an opportunity to see old friends and meet new ones. He enjoys seeing all the competitors line up to get their packets, joining lineworkers and their families for the Lineman’s BBQ the day before the competition and announcing the scholarship award winners.

“This event brings the whole brotherhood and sisterhood together for a great competition,” Kerr says. “It demonstrates how an event like this run by all volunteers to make it a family event for everyone to enjoy, have fun, be challenged on events and promote the line trade.”

Kerr says the event has grown because every year, the best of the best in the world is competing at a very high level and it is promoting the skills and safety of lineworkers.

“Every lineworker who competes wants to be the best of the best for this competition,” Kerr says. “Every year, we see the camaraderie that has developed and the joys of seeing each other compete, plus a learning experience to watch some different ways of accomplishing an event.”

Looking Back

Four decades ago, Dale Warman, a retired supervisor from Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L, now Evergy), partnered with Tom White from TWSCO and Charlie Young from Southwest Line Construction to organize the first Lineman’s Rodeo. Today he serves as the co-chairman of the ILRA along with Kerr. One of his favorite parts of the International Lineman’s Rodeo Week is seeing all the lineworkers and their families enjoying themselves.

The sunrise comes up on the Rodeo grounds during the 2022 competition.

Photo by Amy Fischbach.

TRACING THE TIMELINE OF THE RODEO

The Lineman’s Rodeo, which went from “national” to “international” when England sent teams, has moved around the Midwest over the last 40 years. Here is a rundown of the different venues for the event.

1984–1985: A total of 36 competitors participated in the first Lineman’s Rodeo at the Manhattan Vocational Technical College in Manhattan, Kansas.

1991: The Rodeo relocates to St Louis for one year to celebrate the IBEW 100th anniversary.

1986–1990: The event moves to KCP&L’s Sub One training grounds (near Front St. and Manchester.)

1992–1994: The event moves to land south of Worlds of Fun.

1995–1998: The Rodeo takes place in the West Bottoms area of Kansas City, Missouri, near the Golden Ox steakhouse and the former stockyards.

1999–present:

The International Lineman’s Rodeo happens every October at the Agricultural Hall of Fame grounds in Bonner Springs, Kansas. Apprentices from Evergy replace poles on the grounds to prepare for the annual competition.

“It’s what makes me smile every year,” says Warman, who has a special sign dedicated to him on the Rodeo grounds and is part of the Lineman’s Hall of Fame. “It is for the lineworkers and put on by lineworkers to ensure we practice safety rules in our daily work.”

While he has had a lot of great memories over the years, one particular Rodeo sticks out in his mind — the year that it rained, and the heavy rainfall trans formed the Rodeo grounds from dry packed dirt to muddy terrain.

with the International Lineman’s Rodeo since 1992. Lineworkers can spot him as the DJ at the Lineman’s BBQ, the emcee on the award stage and as the announcer on the Rodeo grounds. He says enormous work goes on behind the scenes, and it takes a large number of volunteers to host the Rodeo.

“I’ve actually been a part of the Rodeo for 32 years, so I’ve seen a lot of things come and go,” says Willman, who joined the ILRA while working at KCP&L and is now producing a special ruby-themed video to show during the 40th anniversary of the event. “In those days, we actually had industry characters like Louie the Lightning Bug and Reddy Kilowatt roaming the grounds in costume. It’s always been a colorful event filled with enthusiastic competitors, vendors and families.”

Scaling to the Top

While the Lineman’s Rodeo has its roots in Manhattan, Kansas, the event moved from KCP&L’s Sub One training grounds to St. Louis for the 100th anniversary of the IBEW to Worlds of Fun and the West Bottoms. Today, the Lineman’s Rodeo’s home is located at the Agricultural Hall of Fame grounds in Bonner Springs, Kansas. One competitor who has been at the International Lineman’s Rodeo for 25 out of the last 40 years is Bruce Thompson, an International Lineman’s Rodeo competitor who retired from Southern California Edison (SCE) and IBEW Local 47.

“I actually went back there last year and competed in the Rodeo as a climber at 66 years old with a team I had competed with before including my friend, Bryce Monday, who is like a firecracker — he’s fast, good, and loves the trade,” he says. “We finished in the top 20% of our division. I’ll take it. That’s a win.”

“We were all in raincoats and stayed inside the tents to keep dry,” he recalled.

In his experience, the last 40 years have flown by, and he can’t believe the event is celebrating its 40th anniversary. For 2024, the ILRA is planning to celebrate all the volunteers who have been involved for years to make the event a success and are still helping it to grow today.

“Our success has been possible due to all the people who make it possible — the judges, the ground crews who work all year getting the grounds ready and a board of directors who have the lineworkers and their families as top priority and have been for 40 years,” he says.

Mike Willman, the “voice of the Rodeo,” has been involved

When he looks back on his time competing at the Rodeo, he is flooded with a lot of good memories.

Bruce Thompson and his son, Bruce, have competed together at Lineman’s Rodeos in California, like this one at the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP), as well as the International Lineman’s Rodeo.

Ten Tips to Go From the Rodeo Grounds to the Award Stage

1. Be as calm as possible, says Milton Draper, crew foreman for Ameren Illinois.

2. Practice, practice, practice. If you can get your tools on fast, you can cut your time down tremendously, Draper added.

3. Don’t over think it. “Sometimes slow and steady wins the race,” he says.

4. Run as clean as possible and communicate with your team members. “Encourage your teammates to go out, have fun and just do your best,” says Michael Stremel of Midwest Energy.

5. Move smoothly through the events and don’t rush or get too excited. “For those coming the first time, take a deep breath and relax,” says Rustin Owen, member of the ILRA safety committee.

6. Make every move count, Bruce Thompson, a long-time competitor advised. “Instead of running around like a madman or a chicken with your head cut off, make less moves, and you will be done sooner. It’s like a mathematical formula.” For example, back in 1991, he remembers going so fast during the speed climb that out of the corner of his eye, he spotted his raw egg flying down to the ground. “Slower is faster,” he learned.

7. Record your practices. An apprentice asked Thompson for

For example, he had the opportunity to compete on the same

help with the speed climb, and he filmed him scaling and descending the pole and then showed him a different way to do it. “When he saw that video, it’s literally like the lightbulb when off in his head. He saw what I was telling him, and he corrected it and went on to win the speed climb in Kansas City that year. That made me incredibly proud.”

8. Climb the pole in an efficient way. Instead of pulling the foot away from the pole, take bigger steps, bend your knee and let it drop straight down, Thompson added. “If you gain too much speed coming down, you’re not going to be able to stop yourself,” he says.

9. Consider taping your legs for the hurt-man rescue. To avoid chafing and discomfort during the Rodeo, Thompson and his team were one of the first to put tape on their legs so the gaff pad has a good surface to hit the leg. This gets your pants in the exact spot, eliminates creases and prevents the hair on the legs from rubbing up against the pad. “Your hair can feel like sandpaper,” Thompson says. “You can also shave a little patch right where the gaff pad goes so your legs don’t bleed.”

10. Work as a team. “The little things are what make or break a team,” says Corry Ruch, a power line maintainer for Hydro One and former competitor.

action. Back in 1992, at his first Rodeo, he also constructed

around their tools, PPE and supplies on the Rodeo grounds.

Another unforgettable experience was the year he and his team won a trophy, and they were on the same plane as the winning teams from San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and SCE.

“It was a West coast sweep, and all our teams on the same plane with our hardware,” he says. “It was just one of those things I will never forget.”

For many of the competitors, the most memorable moments are centered around climbing to the top of their divisions. For example, Corry Ruch, a power line maintainer for Hydro One in Waterford, Ontario, Canada, will never forget when she and her teammates — Rudy Kerec and Richard Smedley — won second place in the senior division in 2019. She says the Rodeo gets bigger every year, and she enjoys seeing the pride in the trade and competing.

“Thank you for all the wonderful memories,” she says. “I’ve competed in four Rodeos, and I have loved every minute of it.”

Milton Draper, a crew foreman for Ameren Illinois in Edwardsville, Illinois, says his favorite memory was being able to walk across the stage at the International Lineman’s Rodeo award banquet in 2019.

“It’s such an amazing event to get together with different lineworkers across the globe,” he says. “We’re able to share different tricks of the trade and the camaraderie it has with different ones for 40 years.”

One of his favorite parts of the International Lineman’s Rodeo is the competitive attitude of all the competitors.

“When it’s go time, everyone has their game face on and is ready to have a good, safe time,” he says.

Since the event started 40 years ago, it has grown so much between different vendors and new tools.

“The best part about it is having more and more competitors,” he says. “We have more who want to be a part of it. They

want to be able to say, ‘Yeah, I competed at the International Lineman’s Rodeo with their chest held high.’”

This year, Draper will be coaching the apprentices, scheduling practices and helping the Ameren Illinois teams with anything they need on site. He says he loves everything about the Rodeo.

“I enjoy seeing friends from across the world year after year and to watch some amazing competitors compete,” Draper says. “This will be my ninth or 10th year. I’ve been a competitor, a judge and observer. It’s just so fun and addicting to be a part of the competition in any way possible.”

He says it is truly a family event that he enjoys spending with his wife and two children, who travel from Illinois to Kansas for International Lineman’s Rodeo Week.

“My family personally enjoys it,” says Draper, who was a guest on the T&D World Line Life Podcast along with his son, Preston, at last year’s Lineman’s Expo. “My kids have been coming since they were in the womb, and now I feel like my son, Preston, knows more people than I do.”

