COLUMBUS, OH: American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP) is celebrating the work of all of the public power lineworkers in its member communities by collectively naming them as the 2022 inductees to the AMP Wall of Fame.

AMP established the Wall of Fame in 2010 to honor those individuals who, through their dedication, have made significant contributions to AMP and public power. Plaques outlining the inductees’ contributions hang on the Wall of Fame in the AMP Board of Trustees room at AMP's headquarters in Columbus. The AMP Wall of Fame includes the names of the 26 individuals who have been honored and who have left an indelible mark on the organization. A similar plaque will hang in honor of public power lineworkers.

The 2022 Wall of Fame announcement occurred at the AMP Board of Trustees meeting on April 20. The timing of the Wall of Fame announcement follows the National Lineman Appreciation Day on April 18, a day set aside to honor the hard work and dedication of lineworkers across the United States.

Linework is a profession that demands passion, dedication, ongoing training and a willingness to work around the clock, often in difficult situations, all to provide communities with safe, reliable electric power.

“The importance of the work that public power lineworkers do in their communities cannot be overstated,” said Jolene Thompson, AMP president/CEO. “They are true hometown heroes who make sure electricity is flowing to power the homes, businesses, schools and other community facilities. This honor is meant to demonstrate AMP’s gratitude for all that they do to serve our member communities.”

The linework profession is one with excellent job prospects. While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the number of jobs in this field to remain steady between now and 2030, the Bureau is projecting about 23,300 job openings each year in the field, due to workers who transfer to other roles or retire.

The typical entry-level education of a lineworker is a high school diploma or the equivalent, but the profession also provides and requires extensive on-the-job training. Apprenticeships are common and a way for young lineworkers to attain a goal of becoming a journeyman lineworker. According to the Center for Energy Workforce Development, a career as a lineworker in the energy industry offers excellent salary and benefits, opportunities for advancement, job stability and job growth, and professional training and development.

“The lineworkers in our member communities are true first responders,” said Michelle Palmer, PE, AMP’s vice president of technical services and compliance. “They are the ones lacing up their boots, heading out in the middle of storms and climbing electric poles to maintain and restore electric power to their neighbors. They are the ones who respond to calls for mutual aid from neighboring systems when natural disasters disrupt the power supply. Public power lineworkers are very deserving of this honor.”