Dear Editor,
While we don’t need an official date to say thank you, April 18 marked National Lineworker Appreciation Day.
Lineworkers support the growth of industries and businesses by helping expand power infrastructure. They install new power lines, transformers, and other equipment to reliably accommodate growth. And they often work in challenging conditions, including extreme weather and heights, to restore power and keep our communities running.
Their commitment was evident when our state faced Hurricane Helene last fall, one of the most impactful storms in recent history. Nearly every Duke Energy customer was impacted by the storm. Restoration work in South Carolina included replacing 5,800 utility poles, thousands of transformers, and over 3 million feet of wire on the distribution system.
And more than 9,000 skilled utility workers came from Clarendon County and across the U.S. to join in safely restoring power to communities in the dark in South Carolina. Although power restoration is complete, our local crews have helped do work in areas impacted by the storm to restrengthen and rebuild portions of the electric grid. They stand ready as hurricane season approaches yet again to prepare for and respond to whatever Mother Nature sends our way.
Duke Energy line teams are making the grid smarter, stronger, and more reliable to better serve customers. The next time you flip on the lights, please join me in thanking a lineworker.
Sincerely,
Quinetta Buterbaugh
Duke Energy government and community relations manager