Focus on Safety

The International Lineman’s Rodeo is all about showcasing the skills of the trade, but it’s also about safety. From Wednesday through Saturday night of Rodeo week, safety is always top of mind, and the ILRA has volunteers to supervise safe work practices on the Rodeo grounds. For example, Michael Stremel, electric operations inspector for Midwest Energy, Inc. in Hays, Kansas, served as a safety observer on the sidelines

Corry Ruch, a power line maintainer for Hydro One, will never forget when she and her team won an award in the senior division at the Rodeo.

The International Lineman’s Rodeo has given lineworkers the opportunity to showcase the skills of the line trade for the last four decades.

at the 2023 International Lineman’s Rodeo. His team, which included Bill Nowlin and John Horesky, won first place in the senior division in 2014.

“I’m looking forward to this year’s event, and it’s great to see this continuing year after year to showcase the electric utility industry and the line trade,” he says. “I enjoy seeing the Rodeo competition and watching lineworkers demonstrate their skills. It’s amazing seeing how much the event has grown every year, and the ILRA committee and the volunteers are what keep this great event going.”

During the Lineman’s Expo, in which vendors showcase their tools and technology for the line trade, Stremel and Doug Flick will be raising money to support the Flick/Stremel Lineman Scholarship Foundation with their third annual Lineman Gun Raffle. This year, the prize will be a Ruger 1911 in a .45 Caliber complete with a lineman engraving and a walnut display case.

To get ready for the big day, he’s attending planning meetings throughout the year prior to the actual event. He says he’s thankful for all the past committee members who have given so much of their time to make the event what it is today.

“I am glad to be on board as an ILRA volunteer to help keep this event going and growing,” he says. “I’m looking forward to the 50th anniversary of this event.”

Another ILRA board member, Rustin Owen, is a senior advanced field service engineer for Honeywell Salisbury in Antwerp, Ohio. He first competed at the International Lineman’s Rodeo as part of the military division, and at that point in time, he was a competitor looking at an event with tools he had never used.

“Multiple teams were giving pointers and helping from their experience in the field at the event,” Owen says. “That’s when you know you are among the best when they help you out in a competition.”

Owen says he is excited to be part of the International

Lineman’s Rodeo and to share his experience with his father, a retired lineworker.

“I love spending the whole week with friends from around the world who are now more like family,” he says. “It’s mind blowing to see how far it has come and how much it has grown.”

This year, Owen says it’s a double celebration — 40 years of the Lineman’s Rodeo and 100 years since the patent for the line hose, which is a major safety component in line work and one that has been in the Rodeo for many years. He’s also looking forward to the safety conference.

While the original Lineman’s Rodeo just included the competition, the International Lineman’s Rodeo now comprises of a one-and-a-half-day safety and training conference to kick off Rodeo week. During this conference, which is free and open to attendees, line program students, young apprentices and seasoned journeymen can listen to presentations from personal injury stories to how to properly wear personal protective equipment (PPE) in the field and more.

“As part of the safety committee, we are putting together a great conference with some great education for the industry,” Owen says.

At the International Lineman’s Rodeo, the competitors can also share best practices and how they are doing work safely and efficiently. As Kerr looks ahead to the future of the event, he hopes to see new lineworkers attending and learning the safe way to do their work from the older and more experienced lineworkers. He says this year will be better than last year, and each year, attendees will continue to see improvements.

“Many of our board members are getting older and will eventually completely retire, so hopefully our replacements will have the same enthusiasm to maintain the success and integrity of the ILRA,” he says. “The International Lineman’s Rodeo is a great event that I hope will continue for years to come.”

With their gear draped over their shoulders, the lineworkers get ready to compete at the Rodeo.

Lighting the Way for the Line Trade

Through volunteering, these six journeymen lineworkers are giving back to their communities and the utility industry.

By AMY FISCHBACH , Field Editor

Lineworkers work from sunrise to sundown to keep the power flowing for customers. While everyone in the trade — from new apprentices to the seasoned journeymen — lives a life of service to their communities, some lineworkers pour their time and energy off the clock to help others in need.

Take for example Arthur William Muñoz, section supervisor for Salt River Project (SRP), who has spent more than two decades working in the line trade. Through the Light Up Navajo (LUN) Project, organized by the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) and American Public Power Association (APPA), he and 250 other volunteer lineworkers joined forces to provide first-time electricity to the Navajo Nation.

“We were productive and safe, and it was a fun environment to be in,” he says about his experience working this year in the northern Arizona section of Navajo Nation. “When lineworkers can get out of the city and get a chance to build overhead line in rural areas, they get excited and jump on the opportunity.”

Billy Patterson, journeyman lineworker for CKenergy Electric Cooperative in Binger, Oklahoma, agreed, saying volunteering to provide firsttime power is life-changing and an experience he will never forget. He is a two-time volunteer for NRECA International’s program to wire homes in Guatemala, and he said it was amazing to be part of the lighting ceremony in the village.

While all lineworkers are heroes as first responders, the following special group lights the way for the line trade through their dedication to their communities and spirit of service.

Illuminating Navajo Nation

Nearly 23 years ago, Muñoz joined SRP as a young 25-yearold in a trade he knew nothing about or even had goals of trying to chase. He recalls feeling like he was in culture shock and thrown to the wolves. “I knew I was blessed with an opportunity at a great company, and I wanted to work hard and see where it took me,” Muñoz says. “I ended up loving the trade and made it my goal to become a lineworker.”

“I’m grateful for being able to bring electricity to the Guatemalans,” he says. “I would also like to tell any other lineworkers who are thinking about volunteering on a project to just go. It will be life changing.”

After working as a trades helper for three-and-a-half years, he joined the apprenticeship program in 2006. As a fifth-step apprentice, he experienced a memorable experience as a lineworker — participating in SRP’s “climb and shake” inspection for its transmission towers. As part of this project, he rappelled off the side of a helicopter to the tip of Goat’s Peak.

“We get hoisted down with a winch line and disconnect once we reach the tower,” Muñoz says. “We then climb down and shake each part of the tower, looking for cracks, loose connections or rattles. I had never been in a helicopter before and never thought I would be hoisted down from one.”

When he topped out in 2010, he had another memorable experience — earning the David G. Hollis Award for the most outstanding apprentice of his class that year at SRP. He then worked as a lineworker in various divisions for six years, eventually taking on the role of lead lineman.

“At that point in my career, I then decided to take the next leap and pursue a working foreman position,” he says. “I ran

Salt River Project Section Supervisor Arthur Muñoz volunteered for the Light Up Navajo project to provide first-time electricity to homes on Navajo Nation. Courtesy of Salt River Project.

a crew for one year when I was given the opportunity to take on a role as a temporary section supervisor. Seven years later, here I am.”

Now as a section supervisor in SRP’s distribution maintenance division, he and his group maintain the distribution territory from a preventative and reactive perspective for both scheduled and emergency work. For example, he’s responsible for overseeing six reactive crews to build a cohesive, safe and productive workplace, and he ensures all employees are up to date on regulatory annual training. He also plans and organizes resources, equipment and personnel to respond to any trouble calls in a timely manner and collaborates with different groups at SRP.

Beyond his job at SRP, he also volunteered for the LUN Project to bring electricity to families in need on Navajo Nation. SRP partnered with 42 different utilities from 16 states in hopes of bringing power to 200 homes.

“SRP has been a part of this initiative from the beginning and has done an excellent job of spreading the word about it,” Muñoz says. “I had seen and heard about it when I worked in different groups, and I always had it in the back of my mind that it would be something I would like to be part of one day.”

For the fourth year SRP participated in the program, he jumped at the opportunity to give back to communities that needed help. “Our division aids in mutual assistance to neighboring states, and I felt like I could be part of something big that could benefit a lot of people all while using my specific skillset. Especially helping in our own state, it was rewarding and humbling at the same time.”

During the volunteer project, he managed and oversaw two crews, 12 employees and all the equipment. His typical day

consisted of driving to the NTUA show up yard, having a tailboard, loading up material and driving out to the job. Once on site, the lineworkers built overhead line, dug pole holes, framed and set poles and strung and clipped in overhead line.

As a volunteer for LUN, he was inspired by the Native American culture and how many of the residents live the way their ancestors did. Also, he had the opportunity to see how a different utility, the NTUA, operated and see their specifications. He and the other lineworkers were stationed in a very remote area in northern Arizona, which presented a few key challenges like locating the areas to build power lines. While working off other utilities’ schematics and job prints was foreign to him, it was manageable, he says. Another challenge was using the latitude/longitude coordinate system.

“I was pleasantly surprised that using that system does work in our cell phones and guided us to the correct spot we needed to be,” he says.

One of the most memorable experiences was the appreciation dinner that NTUA hosted for the volunteers. The NTUA employees cooked dinner, and they invited all the customers they energized on their projects. “We ‘broke bread’ together as they called it. We got an opportunity to sit and get to know not only the employees, but also the people from the surrounding area. Representatives, employees and people said prayers, spoke and shared their culture with us. We felt honored to be there.”

In the two weeks he and the SRP volunteers were on the project, they set 137 poles, strung 80,175 ft of overhead wire and 2,292 ft of secondary wire, set 16 overhead transformers and energized 17 customers.

“I saw extreme value from our folks out there, and it was

The SRP volunteer crews worked in a remote area of Arizona during the 2024 Light Up Navajo project. Courtesy of Salt River Project.

Billy Patterson prepares to screw in a light bulb to provide electricity to one of the homes in Guatemala. Photo courtesy of Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives.

The Light Up Navajo project allows lineworkers to provide first-time electricity to homes on the Navajo Nation.

very appreciated,” he says. “I could tell that the community and NTUA really enjoyed having us there. We have built relationships with the community and employees. I saw firsthand the folks who had gone before embrace each other when they reunited. Our employees did an excellent job representing SRP and they should feel proud of their efforts. It was a winwin for our employees, the Navajo Nation and SRP.”

