Life on the Line

By Tracy Streichhirsch, Great Lakes Energy
Photos by Thomas Mann

Power outages. 
Never a good time and as perennial as the winds and storms that bring them.
Recently we went through another round of weather related woes leaving many residents (who have not yet bought that generator they’ve talked about getting for a couple years or so) in the dark, literally.
While most folks are patient about such events some can get a bit testy when unable to access the many accoutrements that come with electricity. To help those who might experience frustration with their power providers we offer this peek into  the other side of the outage, courtesy of Ms. Streichhirsch

The phone rings and they leave. Boots laced up and ready for anything, they walk out the door on Christmas morning, during school events, recitals, in the dead of night, and all those other moments most get to enjoy but you can never get back. Lineworkers perform one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, often in the harshest weather conditions, to help the rest of us when the power goes out. The risks are high and there is zero margin for error in their work. This is the life of the lineworker.

At Great Lakes Energy, ensuring your power comes on also requires a team of people supporting the difficult job of the lineworker. Area supervisors, dispatchers, member service representatives, communications teams, line scouts, engineers, tree crews and many others that leave their life at home to go to work to ensure that your power comes back on as safely and efficiently as possible. Some outages warrant contractors in addition to Great Lakes Energy crews to be involved. Every outage is different. Every storm is different. The weather can be treacherous, but the lineworkers and team at Great Lakes Energy never waver in their solid dedication to get your power restored. They are committed to the local communities they serve which, in turn, means they are committed to you.

Your power company doesn’t want your power to be out any more than you do. Everyone wants to return safe. Trust that they will take care of it as efficiently as possible while keeping safety their number one priority. So, even if you aren’t a Great Lakes Energy member, the next time your power goes out, remember there are people working hard for you from the moment you report the outage to the moment your lights go back on. That’s life on the line.


Great Lakes Energy is a local electric cooperative serving 125,000 members in 26 counties in rural Michigan, including Newaygo County. For more information visit gtlakes.com or facebook.com/greatlakesenergy.