The IBEW and Edison Electric Institute (EEI) recently saluted the men and women who keep electricity flowing to our homes and businesses.
Electrical lineworkers construct and maintain electric transmission and distribution facilities and, following outages, get the lights back on. This dedication to duty was never more on display, say EEI and IBEW, than during last fall, following Superstorm Sandy.
“More homes and businesses lost power as a result of Sandy than from any other storm in U.S. history—estimates are that 10 million customers were impacted,” said EEI president Tom Kuhn. “The industry assembled a virtual army of 67,000 utility lineworkers and tree cutters, representing 80 companies from as far away as Canada, California, and Hawaii. They risked their lives working around the clock to complete the restoration process, which was extremely technical, time-consuming and dangerous.”
In the States, congressman Phil Gingrey along with senators Johnny Isakson and Michael Bennet submitted resolutions in support of designating April 18, 2013, as National Linemen Appreciation Day (the Senate unanimously approved its resolution on April 10).
“Hurricanes, ice storms and other devastating natural disasters certainly put the spotlight on the nation’s power lineworkers. We’re grateful to these courageous, hardworking folks who deal with the dangers of electricity during these critical periods, as well as every working day,” said IBEW president Ed Hill.