Glowing Lightbulbs in Guatemala Lineworkers can not only power communities for the first time in America through LUN, but they can also travel overseas

through the NRECA International program. One of the volunteers, Patterson, has worked in the line industry for the last dozen years and handles new construction and outages for his cooperative.

“I was drawn to line work because I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors, contributing to the community and hands-on work,” he says. “The challenging work plus the view from the bucket are just a few of the reasons I enjoy going to work each day.”

The most memorable moments of being a lineworker are the interactions he’s had with members of the co-op.

“On several occasions, people have gone out of their way

OUR WUNPEECE TRANSMISSION SPACERS REDEFINE THE INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR UNDERGROUND POWER TRANSMISSION INSTALLATIONS. WITH PRECISION ENGINEERING AND UNMATCHED QUALITY,

to thank us or offer help,” he says. “They are always aware of our long and sleepless nights during storms. For instance, the morning after a tornado took a roof off a member’s home and destroyed his barn, he went into town to bring us all black coffee and donuts. This isn’t a rare occurrence. We are shown gratitude often.”

In addition to serving his own community through line work, Patterson also learned about an opportunity to volunteer in Guatemala from a presentation by Anna Politano, director of public relations and communications for the Oklahoma Association of Energy Cooperatives (OAEC).

“I was inspired by the stories of growth in resources and freed up time for new experiences that became available to the Guatemalans after having access to electricity,” he says.

He then put the inspiration into action by traveling to Guatemala with NRECA International in 2022 and 2023. During his 2022 trip, he spent three weeks building a power line for one village including more than 80 homes, an elementary school and a church.

“We were having to pull wire up and down mountainous terrain,” he recalls. “It was very hot and humid, which made climbing the poles more difficult.

The next year, he and the volunteer crews wired almost 200 structures through 38 villages. Because the lineworkers were working inside the homes, they worked closer with the villagers. One of his most memorable experiences was being able to see the inside of the villagers’ homes and how they live their day-to-day lives.

“They have dirt floors, palm roofs, an open fire to cook on and some have chickens roaming inside,” he recalls. “The river is where they wash their clothes, and women are seen carrying baskets or water jugs on their heads while being barefoot. Everyone is busy with their tasks but will stop in a moment’s notice to offer assistance if needed. It truly is amazing to watch how they make their community run smoothly with such little resources.”

In 2023, he and the volunteer crews stayed at the Fray Bartolome De Las Casas in Guatemala for 13 days. On a typical day, he woke up at 6 a.m. for breakfast, then loaded the trucks with materials and headed to new villages. When they arrived, they would discuss with the locals which homes or structures were on the list to be wired. After finishing wiring the homes and villages for the day, they would head back to their hotel, eat dinner and make bags with donations of necessities like toothbrushes from various cooperatives to give out to villagers. Through his experience, he learned about the resiliency of the Guatemala villagers.

“Everyone in the village works together,” he says. “Even the children are eager to help. They are genuinely happy and appreciative. The experience helped me to be more conscious about remembering to appreciate the things we take for granted such as ice, air conditioning, lights, food, medicine and so much more.”

Lineworkers volunteered their time and talents for the 2023 NRECA International trip to Guatemala.

Photos courtesy of Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives.

Billy Patterson will never forget the children and families he met during his volunteer trip to Guatemala through NRECA International.

When rainfall saturated the mountainous terrain in Guatemala, it presented many challenges as far as building power lines. “We had to climb every pole, and we did not have as many power tools as we would at home,” he says. “The language barrier also made some situations difficult. Our translators did a great job, but they could not be with all of us at once.”

At the same time, however, he says the opportunities were abundant and appreciated. He enjoyed being able to meet so many new people and create relationships with them in such short times. “I really enjoyed getting to work with lineworkers from other co-ops and states.”

He says what NRECA International and everyone else who contributes is doing to provide power to countries in need is truly inspiring. “I’m beyond blessed and grateful to have been able to help in any way,” he says. “I went thinking I could help and change their lifestyles, but instead, I found that in return, the Guatemalans humbled me and taught me so much. Their down-to-earth personalities and love of the simple things in life will always stay with me,” he says. “I hope I can teach my children about their passion and resilience for living.”

Helping Line Families and Promoting the Trade

While lineworkers are volunteering to provide first-time power to families both overseas and here at home, they are also helping the line trade in other ways. For example, Chad Dubea founded the Fallen Linemen Organization (FLO) as a way to help the families of injured or fallen lineworkers.

As the son of a utility engineer, he spent his childhood summers visiting the Gulf State Power line crews and going up in the bucket. “Early on, my upbringing with his work ethic really was an inspiration to me, and throughout my career in the industry,” he says.

When he was in high school, over the summers, he began working locally in line work, but he also traveled to south Texas and Louisiana, where he served on both transmission and distribution crews. During that time, he says he was fortunate to work with some of the best lineworker in the area.

After building and operating his own business, T&D Solutions, and selling it to a private equity company, he searched for a way to give back to an industry that was so good to him and his family. Back in 2012, he looked to see if there was a foundation to help fallen linemen, and he could only find foundations to help other first responders like police officers and firefighters. He then launched the Fallen Lineman Organization (FLO) to help line families in need.

Through a collaboration with the National Sisterhood United of Journeymen Linemen (NSUJL), the FLO gave out nearly $100,000 to help families of

After working as a lineworker and then starting his own company, Chad Dubea is giving back to the line trade, promoting line work as a career and providing support to families of fallen lineworkers.

wounded or fallen lineworkers. So far in 2024, the organization has already helped eight families.

“There’s definitely a need out there, and the main goal of the FLO is to reduce incidents,” he says. “We hope one day to not have to help any families. When the incidents are down, we can put those funds into doing more research and development on safer and more effective things for our industry.”

To request assistance, families of fallen or wounded lineworkers can fill out an application on FLO’s website. The board then meets to review the application and disburses funds for everything from the cost of funerals to bills that need to be paid. Because a lot of the funding comes from donations and volunteers, the FLO is focusing more on social media and marketing.

“We want to make sure that we are helping all families of fallen and wounded linemen,” he says. “We don’t separate from union or nonunion — we help all families in our industry.”

To further honor fallen lineworkers, Dubea and his team also commissioned a bronze memorial statue, which was inspired by a work-related fatality that happened years ago. This statue is now housed in a training facility in Texas, but in the near future, it will be relocated to the new home of the International Lineman’s Museum in Florida.

“We’re getting a plan together to hopefully get the industry involved with this great thing that we’re doing with the museum and the memorial to highlight our industry,” he says.

Photo by Chad Dubea.

Chad Dubea commissioned both a bronze and a traveling statue to honor the memory of fallen lineworkers.

Photo by Chad Dubea.

Beyond the FLO, Dubea also promoted the line trade through various ventures including helping to fund the NASCA Rrace, “Drivin’ for Linemen” in St. Louis for four years.

“One year we had a truck that we sponsored that went around the country that was dedicated to all electrical linemen,” he says. “I think that was a way for us to get the line industry out to people.”

In addition to securing the naming rights for the race, they also collaborated with Bob Hall of Buckingham Manufacturing to organize the Climbin for Linemen the day before the race. Lineworkers could participate in competitions to win prizes including a trip to Mexico.

To raise awareness of the line trade, Dubea also served as the executive producer of the Hollywood movie, “Life on the Line,” starring John Travolta as a lineworker. Travolta learned how to climb a pole at a Texas training facility and also met with the wives of fallen lineworkers during the filming. “It was a great experience, and I was honored and grateful to do it,” Dubea says.

Through the production of the movie, he says the team focused on getting the information out to people who didn’t know about the industry and getting the spouses involved. “In the beginning of the movie, when the guys are going out for a storm, his wife tells him to be safe,” he says. “A lot of times, I don’t think lineworkers talk about their day. I really wanted to show the spouses the dangers of those lineworkers out in the field because they may not understand the dangers out there and what they are dealing with.”

The third thing he wanted to get across through the movie was bridging the union/non-union gap. “I wanted to show that we can work together, we are lineworkers and it doesn’t matter what our affiliation is. We all work in this industry together, and we all want to get home safe to our families, and it shouldn’t matter what company we work for.”

Finally, he wanted to let people know the dangers of the industry. “The year we did the movie, we lost a lot of lineworkers, and so we wanted to get that information out there so people could recognize that this is a dangerous job that can be done safely,” he says.

Dubea says that he has loved his career in the line trade, and he urges all lineworkers out there to do more than they are expected to do.

“Don’t let anybody hold you back,” he says. “If you get opportunity, capture it and do the best you can do. I encourage everybody to put your heart into it. It’s not just a job — it’s a career. We should be so very honored and proud of what we are doing to bring everybody the electricity they demand.”

Fighting Fires and Saving Lives

Lineworkers are serving their communities each and every day by keeping the power on, but some are going above and beyond by volunteering in other public service roles. For example, Melissa Dawe, a fourth-year apprentice with Connect Atlantic Utility Services in Nova Scotia, Canada, serves as a volunteer firefigher in her free time. The volunteer firefighter. She first observed the professionalism and skills of powerline

workers during both routine and storm restoration work when she was a traffic controller.

“I did a lot of flagging work for them during their daily work and storms,” she says.

After running new fiber and doing underground work as a cable line technician for a utility, she joined her current company, where she focuses on upgrading and maintaining power lines. She has also traveled to the United States for storm response, most recently for Hurricane Fiona.

“We worked 22 days straight to get power back on to customers and even after those 22 days our regular day-to-day work was still part of fixing some of the infrastructure from the damage done by Hurricane Fiona. This hurricane had caused major damages to homes and power lines.”

