Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) is training aspiring lineworkers to build and maintain infrastructure in the rapidly growing Hill Country of Texas. During this Line Life Podcast episode, Josh Hanawalt, technical training manager, describes PEC's four-year, 8,000-hour apprenticeship program and the 2026 Apprentice of the Year award won by Benjamin Kent.

He also discusses the hands-on training center, climbing instruction, skill milestones and the emphasis on character, leadership and community engagement that set apprentices up for success. Listeners will hear how the program builds technical mastery and crew leadership, prepares apprentices for real-world storm response and system growth and spotlights the dedication behind keeping the lights on.

To listen to Part 1, which featured an interview with Benjamin Kent, tune in to this episode.

In this episode of the Line Life Podcast for our ICYMI series, we are featuring the second part of the Hurricane Helene series, which was published as the cover story of the February 2026 issue of T&D World magazine. The audio story describes how Duke Energy line crews and mutual assistance partners rebuilt infrastructure in Chimney Rock and Bat Cave, North Carolina, after catastrophic flooding.

Listeners hear first-hand accounts of line crews working without cell service or roads, using helicopters, track machines, drones and old-school line work to restore power. The International Lineman's Rodeo journeyman team of Miles Bell, Heath Burrell, and Jordan Henderson from Duke Energy also shares five valuable lessons learned about logistics, safety, teamwork and community resilience.

To learn more about the storm response, listen to Part 1 of the two-part series, "Hurricanes Helene and Milton: One Year Later." Stay tuned to Podbean or your favorite podcasting app to hear an interview-style episode with Bell with an update on the restoration in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

Also, if your line crew just finished restoring power following a storm and you want to share your story, please contact Amy Fischbach, host of the Line Life Podcast and Head of Content for T&D World. We look forward to hearing about your best practices and tools and technologies for storm response.

T&D World loves to put apprentices in the spotlight in its Faces of the Future department. For this episode of the Line Life Podcast, we are featuring the 2026 Apprentice of the Year for Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) in Texas. Benjamin Kent of PEC’s Canyon Lake district was honored for his dedication and commitment to excellence on and off the job. Kent was selected for his willingness to learn and embrace all aspects of the job, and for consistently going above and beyond to help his colleagues, members, and community.

If you have an apprentice you would like for us to feature in T&D World or on the Line Life Podcast, please email Amy Fischbach. We'd love to hear from you.

Also, look for Part 2 of this series, which will feature Ben's trainer, Josh Hanawalt, a journeyman lineworker at PEC. He will share more about his journey in the line trade, the Apprentice of the Year program and his training center.

In this ICYMI episode for the Line Life Podcast, Duke Energy lineworkers who responded to Hurricanes Helene and Milton share their stories about the long shifts, logistical challenges, and the teamwork that restored power and hope to devastated communities.

The episode also shares practical hurricane-response best practices, rapid-restoration achievements, and how local communities and crews supported one another during recovery. To read the story, which appeared in the January 2026 issue of T&D World magazine right after the one-year anniversary of the hurricanes, visit the website.

Also, if your line crew has just finished a storm restoration and wants to share your story, please email Amy Fischbach, host of the Line Life Podcast and Head of Content for T&D World, with high-resolution photos of the damage and restoration. We look forward to hearing from you and sharing your best practices for storm restoration with our readers, subscribers and Line Life Podcast listeners.

Austin Carr, a lineworker for Lakeland Electric, said he has access to some of the best training programs available. He quickly discovered, however, that others in the line trade are not as fortunate. To share his knowledge and experiences with other lineworkers, he started posting videos on TikTok and became "America's Favorite Lineman." He has published hundreds of episodes so far and enjoys teaching others about best practices in the line trade on TikTok, where he has more than 115,000 followers and 1.8 million likes.

During this Line Life Podcast episode, he talks about staying safe and hydrated in hot and humid conditions in Florida, dealing with water snakes and alligators and being on call 24/7. He also shares how he balances his work and family life as a married dad of two young daughters. He gave a shout-out to his wife and other line wives for all they do to support lineworkers on the line. For more information about Austin and to view his training videos, subscribe to his TikTok channel or follow him on Instagram or Facebook.

If you know of a lineworker we should put in the spotlight, please email Amy Fischbach, Head of Content for T&D World and host of the Line Life Podcast. Thanks for listening!

As lineworkers and pilots work "inside the wires" from helicopters, drones could soon be a part of this shielded airspace. Mike Starner of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and Heather Moran of Level Ascent Solutions explored the Federal Aviation Administration's proposed rules regulating the use of drones.

This audio story, authored by Mike Starner of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and Heather Moran of Level Ascent Solutions, was featured in the January 2026 issue of T&D World magazine. Their story highlights safety concerns around rights-of-way and the need for rapid communication and coordination. It also shares how technologies can help if implemented with input from pilots, drone operators and utility safety professionals.

Listeners will hear why preserving human judgment and teamwork is essential as drone inspections and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations expand. It will also focus on why collaboration, standardized protocols and training are critical to safely modernize inspections above the power line. For more information, read the article on the T&D World website.

Join us for a roundup from the IEEE PES T&D 2026 conference in Chicago, featuring interviews with exhibitors about the rise of 765 kV transmission, the looming matting shortage for large build-outs and the growing power demand from data centers. Vendors and technology providers discuss solutions for improving grid reliability and resilience.

Hear conversations with Hubbell, Shemar, Sterling Site Access Solutions, Smart Power and Ayr Energy about local manufacturing, automated mat production, power-flow technologies and upcoming projects representing gigawatts of new capacity.

For more coverage and videos, visit www.tdworld.com and tune into our sister podcast, T&D World Live. You can also listen to our latest episode in our ICYMI series, "Powering Reliability: Inside the 2026 IEEE PES T&D Show" on Podbean or in your favorite podcasting app. Thanks for listening!

The T&D World team just returned from Chicago for the 2026 IEEE PES T&D Conference and Exposition. This audio story in our ICYMI series previews the event, featuring a Q&A with Jackie Peer, director of industry outreach for the event steering committee, and Carla Frieh, co-chair of the local organizing committee.

Power engineering professionals from around the world came together in Chicago from May 4-7 to explore practical solutions for a more reliable, resilient grid. ComEd hosted the week of education and networking at the McCormick Place in Chicago, where attendees could browse exhibits on the show floor, attend technical and panel sessions and participate in technical tours and networking events.

To see more coverage of the event, stay tuned to the T&D World website and look for a future episode of the T&D World Live Podcast, which will feature a recap moderated by Christina Marsh with Amy Fischbach and Nikki Chandler of T&D World.