From Working on the Line to Supporting Crews in the Field: Featuring Duke Energy's Miles Bell

From Working on the Line to Supporting Crews in the Field: Featuring Duke Energy's Miles Bell

In the line trade, lineworkers strive to work safely and efficiently, and new tools and technologies help to improve productivity and ensure they get home safely to their families every night. During this episode of the Line Life Podcast, we are featuring guest Miles Bell, a journeyman lineworker with 11 years in the trade, who is now working as a tools and methods specialist. In this role, he supports crews in the field, makes job-site visits and analyzes tools and technologies for lineworkers.  He also shares an update on the Hurricane Helene restoration, his lessons learned for storm response and his experiences competing at the International Lineman's Rodeo.  If you want to be part of a future episode, swing by the T&D World booth at the 2026 International Lineman's Expo, where we will be giving out free T-shirts and temporary tattoos for line families. We look forward to seeing you there!

ICYMI: How Appalachian Power Safely Scaled Mutual Aid After Hurricane Helene

Our ICYMI series for the Line Life Podcast brings stories from the pages of T&D World to life as audio stories. This episode features an article from our February 2026 issue of T&D World magazine on lessons learned from Hurricane Helene. Glenn Edwards, manager, distribution systems for AEP's Appalachian Power, shares the story of how in just 10 days, his company's crews and mutual aid partners logged more than 1 million work hours, replaced 1,485 poles, installed 471 transformers and rebuilt 214 miles of wire. In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Appalachian Power transformed storm response by adopting digital workforce management tools from Arcos. This episode highlights the shift from paper-based, bird dog-led workflows to shared, real-time coordination that improved safety, accelerated restoration and enabled efficient scaling of mutual aid resources. To read the full story, visit the T&D World website [https://www.tdworld.com/reliability-and-resiliency/blog/55343989/lessons-learned-from-hurricane-helene-how-appalachian-power-safely-scaled-mutual-aid].  Also, we at the Line Life Podcast wish all of our listeners a Happy National Lineworker Appreciation Day on July 10. If you post at #thankalineworker, make sure you tag T&D World at Linemen World on Instagram or our other social media channels so we can put your crew in the spotlight. Thanks for all you do to keep the lights on and the power flowing!

Training in Texas: Featuring Josh Hanawalt of Pedernales Electric Cooperative

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 [https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-m5ks4-1af1d1e].

ICYMI: Hurricane Helene: Coming Together to Rebuild

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 [https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-8e574-1ae6862] 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 [amyfischbach@gmail.com], 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.

Climbing to the Top: Featuring Apprentice Benjamin Kent of Pedernales Electric Cooperative

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 [afischbach@endeavorb2b.com]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.