Beyond her career in the line trade, Dawe is also giving

As a volunteer firefighter in her community, Melissa Dawe responds to medical calls and fires, helps with fundraisers and engages in training.

Photos courtesy of Melissa Dawe.

Apprentice Melissa Dawe is not only in line work, but she also serves as a volunteer firefighter in her community in her free time.

Lineworkers to Leaders

By AMY FISCHBACH , Field Editor

Lineworkers often spend their entire careers in the field, powering their communities and restoring electricity following severe storms. Some journeymen, however, rise in the ranks to executive management while others leave their companies to launch their own businesses from the ground up.

Moving from the field to the office, however, isn’t always easy for journeyman lineworkers who love being outside, scaling structures and getting the power back on.

“It’s still a battle we face today,” says Aaron Palmer, a journeyman lineworker who started his own company, AMP Utility Services in Corpus Christi, Texas. “You never get rid of the urge to strap on your hooks and climb.”

Even so, starting a business can be rewarding for lineworkers. Just ask Chad Dubea, who started working full-time for Red Simpson right out of high school, and then a decade later, had the opportunity to start his own company — T&D Solutions. In 2005, his company started with 15 people and by 2013, it employed 1500 people. Understanding the business side of building power lines and being able to start a company and be successful was the highlight of his career, he says.

“I think everybody should give it a shot if they have the opportunity,” Dubea says. “I was actually comfortable being on a line crew and then had the opportunity to move into management and that kind of prepared me for starting T&D,

and that was the greatest learning experience.”

He urges any journeyman lineworkers who have the opportunity to start their own company to go for it. At the same time, he says they must be willing to do things that others are not willing to do and put in hours others aren’t willing to put in.

“I know a lot of people think if you own your own company, it’s easy, but that’s when the work really starts,” Dubea says. “You have people who are depending on you, and you have to make sure that you are providing them with a safe place to work with the right equipment and tools.”

After starting his own company and selling it to a private equity firm, he was able to help two other lineworkers — Palmer and Tim Greenwood — also launch their own businesses.

“I have a lot of faith in them, and I feel like their hearts are in the right place,” he says. “Without having an opportunity to start my own business, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. I really like it when guys want to give their lives to their companies and provide a good quality, safe place for people to work.”

Here are the stories of three lineworkers who made the leap from the line trade to the corporate world including Greenwood, Palmer and Patrick Smith of Ameren Illinois. They describe their early years in line work and how they made the transition to management, whether at their same utilities or through their own businesses.

As the son of a lineworker in California, Greenwood was inspired to pursue a career in the line trade. He graduated from the South Eastern Line Construction Apprenticeship Training (SELCAT) and has 20 years of experience as a lineworker, foreman and general foreman. His brother, Jacob, also became a journeyman lineworker as well.

Greenwood says his first job in the line trade was as a groundsman for Red Simpson. As a 19-year-old apprentice, he learned the importance of safety.

“I climbed a pole to hang a guard arm for a guard structure we installed to pull wire over the 495 Freeway in Baltimore, Maryland,” he says. “I took a shortcut and didn’t put a bolt through the pole to hang the guard arm, and the sling came loose and choked around both of my wrists as I was climbing down the pole. Luckily, it was still hooked to the crane, and the operator cabled it up in time to save my hands and wrists. I learned right then that shortcuts aren’t worth it.”

During his career in the field, he worked through many storms, including a threemonth restoration in the Bahamas, before deciding to go into leadership. After working for other companies, he was driven to learn how they operated and see if he could do it better on his own. He recently launched his own company, Powerline Construction Services LLC in Kingston Springs, Tennessee. As the CEO of the company, he says it mainly specializes in storm work, but they are also actively looking for blue-sky opportunities as well.

“As a company, we go above and beyond on tools so there is no reason for anyone to feel like they need to take a shortcut or not have the proper tool for the job,” he says. “We do this as well for all safety equipment.”

Although he has worked in leadership positions in the field, working in an office full-time presented challenges because he had to depend on others to do their job.

Tim Greenwood went from a journeyman lineworker to the owner of his company, which serves the line trade.

“One of the main struggles for me was to learn patience,” Greenwood says. “When you’re used to getting whatever needs to be done with a purpose, it’s discouraging to have people take a week or more in some situations.”

At the same time, however, he says being a lineworker does help with owning a company in this trade.

“I really think the guys like to be able to come and discuss and communicate with me because they know I understand what they are talking about,” he says.

He advises other lineworkers who want to one day become an executive or run their own company that they are never too old to learn something new. Also, he emphasized that relationships are very important.

“Make sure you are ready to work harder for yourself than you did for anyone else,” Greenwood says. “My plan for the future is to be the most efficient company in this line of work.”

Eight Tips for Launching a Successful Business in the Line Trade

Chad Dubea ran his own company in the line trade before helping others to start their own businesses on both the union and non-union side.

“I want to be able to change the mindset of the power line industry to where companies, their teams and their unions can work together in harmony for a safer line trade,” he says. To that end, he offers these suggestions for other lineworkers looking to start their own companies:

1. Know the bottom line. Understand your cost structures for equipment, labor, safety and training. “You have all these huge costs that are imperative to running a successful business,” he says.

2. Identify the customers to target. For example, you can go after IOUs, municipalities or co-ops, he added. “Our industry is such a large industry yet so small, and the opportunity’s there,” he says. “A lot of time, they come from the work they’ve already done in the past for people, and these customers are willing to help them get started because they know the character of the individual and know that they will provide a good quality product to them.”

3. Be on the same team with your employees. “Of course, you go from being in a group with your peers to being over them, but I never looked at it that way,” Dubea says. “I felt ike the guys knew me from a young age, and they knew that I was willing to work and really cared about them and their family.”

4. Cherish your field experience. Because of his relationship with his lineworkers, Dubea says it was an easy transition from the field to leadership. “You could do it with out having the experience,” he says. “There’s a bunch of them that do, but really knowing what the guys and gals go through in the field, I feel like it does help a lot, and you can understand their frustrations and what they go through more than someone who hasn’t actually worked out in the field.”

Case in point: when his company was first starting to introduce sleeves into the field before it was a requirement, some of the management wore sleeves in the office. Putting them on in an air-conditioned indoor setting and wearing them in the intense Texas heat, however, are two completely different things. Through his field experience, he felt like he knew what they were going through.

5. Care about your employees. “I care about the guys in the field so much more because I can relate to them and sympathize what they are going through for sure,” he says.

6. Do what is necessary to get the job done. When Dubea first started his business, he helped to deliver trucks, put tools on the trucks and work out in the field with the crews. “Starting a business isn’t easy,” he says. “To make it successful, you have to be part of it every day. If you care for your people, your customers, your fundamentals and your processes, everything is going to work out, your finances will come and you can really grow a good business.”

7. Take the time to grow your business. To scale its business, T&D Solutions partnered with a private equity company and acquired other companies in North Carolina and Kentucky that fit their model. “We took the time to let those guys who wanted to be part of T&D join us,” he says. “We didn’t force it down their throat. We showed them what they were doing and how we operated, and eventually, it came to where people just wanted to be part of the whole group and the things that we were doing at the time.”

8. Build a positive safety culture and give back to your people. For example, when he worked for Red Simpson, he earned bonuses and came up in a positive work environment. “If you can, share the wealth with your people and keep your team and the families involved,” he says. “To have a better safety culture, I think it just takes getting everyone involved.”

Tim Greenwood, shown with his wife, Terra, started his own company after two decades in the line trade.

Another journeyman lineworker for Red Simpson, Palmer, also launched his own business — AMP Utility Company in Texas. He is also the son of a journeyman lineworker, who started out working for the company as a mechanic before going to line school. For his own path in the line trade, Palmer says his apprenticeship wasn’t without its challenges.

“I floated between multiple crews while trying to learn everything I could from everyone around me,’ he says.

In 2004, he started line work with Red Simpson, Inc., just before Pike Electric bought the company out a year later. Between 2004 and 2014, he worked all aspects of line work — Urd, transmission, fiber and distribution. He also worked his share of storms including in Florida and following Hurricane Sandy, which hit New York City in 2012. He also served a variety of different roles including groundman, operator, apprentice, B lineman, Class A lineman, journeyman and foreman.

“Once I became a foreman, I led one of the safest and most profitable crews at T&D Solutions before getting the opportunity to become a general foreman in 2014,” he says. “I was able to grow my area from three crews to a little over 22 crews.”

In 2016, he got promoted to division manager, and then three years later, he took a retirement severance from Volt Power to fulfill his dream of starting and owning his own company.

“I wanted to show everyone that if you work hard and stay out of politics, you could go anywhere in this industry,” he says.

Because he knows a lot of his employees from when he was in the field, it makes it easier to connect with them. He also says having a good relationship with the customers always makes things easier.

“Learning from your past and correcting your future will always provide knowledge,” Palmer says.

Aaron Palmer, company owner at AMP Utility Company LLC in Corpus Christi, Texas, is shown with his field workforce.

Aaron Palmer started out as a lineworker and then started his own company to serve the line trade.

RISING TO EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT IN ILLINOIS

Patrick Smith, senior vice president of operations and technical services for Ameren Illinois, believes for him, the seed of interest in the line trade was planted subliminally, more than a decade prior — as a “sleeper dream” waiting to be activated. Years ago, after a power outage in East St. Louis, as an eight-year-old boy, Smith peered out his kitchen window into his backyard to see something he had never before seen — a Union Electric truck and crew there to restore power to his home.

“I just remember looking out the kitchen window, looking at the guy in the aerial truck, lifted up, working,” he says. “It was novel for me and very interesting to see.”

