Duke Energy honors South Carolina lineworkers who help restore power and build the energy grid of the future
April 20, 2026
On April 18, Duke Energy recognized National Lineworker Appreciation Day and the lineworkers who keep the lights on across South Carolina. From year-round grid work that improves reliability to storm response, lineworkers bring skill, teamwork and a strong safety focus to the work customers depend on.
“Customers trust us to deliver safe, reliable power every day – and to bring it back quickly after storms and other outages,” said Scott Batson, executive vice president and chief power grid officer for Duke Energy. “That’s why the work of our lineworkers’ matters: they strengthen the system through daily maintenance and upgrades, and they respond in our communities when it matters most. Their skill and safety-first mindset help us provide the dependable service our communities expect today while building a stronger grid for the future.”
Fueling the workforce: As we recognize the importance of the profession of utility linework, it’s also important to support the programs that fuel the pipeline with these highly-skilled workers. This year, Duke Energy Foundation is granting a total of $75,000 to York Technical College, York Comprehensive High School, Clover High School, Tri-County Technical College and Denmark Technical College to show support for their efforts in training tomorrow’s lineworkers. This continues a long tradition of funding South Carolina training programs with $395,000 invested since 2020.
“South Carolina is one of the fastest growing states in the nation, and the need for reliable energy, and the smart-thinking grid to deliver it, has never been more urgent,” said Tim Pearson, Duke Energy’s South Carolina president. “As our state grows and businesses relocate to or expand in the state, thousands of jobs will be created and filled – and the need for skilled lineworkers to build and maintain this infrastructure will be at the top of that list.”
What you need to know: Lineworkers build, maintain and upgrade the equipment that powers homes and businesses, and they respond when outages occur. Reliability work – replacing aging equipment and adding technology to detect and isolate issues – can help reduce outages and speed restoration. During storms and extreme weather, they coordinate with emergency responders as conditions allow, with safety guiding every job.
“Being a lineworker at Duke Energy means standing on the front lines when it matters most – when our customers need their lives restored to normal,” said Brandon Duncan, a senior journeyman lineworker assigned to the company’s Clemson Operations Center. “It’s a job built on grit, teamwork, and pride, where every line restored is a promise kept to the communities we serve.”
Go deeper: Lineworkers – including line, substation and relay technicians – are the hands-on workforce behind Duke Energy’s electric grid. They install, maintain and upgrade poles, transformers and power lines to strengthen a more resilient, modern system that can meet evolving customer needs and growing energy demand. Many also live where they work – neighbors helping neighbors stay connected and supported.
The bottom line: Lineworkers strengthen a more resilient system customers can rely on. The next time you flip a switch, charge your phone or power your business, take a moment to thank a lineworker and share your appreciation with #ThankALineworker.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. The company’s electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.
Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.
More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.
