The success of rural electric cooperatives across Colorado depends upon the hardworking men and women who serve our consumers, always ready to make sure that the lights — and everything else that relies on electric energy — are there when we need them. Our lineworkers lead the way, performing a difficult, dangerous, and often thankless job. But it shouldn’t be thankless, especially this month, as we celebrate National Lineworker Appreciation Day on April 18. This month, we should make it a point to stop and thank them for the difficult work they do.
What makes a lineworker’s job so difficult? It is physically demanding and at the same time requires a high degree of technical skill. Lineworkers climb tall utility poles, operate complex heavy machinery, and master the intricate details necessary to build, maintain, and troubleshoot our distribution grid. They work in close proximity to dangerous high-voltage electric lines and equipment at all hours of the day and night, and in all kinds of inclement weather. They may be called away from their families on nights, weekends, or holidays, if that is what it takes to get the lights back on.
The safety aspect of their work is particularly challenging. Lineworkers must understand voluminous safety rules and make sure they are using the right equipment at all times. There is often zero tolerance for any mistake or misstep. Most of us rely on coordination and teamwork with our coworkers to get the job done. Electric lineworkers must be able to trust their coworkers completely, or they may not go home safely at the end of the day.
While safety is Job One, other aspects of their jobs are also important. Their work to restore power when an outage interrupts service seems to be more visible to many consumers, but their focus on reliability may deserve even more credit, as it prevents an immeasurable number of outages from happening in the first place. They are on the front lines with co-op members, and many of them take that opportunity to develop relationships with the members they serve. It’s not unusual to see them go the extra mile to ensure that vulnerable members are not left in the cold.
There is something special about the work our linecrews produce for our co-ops. This isn’t something new. They have been doing it for nearly 90 years. There are few businesses of any kind that can point to the kind of sustained success that our lineworkers have provided for our co-ops and co-op members. Please join me in thanking our Colorado co-op lineworkers for everything they do for us!
Tom Walch is the executive director of the Colorado Rural Electric Association, the statewide organization supporting 21 electric distribution cooperatives and one generation and transmission cooperative.