Fast forward, just over a decade, to when he was 20 years old and landed his first job as a meter reader for the East St. Louis office of Union Electric. After working in this position for about 18 months, he successfully bid on an apprentice lineworker job. As such, he bought his own belt, climbing tools and hand tools from a retiring Union Electric lineworker named Harry Niedermeyer.

“When I met this gentleman, I realized that he was the guy who had been in my backyard when I was eight years old,” he says. “The guy who I first saw doing line work more than a decade earlier was the guy who provided me the tools I used to enter the trade.”

In 1991, Smith completed his 48month apprenticeship training program in 42 months. He was paired with another apprentice, and they did everything together.

“Our days were always interesting, but rarely easy,” he says. “Training as an apprentice is a mental and physical challenge.”

He better understood the need for the intensity later when he became a journey lineworker.

“There are endless situations that lineworkers will be faced with that require sharp minds and durable bodies,” he says. “We trained on overhead and underground electrical distribution and even had the opportunity to do some transmission and substation work. While not overjoyed while I was going through it, I now look back on my apprentice lineworker training with fond memories and appreciation.”

During his apprenticeship, he had the opportunity to work his first storm and traveled to Indiana to restore power. Everything he did and most things he encountered were new experiences.

“I remember thinking, ‘just trust the

folks around you,” he says. “I was eager, yet terribly inexperienced, and I learned more on that job than I did in six months of training.”

After spending three-and-a-half years in the apprentice

Patrick Smith, center, senior vice president of operations and technical services for Ameren Illinois, has a safety talk with Kevin Young, manager of electric training for Ameren Illinois, left, and apprentice lineman Joe Soucy, who is based in Quincy, Illinois. Smith visited with apprentices at the company’s training facility in Belleville, Illinois.

Photography by Brian Bretsch, Ameren Illinois.

Rising in the Ranks: Advice for Aspiring Executives

Patrick Smith is not sure how he encountered this quote by Theodore Roosevelt, but it has been one of his key motivators as long as he can remember. He said: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are…”

“Focusing on making the best of your situation and demonstrating to yourself that you have the capability to be an additive influence is a liberating and inspiring investment,” he says. “My father used to tell me, ‘You can fool others, but you can’t fool yourself.’”

He says there are endless recipes to becoming an executive in the industry. Here are some of the ingredients he feels will be helpful for lineworkers looking to move into executive management:

• Develop a default sense of curiosity. Question most things and maintain a thirst for “why,” and not just “how” or “what.”

• Read something every day that improves your understanding on the business you seek to lead. As little as 15 minutes daily can change your trajectory, he says.

• Engage people with fairness and empathy. “If you get the

program, he worked three-and-half years as a journey lineworker. Most of the time he was a crew member, however, he did get the opportunity to rotate into crew leader and responder roles.

Like many lineworkers, he did not have a burning aspiration to stop doing line work and go into leadership. At the same time, he did want the opportunity to interview, understand the process and gain insights on how to be prepared when the opportunity came up again.

“I always thought I was designed to coach and lead, and my far-sighted aspirations included me in a leadership role,” says Smith, who has a passion for coaching youth sports. “I see leadership in the industry not measurably different than coaching a sports team. Coaching and investing in people are things I enjoy, and if I can lead in that fashion,

people thing right first, everything else is just easier,” he says.

For those lineworkers who are prospective entrepreneurs, he says it’s important for them to understand how to leverage a fairly simple business concept—Porter’s Five Forces.

“For business owners, there is an emotional connection to their business concept that will likely serve as a gift and a curse,” he says. “It fuels the passion one needs to weather the storms, but it can also create a blindness to the realities of the idea and the market it operates in. In the early stages, Porter’s Five Force analysis can drive the objective review needed to refine concepts or even defer if necessary.”

Beyond this, he suggested the following other tips:

• Understand the digital nature of the emerging markets and how their business fits in and communicates with their customers.

• Grow slow. Generate sustained value in the controlled market, then scale.

• Seek opportunities to partner and collaborate. “Someone’s idea might be the missing piece to yours.”

I knew I would enjoy being a leader within our company.”

When he transitioned from working in the field to the office, he had to buy a whole new wardrobe including polo shirts and slacks.

“I had never had a job where I dressed business casual or business, but that turned out to be the least of my blind spots,” he says. “Being promoted into leadership of the people who trained you was more difficult than I imagined. My perception was my reality, and I sensed I wasn’t the preferred choice by many of the veteran coworkers.”

It turns out there was a crew leader, who most assumed would land the position, including Smith, and it was a surprise when it was announced that Smith got the job. It was also the first year that the utility used an interview committee, and two of the four committee members were from other parts of the business.

“Yet, while I was surprised, I was not overwhelmed, and although I faced an obvious bit of resentment, I felt ready to lead,” he says. ‘This was 1995, and frankly, there was some ‘legacy thinking’ I also had to navigate. This was not new to me, and I understood, excellence of performance would supersede all man-made biases. So, I focused on serving my team with excellence, and over time, I gained the respect of the teams.”

He says he values his field experience, and it serves him well, as long as he keeps it all in perspective.

“I’m a black-and-white TV compared to the high-definition talented lineworkers who I get to work with at Ameren,” he says. “What resonates most is that I understand their journey. I understand their grind. When encountering our coworkers in the field, I don’t lead with that part of my experience, but it usually comes up, and our shared experiences fuels an eased conversation. I typically feel as I’m walking away, they know I ‘saw’ them.”

Patrick Smith shares some safety advice with Apprentice Lineworker Wyatt Kapper, who is based in Decatur, Illinois. Smith said to always lead with competence over confidence. Competence is a behavior, while confidence is a feeling.

Get more value out of your inbox.

Get more of what you need to stay in the know with valuable insights and timely product news. Sign up today for one of our many newsletters.

ENERGIZING

Delivers timely news and information from the power-delivery industry.

SMART UTILITY

Follows the utility industry’s progression to an automated and efficient power grid.

LINEMAN LIFE

Insights into the culture and work life of electric line workers: field operations tools and techniques, rodeo news and photo galleries.

PROJECTS IN PROGRESS

Shares how utilities and their partners are building out T&D infrastructure.

Problem Solvers

Through persistence and creativity, these inventors are helping to solve long-standing challenges in the field.

By AMY FISCHBACH , Field Editor

Inspiration for a new invention can strike when lineworkers are climbing a pole, working out of a bucket or even in the middle of the night, when they should be asleep. When they encounter a problem in the field or an obstacle to overcome, they don’t just stand by and wait for someone else to devise a way around the issue — they take it into their own hands and try to make their dream a reality.

“I have been taught that if it were easy, everyone would be doing it,” says Lineworker Rob Seekell about inventing tools for the trade. “I say that if your heart is right, and you have the motivation and knowledge, go for it. I feel anytime anyone brings a tool to our trade that improves safety and production at the same time, it will sell and is a win-win for the industry.”

By bringing the idea swirling around in their heads to the shelves of a local warehouse, they can then help other lineworkers to be safer and more productive so they can come home safely to their loved ones each night.

“Lineworkers are the unseen heroes of the grid,” says Tim Barat, lineworker turned inventor and CEO. “They experience challenges every day, and they have the ability to use their skills and knowledge to innovate and create solutions that can make a difference.”

“I tell younger apprentices and students when I was training that the right thing is not always the easy or popular thing to do,” he says. “I love this trade and have passion to help our trade be a safer place to work.”

Today he is a remote transmission and distribution inspector, and his home IBEW Local is 291 in Boise, Idaho. He is also the owner of Seekells Innovations LLC, in which he develops lineworker tools that bring safety and efficiency to the trade.

The following lineworkers didn’t achieve success overnight, but through persistence, dedication and the drive to make a difference, they were able to fill an unmet need in the marketplace. Meet a few inventors and learn how they brought their dreams into reality.

Securing Seven Patents

Seekell, an inventor in Kuna, Idaho, spent 26 years in the field as a lineworker and trainer. He started working around power lines as a line clearance tree trimmer with Asplundh Tree Expert Company. In 1999, he was accepted into the CAL/NEV JATC, and he was on his way to a great career.

Throughout his time in the trade, he worked many ice storm jobs on the northern west coast and fire jobs in southern California. He says when it comes to line work, safety should be top of mind.

“As a remote inspector, I have worked for Duke Energy and PG&E helping them with their fire mitigation efforts,” he says. “This is a true blessing being home with family and gives me time for my tool developments.”

For example, Seekell holds seven U.S. patents relating to line work and improving the grid. Back in 2017, he noticed many industries were starting to test drones and companies were introducing new advanced conductors into transmission circuits, which inspired him to invent stringing blocks.

“Being an OSHA instructor and T&D certified trainer, I saw the need for a safer, lighter and more efficient stringing block,” he says.

He then designed a stringing block with the first radius shape made of non-conductive materials and aluminum. Lineworkers can mount it to the top side of a pole’s crossarm or remove the pivoting base and hang it with the transmission and distribution models.

When lineworkers are wearing rubber gloves, they no longer need to lock in conductor with use wing nuts or pins. Instead, they can install a base within seconds to a crossarm due to the fast ratchet assembly. Lineworkers can lock the springloaded gate in an open position with a hot stick to allow a rope or conductor to be inserted into the block. When the block is energized on the stringing block insulator, the lineworker can transfer the conductor out of the block and stay out of the second point of contact. The radius blocks can also operate as a grounding block with the new grounding assembly that pins to the side of the block.

“It is the first stringing block design for drone stringing technology taking off around the world with a non-conductive

Robert Seekell holds seven U.S. patents for his products for the line trade.

fly arm,” he says. “They will also allow new age advanced conductors into our distribution circuits that need a larger bend radius than current blocks.”

