Thank a Lineworker
Every April, we take time to recognize the lineworkers who ensure we have the power available whenever we need it – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We depend on them to get the job done, whether it’s building new power lines to keep up with our community’s growth or restoring outages after a storm, they keep the juice flowing. I’m sure you appreciate the work they do, even though we all take it for granted.
The amount of on-the-job and classroom training our lineworkers absorb is significant. We’re a ‘learning’ cooperative, and the training never stops. Through everything from refresher classes on how to perform life-saving rescues to setting a pole in a hot primary line, our people are constantly being trained in both safe work practices and technical skills.
Safety is more than a priority; it’s a culture at Union Rural Electric (URE). Whether it is in a pre-job safety briefing, a weekly “Safe Talk” meeting, or monthly deep-dives with outside trainers on industry-specific safety topics, lineworkers at URE speak up and listen up when it comes to safety. They know how to work safely in an occupation where mistakes can be deadly.
In this month’s issue, we’ll hear a lineworker’s perspective. You’ll hear in their own words why they do what they do, and maybe you’ll appreciate that work a little more – even when the power is still on.
Keep this in mind, though: Our lineworkers can’t keep the power on all alone. If the power isn’t available from the wider generation and transmission grid, our lineworkers’ efforts simply won’t be enough. We are connected to a bigger electrical system across the country, and that grid has been slowly becoming less reliable as we see the opposing trends of increased loads from electrification and the untimely retirement of reliable base-load generation all over the country.
URE is always working to make sure our service is up to the challenge and your expectations. So, along with other cooperatives in Ohio, we continually advocate for policies in Columbus and in D.C. that will help preserve both affordability and reliability. It’s important to remember that the electric grid is a large, complex system that requires more engineering and planning and, honestly, fewer political restrictions and mandates.
We’re proud of our line technicians and the reliability they are so eager to provide. That’s why we’re working on all fronts, including on our own distribution system as well as nationally, through the political process, to ensure our members have constant access to safe, reliable, and affordable energy.
If you get a chance, make sure you take time to thank a lineworker. But also, consider learning more about energy policy and adding your voice to our message to policymakers and elected officials by signing up at Voices for Cooperative Power at the Voices for Cooperative Power website.
Today’s energy decisions and policies will determine whether there are enough resources to meet tomorrow’s energy needs. Help us to help our lineworkers keep the juice flowing. After all, URE is your electric cooperative.