Duke Energy Florida's local lineworkers advance to international competition

• Fifteen Duke Energy Florida lineworkers earn a spot in the International Lineman's Rodeo in Bonner Springs, Kan., to compete against lineworkers from around the world

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fifteen Duke Energy lineworkers from Florida have secured spots to compete in the International Lineman's Rodeo in Bonner Springs, Kan., Oct. 11-14, after winning the regional Duke Energy Florida Lineman's rodeo competition on April 1.

Contestants competed in events that test job-related skills such as hurt-man rescues, equipment repair and pole climbs, while being judged on speed, agility, technique and safety procedures.

This year, more than 70 apprentices and 12 journeyman teams, including one senior team, from Duke Energy's Florida service area participated in the regional rodeo competition.

"Our lineworkers participate in these rodeo competitions to continually refine their skills and ensure they are working at the highest level of safety and customer service," said Barry Anderson, Duke Energy Florida senior vice president of customer delivery. "Safety is our No. 1 priority and every event demonstrates their dedication to their jobs, their peers and our customers."

The winners from the Florida event will join other top lineworkers from Duke Energy rodeos in the Carolinas and the Midwest to compete in the International Lineman's Rodeo this fall, which includes competitors from around the world.

Team divisions are based in part on tenure. An apprentice is a lineworker with fewer than four years of utility experience. A journeyman has more than four years of utility experience, while a senior journeyman is 50 years of age or older.

The best lineworkers at Duke Energy and its legacy companies have showcased their talents at the International Lineman's Rodeo for more than 20 years.

Duke Energy Florida winners advancing to the International Lineman's Rodeo include:

Apprentice overall awards

• First place – Colton Dial, Winter Garden, Fla.
• Second place – Hayden Tyler, Highlands, Fla.
• Third place – Dalton Dial, Apopka, Fla.

Journeyman overall awards

• First place – Bobby Akos, Jamestown, Fla.
  Clay Baxter, Jamestown, Fla.
  Chris Clark, Jamestown, Fla.
  
  
• Second place – Tanner Bell, Highlands, Fla. 
  Mike Silver, Highlands, Fla.
  Kirby Whitehouse, Highlands, Fla.
  
  
• Third place – Vince Lombardo, Apopka, Fla.
  Roger McBride, Apopka, Fla.
  Sean Kirkpatrick, Apopka, Fla.

Senior overall awards

• First place – Chet Braden, Inverness, Fla.
  Ed Filor, Walsingham, Fla.
  Henry Shupe, Seven Springs, Fla.

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 10,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 1.9 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,600 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear. 

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2023 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "World's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media contact: Audrey Stasko
Media line: 800.559.3853
Twitter: @DE_AudreyS

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SOURCE Duke Energy