Duke Energy : line workers to compete in ‘rodeo’ in Plainfield, Ind. June 23, 2016

Event: Eight teams of Duke Energy line workers, and 39 individual apprentice line workers from Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky will compete against each other in the 23rd annual Midwest Line Worker's Rodeo in Plainfield, Ind. Winners will represent the company later this year at the International Lineman's Rodeo in Bonner Springs, Kan.

When: Saturday, June 25, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

What: During the rodeo, participants will climb poles, 'rescue' crew members and make equipment repairs. They will be judged on their speed, agility, technique and the use of proper safety procedures.

Where: Duke Energy's Indiana Headquarters, 000 East Main St., Plainfield, Ind. 46168

Why: The top teams and apprentices will earn spots to the world competition in October. The best line workers at Duke Energy and its legacy companies have showcased their talents at the International Lineman's Rodeo for more than 20 years.

Background:

Often considered one of the deadliest jobs in America, electrical linemen risk their lives every day to keep the lights on across the country. They are highly skilled professionals who undergo rigorous training to safely and efficiently work with electricity.

• Duke Energy line workers took home 12 awards at the 2015 International Lineman's Rodeo in Bonner Springs, Kan.
• Lafayette, Ind., lineman Mitch Nelson was named second in the world in the overall apprentice category and first in the investor-owned utility division last year. 'I was happy to be able to celebrate with my whole family there watching me and I thank God for giving me the abilities he gave me to do what I do,' said Nelson, a Duke Energy Indiana third-year apprentice lineman. 'The help and support I received from my guys back at my district in helping teach me throughout my apprenticeship has been incredible.'
• The International Lineman's Rodeo competition attracts the best linemen from around the world, competing in events that test job-related skills such as hurt-man rescues, equipment repair and pole climbs. All 60 competitors earn spots by competing in Duke Energy regional competitions.
• Sixty line technicians from Duke Energy's six-state service area, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, will participate in the apprentice, journeyman and senior-journeyman team competition in October. An apprentice is a line worker with less than four years of utility experience. A rodeo journeyman has greater than four years of utility experience.
• Duke Energy employs more than 5,000 line workers to construct, operate and maintain the equipment that delivers electricity to more than 7 million customers across its service territories.
• All line workers are trained to respond to major outages in events such as high winds, ice and summer storms. Line workers receive an extensive progression of training over several years. In most cases at each interval, both written and field tests must be successfully completed to demonstrate expertise and job knowledge.
• Many linemen consider it a privilege to serve their communities and they love what they do. In fact, the average tenure of a lineman is between 20 and 30 years, but there are some who've been on the line for more than 40 years

About Duke Energy

Duke Energy Indiana's operations provide about 7,500 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 810,000 customers in a 23,000-square-mile service area, making it the state's largest electric supplier.

Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky's operations provide electric service to about 840,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in a 3,000-square-mile service area and natural gas service to approximately 525,000 customers.

Duke Energy is one of the largest electric power holding companies in the United States. Its regulated utility operations serve approximately 7.4 million electric customers located in six states in the Southeast and Midwest, representing a population of approximately 24 million people. Its Commercial Portfolio and International business segments own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America, including a growing portfolio of renewable energy assets in the United States.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a S&P 100 Stock Index company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com.

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