INDIANA — As the sun rises over the Indiana horizon on April 18, Duke Energy is turning the spotlight on the nearly 500 men and women who represent the front line of the state’s energy infrastructure. National Lineworker Appreciation Day serves as a formal “thank you” to the specialized crews who maintain the delicate balance of the power grid, often in the face of Indiana’s most punishing weather.
More Than Just “Fixing the Wires”
While most residents only think of lineworkers when the lights flicker during a storm, their primary mission is proactive. Across the Indiana service area, Duke Energy’s 490 lineworkers, alongside dedicated contract crews, serve as the hands-on architects of a modernizing grid.
Their daily responsibilities go far beyond emergency repairs:
- Grid Modernization: Replacing aging infrastructure with hardened poles and high-efficiency transformers.
- System Upgrades: Installing advanced relay systems and substation equipment to meet growing energy demands.
- Neighborly Service: Because many lineworkers live in the communities they serve, their work is often a case of “neighbors helping neighbors.”
“Lineworkers strengthen our Indiana system every day to make it more resilient,” says Stan Pinegar, president of Duke Energy Indiana. “The next time you flip a switch, charge your phone or power your business, please take a moment to thank a lineworker.”
The job is evolving. Today’s lineworker must be as comfortable with a tablet as they are with a pair of climbing spikes. Duke Energy has leaned heavily into “self-healing” technology—automated systems that can detect an outage and reroute power in seconds.
The impact of this technology, installed by these crews between 2022 and 2025, has been staggering:
- 420,000 Indiana customers are now protected by self-healing tech.
- 100,000 outages avoided in 2025 alone.
- 350,000 hours of total outage time saved for Hoosier families and businesses.
A Focus on Safety and Skill
For those in the bucket trucks, the “fundamentals” remain the foundation of the job. Kevin McGill, a fourth-year apprentice, emphasizes that while the tech is changing, the commitment to safety and service is constant.
“To be a lineworker today, you have to master the fundamentals and be ready to adapt,” McGill says. “We’re always training… and when something happens—especially after a storm—we’re proud to be there to help people when they need it most.”
As Duke Energy continues to upgrade the grid to handle a more complex energy future, these lineworkers remain the essential human element, ensuring the lights stay on across the Hoosier State.
