T&D World

In this special episode celebrating the 2026 National Lineman Appreciation Day, Line Life Podcast Host Amy Fischbach shares favorite clips from past podcast interviews featuring lineworkers recounting why they joined the trade, unforgettable storms and the camaraderie that keeps the lights on.

Ameren Missouri Completes Construction of New Electric Substation in North St. Louis The new substation is part of Ameren Missouri’s Smart Energy Plan, a multi-year effort to improve reliability, enhance storm resilience and modernize the electric grid to serve customers across Missouri.

Xcel Energy has announced operations of new solar generation and battery energy storage systems at its Plant X site near Earth, Texas, and at the Cunningham Generating Station near Hobbs, New Mexico. “This is about making smart, responsible investments on behalf of our customers,” said Brad Baldridge, interim president, Xcel Energy – Texas, New Mexico.

The Visibility Gap Traditional damage assessment methods often leave utilities slow to respond to natural disasters. The extreme weather that causes outages also prevents ground patrols and helicopter flyovers from safely assessing the situation while optical imagery is often obscured by clouds, smoke, or even limited hours of daylight. Meanwhile, roadways that remain flooded can delay crews while high winds and dense smoke ground aircraft. This visibility slows decision-making.

Salt River Project (SRP) has brought its first owned and operated solar facility, the 55-megawatt (MW) Copper Crossing Energy and Research Center (CCERC) PV Solar Project, into service. The project is expected to generate enough solar energy to power approximately 11,000 Arizona homes annually. In addition to energy production, the CCERC PV Solar Project will support research into advanced solar technologies.

Mike Beehler P.E. is the national spokesperson for the Power Delivery Intelligence Initiative and the chief opportunity officer for Mike Beehler & Associates LLC. He started his career designing and building transmission lines and substations for Tucson Electric Power and the Hawaiian Electric Co. and then spent more than 20 years designing T&D infrastructure and consulting on emerging trends at Burns & McDonnell.

Every year, the International Lineman's Rodeo Week kicks off with a one-and-a-half day Safety and Training Conference. If you want to present at the 2026 event, submit your session proposal by June 1. This event, hosted by the International Lineman's Rodeo Association (ILRA) brings together industry professionals for expert presentations and training demonstrations. It is dedicated to advancing safe work practices and strengthening performance across the line trade.

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) recently announced the expansion of its Wildfire Prepared designation program to 10 additional states, bringing the total to 14, as demand grows for proven, research-based wildfire mitigation actions that help homeowners and builders in high-risk areas better protect their homes and neighborhoods from wildfire.

DM360 The DM360 is a dedicated municipal maintenance carrier that offers visibility, stability and multi-season versatility. Built in partnership with municipalities, DOTs, drainage districts and fire mitigation teams, it features a rotating cab and synchronized boom system for true 360-degree awareness – reducing blind spots, operator fatigue and risk when working near traffic or steep terrain.

Before Censys Technologies flies a Sentaero aircraft, it performs engineering work on the ground to ensure that the platform will perform every time. Recently, John Tillo and Dr. J. Gordon Leishman conducted a wing-load test on the Sentaero platform to better understand the aircraft's structural limits and to collect engineering data. The Sentaero wing itself weighs about 3 lb and is constructed with dual carbon fiber spars and internal rib structures.