April 18 is National Lineman Appreciation Day. It's designed to honor the service and dedication of all the men and women around the country who work hard day and night to keep the power grid running safely and reliably.
We rely on electricity for nearly every aspect of our lives — from modern conveniences like to TVs and smartphones, to essentials like clean water and life-saving medical devices. While we often take this easy access to electrical power for granted, it's only made possible by the difficult, but often overlooked role of lineworkers.
About lineworkers and the work they do
Utility lineworkers install, maintain and repair electrical power lines and systems, ensuring the safe and reliable delivery of electricity to homes, businesses and communities. Lineworkers often work under challenging circumstances, at great heights handling high-voltage electrical equipment. They respond to outages caused by storms or other disruptions — often working in harsh weather conditions late into the night and on weekends.
Lineworkers and the grid: by the numbers
There are more than 123,000 lineworkers in the United States. These lineworkers help maintain a power grid that delivers reliable electricity to more than 160 million customers. The power grid includes:
- Nearly 7 million miles of transmission and distribution lines
- More than 180 million distribution poles and transmission towers
Take some time to recognize National Lineman Appreciation Day and thank lineworkers for their service and dedication by sharing the #ThankALineman and #NationalLinemanAppreciationDay hashtags on your favorite social media site.
