Menu

We Work For You – Line Department

January 2025

At Stearns Electric Association, our mission is member focused. In everything we do, a team of dedicated employees is behind the scenes working on behalf of our members. 

When you think of the Cooperative, you might think immediately of our lineworkers who spend their days maintaining our electrical distribution system and restoring outages. Our linemen are working on behalf of our membership to safely deliver dependable electricity to you 24/7/365. 

TYPICAL DAY:
When there are no outages, our linemen work to maintain and enhance reliability across the entire distribution system. Some of their daily tasks include: 

  • Building new overhead line projects
  • Plowing in new underground line projects 
  • Hooking up electric service to new homes and/or businesses 
  • Upgrading transformers, oil circuit reclosers, arrestors and other equipment 
  • Changing out power poles 
  • Patrolling lines for potential problems 
  • Clearing trees away from the Right-of-Way 

“The work we do here at Stearns Electric impacts our community and members by improving and maintaining our electrical system. By maintaining our services, it reduces time out of power and increases the longevity of our system.”

SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT:
From bucket trucks and tools to personal protective gear, our lineworkers are outfitted with specialized equipment to keep them safe while working with high voltage electricity. 

Last November, the Cooperative purchased a new digger derrick UTV which will help build lines and restore outages in areas that are hard to get such as swamps, or in snow, icy or extremely wet conditions. 

Since the equipment allows the line crews to stay in the ditches to do their work instead of parking on busy roads, it is also a safety benefit to both the linemen and the general public. 

“This UTV will be a beneficial reliability asset for our crews and members when power restoration is needed and conditions call for a UTV. Owning our own gives us the availability to get it on-site ASAP when it is most needed.” 

TYPES OF LINEWORKERS:
The Cooperative employs lineworkers with various levels of experience. 

  • JOURNEYMAN LINEWORKERS
    Journeyman lineworkers have several years of experience in the field constructing, maintaining and repairing our local electrical distribution system. Journeymen lineworkers must maintain their designation through continuous training and hands-on experience. 
  • APPRENTICE LINEWORKERS
    Apprentice lineworkers work underneath the supervision of journeymen lineworkers. There are four different steps, or levels, an apprentice lineworker works toward based on criteria such as on-the-job experience, work hours logged, training completed, bookwork and testing. 
  • TEMPORARY LINEWORKERS
    Temporary lineworkers are usually recent line school graduates who are gaining required experience. Stearns Electric typically employs temporary lineworkers during the summer and/or fall months. 

“Stearns Electric is very member driven. The Cooperative relies on a lot of feedback from members and tries to accommodate everyone. At other places I have worked for, they try to get by with bare minimum.” 

Close