Seekell partnered with Meta Design and Manufacturing in Vallejo, California, to produce the blocks. The radius blocks have been improved with a stronger and wider design, and the fourth generation of design will be released. After listening to customers, he also designed three different models — an all-aluminum model, which will only hang for transmission with a high workload limit, and two lightweight Delrin and aluminum models of 10-in and 20-in sizes.

Seekell says Meta is now a licensed manufacturer for all seven of his patented tools including the Seekells Line Lifter (SLL), worm gear support tool, stringing block insulator and Hotline Rotator Tool. Throughout his years in the line trade and his time as an inventor, he says he would not be able to do this alone.

“My time in the trade, products I have invented, my skills and experience, I owe it to God first, family and many good pole buddies,” says Seekell who says to be on the lookout for more tools to come. “I feel so blessed to tell this story and partner with the Meta Design and Manufacturing team. The tools they will be releasing bring safety and efficiency to our great trade.”

Partnering with Lineworkers

James Coleman, owner of Pinnacle Power Services, launched his own design firm, Meta Design Manufacturing, in 2016 in the San Francisco Bay area. After working in the industry for 20 years, he recognized the need for innovation and development. With an engineering background, the U.S. Navy veteran started his own small manufacturing company and patented two personal grounding devices. Along with producing Seekell’s inventions, he also works with other lineworkers to bring their ideas to market.

“It’s all about looking at what the requirements are, why we have done it this way for so long and not doing something about it,” he says. “I love teaming up with lineworkers,

who are out in the trenches, are super smart and have some good ideas.”

When lineworkers have an idea for a product, he asks them to present the idea to its industrial design division, who specializes in interviewing and tries to extract what it would look like to take the idea from concept to reality.

“I’ve had guys show pictures of a napkin they sketched out,” he says. “We can use that, but there’s a lot of back and forth with it. I talk to my guys, and if they think it’s a good idea, we keep moving forward and spend the money to build the design and make a prototype to get out in the field. Then we decide if it has a wow factor or not.”

Typically, inventors have visions of making a lot of money, but there’s a high cost to build something and to bring it to market, Coleman says.

“We try to share success with the person who has an idea,” he says. “They need to have the right mindset for innovation because it’s a very stale industry, and there’s room for improvement. Let’s go out and try.”

Coleman’s line construction company is one of the few privately held companies in the service-disabled market in California. He works alongside Gabe Dowdy, a journeyman lineworker and president of the company, to run 23 crews.

Dowdy inspired the invention of the Raptor Clamp, which

The stringing block features a radius shape and is made of non-conductive materials and aluminum. It mounts to the top of a crossarm or can be hung in a transmission and distribution model.

James Coleman invented the Raptor Overhead Ground Clamp with Gabe Dowdy, a lineworker and co-inventor.

Closeup of the Raptor Overhead Ground Clamp.

is designed to go on an overhead line. With the spring mechanism, lineworkers no longer need to use their arm strength to tighten the clamp multiple times on a line.

“We’ve gotten a lot of support from the crews,” Coleman says. “They’re the ones out there getting their arms beat up using the old devices.”

His company also launched two new trailers — one for wildfire response and another one for pole handling and storage. In California, some utility companies are requiring contractors to fit a water tank and a pressurized hose on their trailers, but lineworkers are not experienced firefighters, he says. His new trailer uses a hard hose that is very user-friendly, yet it meets all the specifications and adds value,

To design the new pole trailer, he partnered with lineworkers to completely rethink the design of it and go back to the drawing board. By redesigning it from the ground up, they were able to add new features like framing arms, a work bench and a step. Traditionally, line crews will use an old-style butler trailer, in which they will fasten a crossarm to the side with bolts sticking up to handle the washers, but the new trailer improves safety, especially on the road.

“Pole trailers are empty boxes and pose a danger to the highway,” Coleman says. “We designed it so everything that would go into a tool bin was covered so it wouldn’t fall off and hit a car. We also included a step to get into the trailer because there’s no way to get into the back if you’re getting material, and it takes unnecessary strain to climb in there and climb up and down.”

Safeguarding the Field Workforce

The next lineworker inventor, who wanted to not be named, has worked in the trade for the last 15 years and served his apprenticeship at a municipality in the Midwest. He became interested in the line trade while researching career options in high school.

“I was looking for a hands-on job that would help people, provide a stable income for my family and couldn’t be outsourced,” he says. “I also wanted to be able to enjoy the great outdoors.”

In addition to working as a journeyman lineworker, he also works for Hook Holster. He recently guided products through the design-for-manufacturing process, which he says is no joke.

“You literally have to break the product and remake it in order to make sure all the elements of the product’s form and functionality translate correctly,” he says. “I also make design improvements based on customer feedback and assist in promoting it.”

He says many tools of the trade haven’t evolved much since the 1950s.

“There’s lots of jobs where the tools leave something to be desired or maybe the tool we want doesn’t even exist, but it sparks innovation,” he says. “We tinker, find workarounds or even invent new things. I appreciate how many lineworkers out there have come up with tools that make the work safer and easier for all of us. It’s cool to be a part of that.”

He invented the Hook Holster based on both his personal experience and talking to the lineworkers around him. He realized that the existing gaff guards were easy to break and too easy to lose, whether it was in their bag or out on the job site.

James Coleman and his team of lineworkers invented a new pole trailer to make it easier for line crews to transport and manage materials.

A lineworker designed the Hook Holster with a two-part design. The bottom part is contoured to fit exactly around the gaff spike, while the top part hinges to lock over the top of the gaff. Lineworkers can remove the Hook Holster, which is secured to the gaff by rare-earth magnets, when it is time to climb.

The Hook Holster keeps climbers safe until they’re ready to be put in use.

“That means you’ve got sharp spikes in your bag that could tear through your bag, cut some of your equipment or dull your gaffs,” he says. “I’ve even heard multiple stories of people getting cut when they accidentally made contact with their uncovered gaffs, either while reaching into their bag or while carrying the bag to the job site. I wasn’t aware of any ways that linemen were addressing this challenge other than just treating their gaffs as being potentially always uncovered. It was clear to me that a more comprehensive solution needed to be created.”

He called the patent-pending product, “Hook Holster” because lineworkers often call their climbers, “hooks and you would “holster” something requiring a protective covering when not in use.

“The Hook Holster uses a very simple process: load it onto your gaff, lock it on and it’s ready for storage,” he says. “When you need to climb, simply unlock it off your gaff, unload it with your boot if you want and then secure it onto your ditty bag so it’s ready again when you climb back down.”

Along the way, he made a few key modifications based on customer feedback. For example, he couldn’t decide between blue or orange for the product color, but then he started hearing that it needed to be a high-visibility color to contrast with the blue tarps line crews use at Lineman’s Rodeos. Also, he heard from customers that it needed to be extremely visible, even in low-light conditions, so they added a high-visibility reflective component to the label. He says it’s his goal that the Hook Holster is the most commonly used gaff guard by lineworkers and arborists in the United States and internationally.

“The most common response is, ‘Wow,’ followed by, ‘It’s about time somebody came up with a better way to do this,’”he says.

He says if lineworkers have an idea for an invention, they should stick with it.

“There will be a lot of challenges along the way to developing and launching a new product, but if you really believe in your idea and that it will keep lineworkers safer andmake the work easier and better, it’s worth staying committed all the way through. Study the process as much as you can from the patent process to manufacturingto marketing and sales.”

Improving Working Positions on a Pole

Our next inventor, Bruce Thompson, was hooked on the line trade from a young age. When he was just 12 years old, he rode his motorcycle up and down the right of way while his dad was working on a 230 kV transmission line west of Miami. He then spent the lunch hour with different crews and learned how to operate a bucket truck.

“I was just fascinated with helicopters, and I wanted to fly,” Thompson says. “This was the next best thing. I could control this bucket truck and whenever I turned that handle, I could

Supplying Safety Since

1952

With almost 75 years of experience in the electric utility sector, Tallman understands the unique challenges that come with the job, and we are committed to providing tailored solutions that ensure operational efficiency and safety.

When you choose Tallman Equipment, you’re not just purchasing or renting a product; you’re investing in peace of mind. Our unwavering focus on quality control, combined with our responsive customer support, means you get more than just equipment—you get a dedicated partner committed to your success. 877-860-5666

fly around 100 ft in the air. The guys just took to me, and I loved the way they interacted and had a good time. They were just fun to be around.”

In high school, he loved wood shop and metal shop and making and building things, which further cemented his desire to work in the field. When he applied for an apprenticeship, he moved from Florida to Colorado, which was a major change.

“Being born and raised in Florida, I had sand in my shoes,” he says. “When I went to Colorado, that’s the first time I’d ever seen snow.”

After working as a groundman and equipment operator, he spent his apprenticeship all over Colorado and Wyoming, Throughout his career, he worked for three different power companies and dozens of contractors. He also served as a training crew foreman for Southern California Edison (SCE) out of IBEW Local 47, and his crew of apprentices handled work like teardowns, secondary replacements and new line construction. During his 28 years with SCE, he traveled a lot and worked in nearly every district.

After he retired in 2015, he went back to work for contractors in the line trade before earning his engineering A license and C10 highvoltage electrical license. At that point, he was planning on starting his own line construction company, but instead, he became an inventor and the founder of Effective Safety Products. His first invention was the StepUp, which he was inspired to

create as a third-step apprentice who climbed for hours at a time in Denver.

“We were doing these property line secondary replacements, and I was the only apprentice on the crew,” he says. “I have really high arches in my feet, and even with good boots, my feet would still hurt. I was thinking, ‘Man, if I could just come up with some small little platform, something to get your foot off that inch-and-a-half stirrup, it would make life a lot easier. So that’s been kicking around in my head for over 40 years.”

