Line Life Podcast

Ramping Up Resiliency in Houston: Featuring Nathan Brownell of CenterPoint Energy

In the wake of Hurricane Beryl, CenterPoint Energy began modernizing its system through the Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI). To improve resiliency and reliability, the utility is performing targeted undergrounding of its power lines, clearing vegetation and installing storm-resistant fiberglass poles in its service territory.

For this episode of the T&D World Line Life Podcast, Nathan Brownell, vice president of resilience and capital delivery for CenterPoint, shares how his utility is striving to have the most resilient coastal grid in the country.

For more information, read the cover story of the June 2026 issue of T&D World magazine. You can also stay tuned to the Line Life Podcast to listen to a narrated version of this article in our ICYMI series.

 

 

ICYMI: Record-Breaking Rodeo: A Week of Safety, Innovation and Competition

Join the T&D World Line Life Podcast as we recap the record-setting 2025 International Lineman's Rodeo Week in Kansas City — a week of safety training, cutting-edge tools on the trade show floor, Trade Night traditions and the intense competition that showcases the best in the line trade.

Hear stories of resilience and self-preservation in the line trade from the safety and training conference and discover how the industry comes together to celebrate skills, innovation and community during the annual International Lineman's Rodeo Week.

Visit the T&D World website to read this story from the December print issue online. While you're on Podbean or on your favorite podcasting app, listen to another audio story for the Line Life Podcast about the results of the 2025 competition: "Lineman's Rodeo Rewind."

We look forward to seeing you in mid-October for the 2026 International Lineman's Rodeo Week! Stay tuned to the field-focused Electric Utility Operations page for more information about the 2026 event and year-round coverage of the line trade. You can also subscribe to our Lineman Life and Lineman's Rodeo News enewsletter on our website and visit the website for the International Lineman's Rodeo Association (ILRA) for more details. 

Heroes on the Line: Celebrating the 2026 National Lineman Appreciation Day

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.

Listeners will hear voices from across the industry — from apprentices to veterans — with stories of resilience, community response to disasters and the personal sacrifices line workers make to restore power.

If you have stories to share from the 2026 National Lineman Appreciation Day or would like to be a guest on a future episode of the Line Life Podcast, email Amy Fischbach, Head of Content for T&D World. 

ICYMI: International Lineman's Rodeo Rewind

For more than four decades, the International Lineman's Rodeo has brought the line trade together for camaraderie and competition. Last October, the Rodeo Week drew a record crowd of more than 5,000 attendees. Apprentices and journeymen lineworkers competed in the Pole Climb, Hurtman Rescue and mystery events that showcased safety, skill, tradition and teamwork.

This Line Life Podcast episode revisits top winners, memorable moments and special events ahead of the 2026 competition. Read the full article from the December 2025 issue and check out more coverage on the T&D World website.

You can also learn more about the 2026 International Lineman's Rodeo, slated for Oct. 14-17, 2026, in Kansas City, by subscribing to our Lineman Life or Lineman's Rodeo News enewsletters or by visiting the International Lineman's Rodeo Association (ILRA) website.

The Legend Lives On: The Story of Slim the Lineman

Because lineworkers are heroes and first responders, they have been celebrated in songs, books and movies. For this episode of the T&D World Line Life Podcast, we are featuring an interview with William Wister Haines, Jr., the son of the author of Slim and the companion book, High Tension.

During this episode, William shares the story of how his father's book, inspired by his work in the line trade, became not only a national bestseller, but also a Hollywood movie starring Henry Fonda. Years later, he continued his father's legacy by bringing both books back into print. He now personally inscribes and ships copies to training programs and lineworkers nationwide. To order a copy of the books, go to his website. 

ICYMI: The Line That Brings Light: Connecting 17 First Nations to the Ontario Grid

This episode in our ICYMI series for the T&D World Line Life Podcast tells the story of the Wataynikaneyap Power Transmission Project. This $1.9 billion CAD Indigenous-led partnership connected 17 remote First Nations in northwest Ontario to the provincial grid, replacing costly diesel generators with clean, reliable electricity.

Learn how 24 First Nations, Fortis and partners overcame remote logistics, governance challenges, and the pandemic to build 1,800 km of transmission lines and 22 substations, creating local ownership and lasting community benefits. To read the story, which appeared in the November 2025 issue of T&D World magazine, visit the website. 

Also, if you are working on an interesting transmission, distribution or substation project, we'd love to hear about it. Email Amy Fischbach, Head of Content for T&D World and host of the Line Life Podcast, with your project photos and description, and she will help you to share your story in T&D World magazine. 

From the U.S. Army National Guard to the Line Trade: Featuring Student Shawn Becker of Ozarks Technical Community College

In this episode of the T&D World Line Life Podcast, we are highlighting Shawn Becker, a first-year lineman student at Ozarks Technical Community College and a member of the U.S. Army National Guard. Shawn shares how he discovered the line trade, got involved with the training program and made connections during the International Linemen’s Rodeo week.

Listen for stories about military service, the lineman community and brotherhood, safety and wellness in the trade and Shawn's goals for a future that balances career opportunities with family life.

ICYMI: Ramping Up Resiliency and Reliability in Illinois

In this ICYMI episode of the Line Life Podcast, we are sharing the narrated version of an article from the November 2025 issue of T&D World magazine on how Ameren Illinois is using new technology to inspect aging sub-transmission conductors and prioritize line rebuilds.

The utility manages more than 45,000 miles of power lines supported by about 1.3 million utility poles, including 2,000 high-strength composite poles. Ameren Illinois adopted the LineVue device to perform comprehensive, cost-effective inspections of conductor spans, improving accuracy over traditional visual methods. LineVue technology enables remote, real-time assessment of conductor health, identifying issues such as rust, pitting and broken strands on energized lines up to 500 kV. 

To read the full story, go to T&D World's website.