The following was co-authored by Kenneth Cooper, Tom Kuhn, and David Long
In recent weeks, we have seen severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and other extreme weather events threaten and impact communities across the United States. Unfortunately, as summer goes on, the risk of severe wildfires, derechos, damaging hurricanes, and heat waves only increases. While the weather can be wildly unpredictable, there is one constant. Our nation’s lineworkers will face these challenges head on to ensure the customers and the communities they serve have access to safe and reliable electricity.
Lineworkers are the lifeblood of the electric power industry and deserve our utmost appreciation. They are the ones who respond immediately to emergencies, working day and night to restore power in the aftermath of storms, natural disasters, or accidents. While most of us seek shelter and safety during such trying times, lineworkers rush towards danger, facing hazardous conditions to restore power and bring hope to communities in distress.
As we do each year, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), and the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) are joining together this week to salute our nation’s more than 100,000 electrical lineworkers for the jobs they do every single day for the customers and the communities they proudly serve.
National Lineworker Appreciation Day honors the life and work of Henry Miller, the first IBEW president, who was killed 127 years ago on July 10 in the line of duty while working to restore power during an outage in Washington, D.C. On Lineworker Appreciation Day, we remember Henry Miller and thank the highly skilled professionals who followed in his footsteps for their dedication and the sacrifices they make to keep electricity flowing throughout our country. Their role is essential to the well-being of our communities and our economy.
Today, we are joining together to salute our nation’s lineworkers from Capitol Hill, where more than 140 members of Congress will sign bipartisan resolutions to honor America’s lineworkers. U.S. Representative Linda Sánchez (D-CA) — the first female IBEW member elected to Congress — is a lead sponsor of a bipartisan House resolution that recognizes National Lineworker Appreciation Day. She is joined by U.S. Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Donald Norcross (D-NJ). U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) will lead the Senate resolution.
With implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law underway, it is important to note that lineworkers also play a central part in building the infrastructure necessary to keep our economy running. With the law’s historic investment, lineworkers are upgrading the energy grid and increasing our infrastructure’s resilience. They are also playing a key role in the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act that was signed into law almost a year ago. The law’s clean energy tax package is helping accelerate our clean energy transition through investment in technologies like wind, solar, energy storage, transmission, and nuclear energy.
Lineworkers work tirelessly to ensure our lights stay on, especially during critical moments when electricity powers life-saving medical equipment, supports emergency response systems, and provides comfort and security to those in need. Simply put, they are heroes and are critical to ensuring that all Americans have access to safe and reliable electricity. Together we hope you will join the IBEW, NECA, EEI, and Congress and #ThankALineworker.
Kenneth Cooper is the International President of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Tom Kuhn is President and CEO of the Edison Electric Institute, the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies.
David Long is CEO of the National Electrical Contractors Association.