National Grid Celebrates Lineman Appreciation Day

Company honors lineworkers who maintain service for more than 3 million customers

National Grid celebrates Lineman Appreciation Day this week by honoring the thousands of employees who work to keep the power on for 3.4 million customers. The company's electric lineworkers play a pivotal role in maintaining more than 66,800 miles of power lines across Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island.

"We respect and admire our lineworkers for being on the front lines of our business," said John Bruckner, senior vice president of U.S. electric operations for National Grid. "They work in difficult weather conditions, represent us in the community, and apply their professional knowledge of the electric distribution system so that we can successfully serve our customers."

"Lineworkers are truly experts in what they do," said Dan Bunszell, vice president for New England electric operations. "It takes four to six years of training to reach journeyman status, and I'm proud to say that we have a robust, well-trained and well-prepared group of men and women who operate at such a high level each day."

"The skill and expertise of our lineworkers allow us to deliver energy to our customers safely and reliably," said Keith McAfee, vice president of New York electric operations. "They are the ones who brave the elements each winter to keep us up and running during major storms and who operate with diligence during blue sky days to deliver electricity safely across our network."

National Grid lineworkers bring an average of 17.6 years of experience to the job. They operate and maintain overhead electric lines, underground electric lines and electric substations across the company. These distribution systems deliver electricity to consumers at a voltage they can use safely for their daily commercial and residential needs.

The U.S. Senate passed a resolution (S. Res. 95) in 2013 designating April 18 as National Lineman Appreciation Day to honor the "brave men and women who protect public safety." Some organizations, such as the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, recognize the day by celebrating it on the second Monday of April each year.