On a wood pole, lineworkers can stick their gaffs in their desired position, but on steel or composite poles, they are stuck working off steps in whatever position they happen to be in. This exerts a lot of additional pressure on a lineworker’s feet, legs, and hips causing pain and discomfort. Also, if they’re working on the pole with another lineworker, who is the same height, it can be a nightmare to have four boots trying to work off of two pole steps.

By using the StepUp, however, lineworkers can get into proper work positioning no matter what type of pole they’re working on. The groundman sends the 23 lb device up on the handline. He holds the weight while the lineworker attaches it to the pole. It takes about 30 seconds to put the StepUp into position, and lineworkers can work on different sides of the same pole. By helping lineworkers to get into a better position on the pole, they can also have longer careers in the field. Thompson should know. After working decades in the field, he’s had surgery to both knees and his shoulders and a stem cell treatment after living with pain.

“Lineworkers should work smarter, not harder,” he says. “You’re out of position the whole time on these composite and steel poles, and that makes you more tired and, in my mind, more susceptible to making a bad decision or injuring yourself.”

To further improve ergonomics, Thompson sloped the back of the platform rather than making it flat and positioning it 90 deg to the pole. That way, when when lineworkers lean back in their belts, their feet are still at a 90 deg angle to their leg.

“It feels like you are standing straight up on flat ground, but you’re up on top of a pole leaning back in your belt, so ergonomically, it is super comfortable,” Thompson says. “When you lean back in your belt now, your knees aren’t being jammed up in your legs and hips. The StepUp allows you to stand in a more upright, more comfortable position. It makes you feel like you’re working in your hooks more than working from the steps.”

The idea first came to fruition when SCE first brought in composite poles. His friend reached out to him to see if there was a way to attach a Baker board to the poles because it

After retiring from Southern California Edison, Bruce Thompson invented the StepUp to help lineworkers to get better positioning when working on poles.

Lineworkers can install the StepUp in about 30 seconds to improve safety and ergonomics.

was impossible to use the traditional chains. Thompson then spotted two old Baker boards in the trash, and between the two, he made one product that would work, and he retrofitted it to handle a 4-in. ratchet strap and added a coating so it wouldn’t scratch the pole. Even so, it was too heavy.

“I still thought that ‘well, you’re still dealing with this big, awkward, heavy thing,’ and it’s all one guy could carry back into the yard by himself,” he says. “I wanted to come up with something lightweight that lineworkers would use, and they wouldn’t be like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to take the time to put that up.’”

Lineworkers may be reluctant to use it at first, but when they first try it, they’re sold, he says.

“When I do demonstrations, it puts a smile on my face when someone comes up, and I give them my belt and ask them to stand on it,” he says. “It’s almost like a lightbulb above their head goes off, and they go, ‘wow, this is amazing. I can reach anything and everything I need to reach, and I can spin around in my belt.’”

He says one of the things that brings him the most joy is seeing a lineworker get on the StepUp for the first time.

“I relate it to kind of like a new motorcycle,” he says. “You can look at the latest and greatest model, walk around it and even sit on it, but you don’t have a clue what it’s really like until you actually fire it up and take it for a ride.”

Thompson started off making the StepUp in his garage,

TIPS TO INVENT A TOOL FOR THE LINE TRADE

• Research what is needed, how to do the job more safely and what would add production without jeopardizing safety.

• Take in-depth notes on each project you do.

• Bounce ideas off everyone on the crew from groundman up, Seekell says. At the same time, Thompson advises lineworkers to keep the idea close to their chest and be mindful of who they share it with.

• Look at different improved materials and advancement of plastic, carbon and aluminum.

• Understand the why, how, who and when and pay attention to what is happing in the power grid and current work methods.

• Develop a prototype and test it in the field.

• Get a good patent attorney and business attorney.

and he realized very quickly that he couldn’t work full time and build them to the point where others could buy them. When he first started out, he was leveraging his welding experience to make them out of 1-in. pipe.

“That was a practical way to make it, and in reality, it wasn’t because I had 17 pieces for each Step Up that I had to cut and champfer the edges, and it was just so time consuming.”

He then partnered with a local person who has built products for the aerospace industry, but again, it took too much time to manufacture the device. Next, he modified the design of bending it in two halves, welding it together and adding a gusset. After working with a lot of different craftsmen to make just one device, he and his friend decided to try building the entire product on a CNC machine out of four solid pieces of aluminum, so it fits the buckle well and has a strong connection.

“You start off with a solid piece, and you carve out the bottom, then you turn it over, put it back in the machine, and it basically cuts out the design of the top,” he says. “After seeing that, it was so much better than anything I had ever dreamed of.”

He wanted to thank all the other lineworkers for giving him ideas and advice to improve his invention. He says most of the ideas for products in the line trade come from lineworkers, and he’s happy to help others who have an idea on how to improve productivity and safety in the trade.

“It wouldn’t be where it is without all of your collaboration,” he says. “I really appreciate it. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for all your input.”

One thing he likes most about being an inventor is that he is helping his brothers and sisters in the line trade.

“When they get home after working on the steps, they are beat and worn out,” he says. “When they work off the Step Up, they still have energy to play with their kids, and that makes me feel really good.”

Lineworkers can reduce fatigue by using the StepUp when climbing poles.

Monitoring for Faults and Wildfires

UC-Berkeley alums, Abdulrahman Bin Omar, Tim Barat and Hall Chen.

Another California lineworker turned inventor — Tim Barat — hailed from Victoria, Melbourne, Australia. After dropping out of high school at the age of 15 years old, he became a sparky (electrician) before becoming a liney (lineworker).

Back when he started, there was no such thing as a licensed lineworker in Australia, and he had two pathways to top out — get hired on by a company, do three or four years of coursework and prove himself in the field to be promoted to a liney or take the same coursework and pass three exams to receive an A grade electrician license and become a sparky. Barat opted to become a sparky first and then participate in a three-month electrician-to-lineman program to change from one trade to the other.

“I always knew I wanted to work with power from a young age, but out of high school, I decided to become a sparky first instead of a liney because I was afraid of heights,” he says. “You get over your fear of heights pretty quickly at line school. It’s all in the head. Once you’re doing it every day, it actually almost feels safe. I had jitters at the beginning, but then it just goes away, and it becomes natural. You don’t think about it anymore.”

After three years of working on 240V, however, he got bored, and he decided as soon as he got his A grade license, he would face his fears and do something a little more thrilling.

“I loved being outdoors, and I was excited to be outside more,” Barat says. “The pay as a liney is also better.”

Barat worked as a liney for an Australian utility called Jemena, which serves the greater Melbourne area and the surrounding suburbs. He specialized in construction and maintenance on distribution lines.

“My favorite part about the job was the people, the brotherhood, the guys out in the field,” he says. “No matter what the job calls for, we always had a good time, laughing and teasing each other. I think nothing beats having people come out to thank you when you switch their lights back on after trouble.”

Because the entire population of Australia is the same as the top five cities in the United States combined, lineys must

work on a lot of rural lines, and the customers are spread out. He says when you work as a liney in Victoria, the most challenging part of the job is the weather.

“We get four seasons a day, almost every day,” he says. “You have to wear four or five layers and then peel them off as conditions change. You’ll be shivering at breakfast in the rain, and then by lunch, you’ve stripped off all your layers and you’re burning up in the sun, and then by afternoon, you’re back to shivering in the rain again.”

In the United States, severe weather like hurricanes, ice storms and flooding are all too common. In Melbourne, Australia, however, the most dangerous conditions come with high winds.

“When you combine 100 mph wind storms, intense heat and grass growing quickly and drying out with eucalyptus branches and leaves, which produce flammable liquid, it can be very scary,” he says.

Case in point: on Black Saturday in 2009, raging bushfires took the lives of 173 people, injured 414, burned half a million acres, consumed 3500 buildings and killed more than 19 million animals.

“Most lineworkers are generally comfortable with the concept of death,” Barat says. “From day one, we are just getting taught of the different ways we can die, and so we accept that each day may be our last. However, before the fires, I was young, and I was naïve. I always felt like I was invincible, but all that changed after the fires. It was my first real taste of the pain of death, and it kind of changed my view of life forever.”

The fire was a life-defining and career-defining moment for him, and it set him on the career path he is on today. Shortly after the fire, he married his wife, who is a Califronia native. She encouraged him to leave line work for safety reasons and go back to school to earn his GED and then attend classes at his local community college. He then trans ferred to the University of California-Berkeley to earn his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering and computer science.

“During the course of my academic career, it became obvious to me that I had a responsibility to leverage my field experience and my newly acquired engineering toolkit to develop technology for the grid,” he says.

At Berkeley, many of his peers were focused on electrical monitoring for the grid, and two gaps quickly emerged for him. The first was the ability to detect impedance faults such as a tree laying on the line.

“We literally don’t know what’s happening when the grid is off,” he says. “Most of the academic and industry research is exclusively focused on electrical monitoring to process voltage and current measurements and detect and locate fault conditions, but this approach appeared flawed to me. The prerequisites to detecting these faults using electrical measurement requires that the fault produce an arc, but as a lineworker, I had seen trees lay into lines or lines come to the ground, and they didn’t produce an arc. During these events, you have current flowing through the tree to ground, and it slowly heats up the tree until it combusts into

a fire, or the line electrocutes someone. This is a huge risk.”

He relied on his time in the field to find a solution that was easy to install and operate. When he couldn’t find one, he decided to build his own grid to test technologies.

