This article is brought to you by the Community Foundation Serving Howard, Clinton, and Carroll Counties. Our purpose is to make the community a better place through the accumulation and stewardship of enduring charitable funds. This is done by allowing forward-thinking community members to work together to create a reservoir of charitable funds that can be used to make an impact across a wide spectrum of community needs.
After we receive the money from our donors, we invest it and use part of the earnings to make grants to 501(c)3 non-profit organizations that are improving the quality of life in the communities we serve. We believe that investing in the future of our young people is one of the most important things we can do to support our community for the generations to come.
For more information, visit www.cfhoward.org
On April 18, Duke Energy recognizes National Lineworker Appreciation Day and the Indiana lineworkers who keep the lights on. From year-round grid work that improves reliability to storm response, lineworkers bring skill, teamwork and a strong safety focus to the work customers depend on.
Lineworkers build, maintain and upgrade the equipment that powers homes and businesses, and they respond when outages occur. They perform reliability work, replacing aging equipment and adding technology to detect and isolate issues, which can help reduce outages and speed restoration. During storms and extreme weather, lineworkers coordinate with emergency responders as conditions allow, with safety guiding every job.
Duke Energy employs approximately 490 lineworkers across Indiana service area, supported by additional contract crews. Many also live where they work; neighbors helping neighbors stay connected and supported.
Lineworkers – including line, substation and relay technicians – are the hands-on workforce behind Duke Energy’s electric grid. They install, maintain and upgrade poles, transformers and power lines to strengthen a more resilient, modern system that can meet evolving customer needs and growing energy demand.
Between 2022 and 2025, lineworkers helped increase the number of Indiana customers who are benefiting from self-healing technology to nearly 420,000. In 2025 alone, this innovative technology helped avoid 100,000 outages for Indiana customers, saving around 350,000 hours of total outage time.
“To be a lineworker today, you have to master the fundamentals and be ready to adapt –using new tools and technology and learning new systems as the grid evolves,” said Kevin McGill, a fourth-year lineworker apprentice. “We’re always training, always improving and always focused on what matters most: serving customers with safe, reliable power. And when something happens – especially after a storm – we’re proud to be there to help people when they need it most.”
Stan Pinegar, president, Duke Energy Indiana, added, “Lineworkers strengthen our Indiana system every day to make it more resilient and provide the reliable energy our customers need and deserve. The next time you flip a switch, charge your phone or power your business, please take a moment to thank a lineworker.”