GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)-In the midst of a storm, be it a thunderstorm or severe winter weather, most people hunker down inside and wait it out, hoping their homes and businesses don’t lose power. For a select few, the storm means it’s time to gear up and get to work. You might not have known it, but this week men and women around the country were honored as part of Lineman Appreciation Day. Consumers Energy recognized hundreds of their line workers. We got the chance to talk with one of those workers, Cleveland Reid.
Consumers Energy line workers serve 16-hour shifts and work through nights, weekends and holidays to restore power as quickly and as safely as possible. For those interested in a career as a line worker, they would attend Consumers Energy’s Marshall Training Center to learn the skills needed to work on our lines.
At the Marshall Training Center, apprentices learn about electrical theory, replacing downed wires and poles, replacing streetlights with LEDs, cutting brush away from lines and working with primary voltage. You can visit their website to learn more. Starting in 2020 through 2025, they are moving 400 line workers through the Marshall Training Center to help strengthen our power grid and help improve reliability for customers. That’s the most in the company’s history during a five-year period.
Sponsor: Consumers Energy
