ElectriCities Celebrates Electric Lineworker Expertise and Dedicated Service

RALEIGH, N.C. (APRIL 10, 2023) — ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc., the membership organization that provides power supply and related critical services to over 90 community-owned electric systems in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, is honoring and celebrating electric lineworkers this month.

Monday, April 10, is North Carolina Lineworker Appreciation Day, and Tuesday, April 18, is National Lineworker Appreciation Day. Both days were designated to recognize lineworkers and their expertise and dedication to keeping our homes, businesses, and communities powered each day.

“These skilled men and women perform difficult and dangerous work—often in the harshest conditions—while adhering to strict safety protocols,” said Roy Jones, CEO of ElectriCities. “Whether working up high in a bucket, on the ground, or under it, lineworkers put service over self to do what needs to be done to keep the electricity flowing to the families and businesses in our communities.”

In North Carolina, public power lineworkers keep the lights on for nearly 1.3 million people in the more than 70 cities and towns across the state that own and operate their electric system. Nationwide, public power lineworkers support the one in seven Americans who live in the 2,000 cities and towns that own and operate their electric systems.

Public power lineworkers often live in the communities they serve, maintaining their locally owned and operated electric systems and quickly responding when storms or other disasters damage lines or equipment. These first responders clear the way for other first responders, bringing the first sign of recovery and hope.

Their rapid response helps get the power back on for their neighbors as quickly as possible and is key to the exceptional reliability public power providers are known for.

The average public power customer nationwide is without power for nearly half the amount of time customers of other types of utilities are, according to data from the American Public Power Association.

In North Carolina, public power customers experience 40% fewer outages than other power providers’ customers in the state. And when the power does go out, the outage lasts, on average, only about one-third the time of those other providers.

“Public power providers in North Carolina keep the power on 99.98% of the time,” said Jones. “For North Carolina public power customers, that averages out to be less than one outage a year for less than an hour.”

Along with keeping their own communities powered, public power lineworkers are part of a mutual aid network that spans the state and the country and enables public power crews to go where help is needed in the wake of disasters that damage electric systems.

To ensure they adhere to required safety procedures and protocols, lineworkers in ElectriCities member cities and towns participate in safety training, ElectriCities’ Apprenticeship Program, and other career development programs.

“Whether participating in training, providing power for their own neighborhoods, or restoring electricity for families in a storm-ravaged community thousands of miles away, public power lineworkers exhibit a well-deserved sense of pride,” said Craig Batchelor, Manager of Safety & Training at ElectriCities. “They love their jobs because they love helping others.”

“Lineworkers’ service to their communities and, when it’s needed, to communities across the state and the country is at the heart of public power,” said Jones. “I’m grateful for their unwavering commitment, and I’m proud to celebrate these hometown heroes, today and every day.”