“Six years ago, after months of research, I wasn’t able to find a single electrical monitoring solution or approach that could reliably detect high-impedance faults,” he says. “Even today, there’s no electrically based monitoring solution that can reliably detect a large tree laying into a line, and this has ignited massive catastrophic fires here in California and throughout the country. It’s baffling to me that these events are some of the highest risks to wildfire ignition and to public safety, yet the utilities have no way to detect them. Without a reliable detection method, the only solution is to switch the power off during dangerous weather conditions.”

After coming up empty-handed on electrical sensing, he decided to build his own full-sized grid with research-grade sensors, 55 ft poles with 200 ft spans, 124 kVA of generation and transformers in Richmond, California. He recorded every single experiment to see if there was another way to detect the events.

“I basically ran a Mythbusters-style grid laboratory,” he says. “I was throwing trees on energized lines, cutting live lines with bolt cutters, exploding transformers and driving cars into poles — literally every fault you can think of, I’ve probably done it on my grid hundreds of times. I guess it’s a lineworker’s dream.”

Through his research, he and his team discovered that the vibration and acoustic signals were unique and clearly above noise during every single trial, and they could even tell the difference between each of the fault conditions based on these signals.

“Then I asked the question, what if I looked at the grid like a giant guitar instead of a circuit board?” he asked. “The lines are strings, the poles are frets, and essentially, you place a guitar pickup on the poles to observe these vibration and acoustic signals that can be felt and heard from the pole during fault conditions and now, since these are mechanical signals, you have visibility during an outage.”

Fast forward to today, and his company, Gridware, which he founded with UC-Berkeley alums, Abdulrahman Bin Omar and Hall Chen, secured a patent for the Gridscope system. The company now has thousands of sensors deployed across the country and works with four of the top 15 largest utilities in the United States. These sensors have accurately identified hundreds of faults like trees on lines, live lines down, animal interactions, malfunctioning equipment and even provided real-time damage assessment during storms when the lines are de-energized.

“So now, utilities can respond to high-impedance fault hazards and pre-stage crews during outages, especially if they’re doing that preventatively,” he says. “We basically solved both of the problems with the technology I had set out to solve.”

The pole-mounted device, called the GridScope, installs faster than a hurtman rescue, is smaller than a pole step and sends information that is simple to understand.

“If you develop a technology that abides by these three principles, it makes it essentially plug-and-play and you can deliver the value immediately to the utility,” he says.

The system processes all the data on a device, and it can help utilities to dispatch crews and equipment to the exact location at the right time, giving them the ability to get power on hours faster. Lineworkers install it halfway up the pole to expedite installation, prevent tampering and ensure safety. The devices are as small as a pole step and as big as a tissue box. Now that it is out on the market, it is constantly evolving. The team iterates through the hardware every two months and the software every two weeks.

“We’re taking real learnings from the field and integrating them into the next design,” he says. “With this architecture, we were able to race through a lot of the challenges and test the system in the real world with utility partners to see if it could survive hailstorms, operate in -20 deg or 120 deg temperatures or in 100 mph winds.

Through the testing, they simplified the installation process. For example, the first version had a bracket, and in the current evolution, it’s just one unit with the brackets above the device, and they provide screws and a drill bit.

“These are just simple things that lineworkers really appreciate,” he says.

They also made sure that it was small so that lineworkers could easily handle and install it in the field.

“When you’re halfway up a pole on hooks and you got one hand on a drill, how are you supposed to hold the device on the pole if it’s not easy to hold with one hand?” he asked. “This is built by lineworkers for lineworkers.”

Lineworkers have a huge opportunity to solve some of the biggest problems on the grid with solutions that are just obvious to lineworkers, he says.

“We always spitball crazy ideas in the field,” Barat says. “My advice is if you have an idea, pursue it. As lineworkers, you have a unique ability to consider practical elements of a solution like ease of install, which makes it much more likely to succeed.”

Tim Barat installing the GridScope device to the pole.

Continued from page 15

back to the community as a volunteer firefighter. Eight years ago, she joined the Florence Fire Department. “I’ve always wanted to help people,” says Dawe, who was featured in T&D World ’s new Faces of the Future department and related podcast series. “I trained hard and volunteered for fundraisers.”

After volunteering with the fire department for five years, she moved to Springhill, Nova Scotia, to go to school for powerline. As soon as she got to her new location, she knew she wanted to continue to help the community as a firefighter, so she joined the local fire department in May 2020.

“In the fire service, you always hear about brotherhood and family,” she says. “Well, in both departments, this was true. They were — and still are — my second family. Through all the bad calls, we stick together, and we always keep each other safe.”

Dawe, the mom of two sons — 11-year-old Ethan and 8-year-old Alexander, says she takes pride in being a firefighter. “I have done a lot of medical calls, car accidents and structure fires. When you do get those bad calls, you always remember all the good ones because that’s what keeps you going.”

Climbin4kids: Supporting St. Jude

Throughout their service territory, Ameren Illinois lineworkers help others in need in their communities. For example, two journeymen lineworkers — Paul Koehler and Jason Novak — have joined forces to support the Climbin4kids fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“It was started by my friend, Jason, and inspired by my daughter, Guiliana, who passed away from a brain tumor in 2022 at 10 years old,” says Koehler, an Ameren Illinois crew leader who has spent the last 23 years in the line trade. “We raised $150,000 in just three years and met families and people along the way.”

Two years ago, with the support of their company, Ameren Illinois, the internal fundraiser generated $15,000 for St. Jude while an additional $5,000 was raised externally. The International Lineman’s Rodeo Association (ILRA) also donated $1,000 to the cause, bringing the grand total to $44,000.

That year, Koehler and Novak were able to bring their families on stage to present the check to St. Jude, which will go down in history as their fondest Lineman’s Rodeo and Climbin4kids memory.

“I was touched by the strength and character shown by them,” says Novak, a line crew foreman for Ameren Illinois with 31 years in the trade. “Paul has since joined in the fundraising efforts and has been a great asset.”

Last year, the fundraising program raised more than $110,000 with the help from Ameren, the ILRA, industry manufacturers and lineworkers from across the country.

“We are proud to say that 100% of every dollar that Climbin4kids has raised has gone directly to St. Jude,” Novak says. “It has truly been a blessing being a part of this. We have a lot of help spreading the word and helping in our fundraising efforts. We have heard countless stories of the help that St. Jude has provided families within our line community.”

While many executives, support staff and field workers at Ameren and other utilities have supported the cause over the last few years, the idea for the program can be traced back to 2021. Novak was set to compete for the 20th time at the International Lineman’s Rodeo, and he wanted to do something different that year. Inspiration struck at church when he and his family listened to a testimony about St. Jude, and it touched his heart. Because his utility wasn’t sending any teams to the International Lineman’s Rodeo that year, he asked his teammates if they wanted to compete as the Climbin4kids team and donate any money raised to St. Jude. The very first fundraiser was done by his daughter, Bristol, who raised more than $60 selling items, hot chocolate and lemonade at a garage sale. His team also asked for donations at the International Lineman’s Rodeo Week and that year, they raised $5,500. Raising money for St. Jude has definitely been a learning experience for him and his team member, Koehler.

“As lineworkers, we are not used to asking for help, however, we are learning the value of it,” he says. “There are many people who volunteer their time, and we greatly appreciate it.”

Koehler says it can be challenging to spread the word, but once people hear about the mission of Climbin4kids, they usually donate. “We are giving back and raising money for families when they need it the most,” says Koehler, who worked for a municipal electric and contractor before joining Ameren Illinois 15 years ago. “We’ve met new people who have had similar experiences and wanted to help us.”

The Climbin4kids team raised money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at the International Lineman’s Rodeo. Photo courtesy of Paul Koehler and Jason Novak.

How to Help: Ways to Give Back

Lineworkers who want to give back to communities and causes at home and overseas can give of their time and skills or make a monetary donation. Here’s how to help those lineworkers who are lighting the way.

• Light Up Navajo: For its fifth year, 250 lineworkers from 46 utility teams in 16 states volunteered for Light Up Navajo, organized by the National Tribal Utility Authority and American Public Power Association. Volunteer lineworkers provided first-time electricity to 170 homeowners on the Navajo Nation as of late July. To help with Light Up Navajo VI in 2025, you can donate equipment to the NTUA, make a tax-deductible monetary donation or sign up your utility to help to electrify the Navajo Nation. For more information, go to www.ntua.com/light-up-navajo.html or https://www. publicpower.org/donate-light-navajo.

• NRECA International: Volunteers from multiple electric co-ops have been helping to build, upgrade and extend power lines in Guatemala since 2011. From the period of 2018 to 2023, 285 volunteer lineworkers have brought electricity access to more than 7,000 people in rural communities. America’s electric co-ops have also donated more than $1 million of funds for electrification. Learn how to sign up to volunteer to construct power lines overseas or to make a contribution by visiting www.nrecainternational.coop/get-involved/.

• Fallen Linemen Organization: This non-profit strives to support families of injured and deceased lineworkers in their time of need and build a national memorial to honor all electrical lineworkers. Visit the FLO on Facebook or Instagram to learn more. Also consider donating to related organizations like the Fallen Lineman Foundation (fallenlinemanfoundation. com), National Sisterhood United for Journeyman Linemen (nsujl.org) or the National Association of Journeymen Linemen (nationaljourneymenline men.com).

• Volunteer firefighting: Lineworkers are first responders in their day jobs, but they call also be first responders in their free time by being trained as a volunteer firefighter. American lineworkers can learn more by visiting the National Volunteer Fire Council at makemeafirefighter.org

• Climbin4kids: Join Lineworkers Jason Novak and Paul Koehler to support this cause, of which 100 percent of the proceeds go toward St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. To donate, stop by the table at the 2024 International Lineman’s Expo, visit the Climbin4kids social media channels or email climbin4kids@gmail.com.