- Midwest Lineman's Rodeo tests job skills critical to power
delivery and restoration
- International rodeo competition featuring the world's
top lineworkers to be held Oct.
19 in Bonner Springs,
Kan.
PLAINFIELD, Ind., April 29,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- At a competition powered by
skill and packed with competitors, 15 Duke Energy lineworkers
secured spots over the weekend to compete among the most elite
lineworkers in the world this fall at the International Lineman's
Rodeo.
Duke Energy's Midwest Lineman's Rodeo in Plainfield was one of three regional lineman's
rodeos taking place this spring across Duke Energy's service areas,
displaying the talent and skills of the company's
dedicated lineworkers. Lineman's rodeos are specialized
contests that test job-related skills line technicians rely on
daily to restore power day and night – often in unpredictable
outdoor conditions. Events take place on de-energized equipment in
a simulated environment, but participants are scored based on
simulations of on-the-job work, with deductions for mistakes.
Competitors are judged on efficiency, agility, technique and safety
procedures.
Categories scored included equipment repair, pole climbs and
hurt man rescues. Duke Energy holds three regional competitions to
qualify lineworkers for the international competition – including
in the Carolinas, Florida and the
Midwest.
The Midwest rodeo this year included four journeyman teams and
33 apprentices. Team divisions are based in part on tenure. An
apprentice is a lineworker with less than four years of utility
experience. A journeyman with Duke Energy has more than four years
of utility experience.
"Our lineworkers are always prepared for any circumstance, but
the extreme elements associated with storms, oppressive heat and
bitterly cold temperatures can add challenges," said Scott Batson, chief power grid officer at Duke
Energy. "We are able to keep the lights on for millions of
customers who depend on us thanks to our line teams' dedication to
training, experience in the field, passion for their craft and
supporting one another."
Elevated expertise
Duke Energy Midwest regional rodeo winners will join other top
lineworkers from Duke Energy rodeos in Florida and the Carolinas to compete in the
International Lineman's Rodeo in Bonner
Springs, Kan., on Oct. 19, an
international event that attracts the most talented lineworkers
from around the world. The best lineworkers at Duke Energy and its
legacy companies have showcased their talents at the International
Lineman's Rodeo for more than two decades.
Duke Energy Midwest competitors advancing from regional rodeos
to the International Lineman's Rodeo include:
Apprentice overall awards
- First place – Oliver
Huhta (Princeton,
Ind.)
- Second place – Logan
Pollei (Bloomington,
Ind.)
- Third place – Jack Knier
(Shelbyville, Ind.)
- Fourth place – Tyler
Adrian (Carmel, Ind.)
- Fifth place – Isaac
Caudill (Connersville,
Ind.)
- Sixth place – Jesse
Orr (Bloomington,
Ind.)
Journeyman teams overall awards
- First place – Brett Lewis
(Madison, Ind.), TJ Lewis
(Aurora, Ind.) and Danny Steinman (Erlanger, Ky.)
- Second place – Collin
Boschert (Noblesville,
Ind.), Matt Wallpe
(Noblesville, Ind.) and
Jason Washburn (Noblesville, Ind.)
- Third place – John
Menefee (Columbus, Ind.),
Josh Menefee (Seymour, Ind.) and Andrew Reinhart (Seymour, Ind.)
Duke Energy employs approximately 380 lineworkers across its
Indiana service area.
Powering the future grid
Lineworkers play a key role in power grid improvement projects
that help modernize and strengthen Duke Energy's system against
storms and other impacts, making it more reliable and resilient.
This can include work to upgrade lines and poles, underground
outage-prone lines where data indicates it makes sense to do so,
and enhancing grid reliability through the integration of smart,
self-healing technology.
Hiring and developing entry-level craft and skilled talent is
critical to address the growing needs of residential and
nonresidential customers. Duke Energy continues to hire lineworker
talent and works closely with community colleges across its company
footprint to recruit diverse, skilled candidates. Individuals
interested in a lineworking career with Duke Energy should
contact community colleges directly for more information
on their specific lineworker training programs, including
available funding for tuition.
"Safely powering our customers and communities is the most
important job we have," said Batson. "We are proud to be able to
source extraordinary talent through our community college partners
to join our line teams and serve as ambassadors for the company
with our customers."
Duke Energy Indiana
Duke Energy Indiana, a subsidiary of Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK),
provides about 6,800 megawatts of owned electric capacity to
approximately 900,000 customers in a 23,000-square-mile service
area, making it Indiana's largest
electric supplier.
Contact: McKenzie Barbknecht
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duke-energys-midwest-linemans-rodeo-qualifies-15-local-lineworkers-to-compete-in-international-event-302130295.html
SOURCE Duke Energy