Electric Utility Operations

North Carolina Community College Receives $200,000 Grant for Power Line Technician Program

Aug. 13, 2018

Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas have invested $200,000 in Cape Fear Community College's Power Line Technician Program.

Amy Fischbach

Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas have invested $200,000 in Cape Fear Community College's Power Line Technician Program. The funds will connect students with hands-on training and career development opportunities. In addition, the investment will be help cover the cost of tuition and equipment such as trucks, trailers, poles and line worker toolkits.

“There is a tremendous need for power line technicians in our region,” said Jim Morton, CFCC president in the story on the CFCC Web site. “We are very pleased to be working with Duke Energy to offer this training program for our area. This partnership will help us provide highly-trained employees to meet industry demands in this lucrative field. The college is excited to connect students with this opportunity.”

On July 10, Duke Energy representatives presented the grant to the community college during a ceremony at the Advanced and Emerging Technologies building. Later on, the students provided demonstrations. Duke Energy awarded the grant as part of its $35 million investment in North Carolina community colleges' focus on technical education and support of business and industry. Duke Energy, the North Carolina Community College System and North Carolina Department of Commerce reviewed the applications.

“We rely on the skills and expertise of line workers to power our daily lives and depend on this vital role in maintaining and growing the state’s energy infrastructure,” said David Fountain, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president. “We’re pleased to partner with Cape Fear Community College to cultivate training and education opportunities for line workers of the future.”

About the Author

Amy Fischbach | Amy Fischbach, EUO Contributing Editor

Amy Fischbach is the Field Editor for T&D World magazine and manages the Electric Utility Operations section. She is the host of the Line Life Podcast, which celebrates the grit, courage and inspirational teamwork of the line trade. She also works on the annual Lineworker Supplement and the Vegetation Management Supplement as well as the Lineman Life and Lineman's Rodeo News enewsletters. Amy also covers events such as the Trees & Utilities conference and the International Lineman's Rodeo. She is the past president of the ASBPE Educational Foundation and ASBPE and earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from Kansas State University. She can be reached at [email protected].