PowerGridTalks: From the Bucket Trucks to the Boardrooms

47 years in the trade. A spot in the Lineman Hall of Fame, right alongside his father. And the man who wrote National Lineman Appreciation Day on a napkin. Bill Bosch has spent his career leaving a mark on line work, and he's not done yet. On this episode, host Tom Williamson sits down with Bill in Orlando to talk about growing up around the legends of AB Chance, his father's role in saving NASA's Skylab, and the moment early in his career that changed how he saw the job forever. Now VP of Safety & Training at Gridco, Bill makes the case that compliance alone only makes a company "safe on paper," and that real safety comes from a culture of training, mentoring, and coaching. They also dig into why success starts and stops with the general foreman, what the next generation of linemen really wants from leadership, whether line school grads are ready for the field, the push for lineman first responder status, and why the trade is at a crossroads. Presented by Tallman Equipment Company.   (3:29) - 47 Years in the Trade, Starting at Age 10 (6:58) - His Father & the Saving Skylab Story (10:23) - Train, Mentor, Coach: What Makes a Good Lineman (14:37) - The Moment That Humbled Him (18:37) - The Scariest Day: Topping Out (22:07) - Are We Producing the Same Caliber of Journeymen? (24:30) - Compliance vs. Culture: "Safe on Paper" (27:12) - Critical Thinking & Competency-Based Training (29:30) - Workforce Attrition & Growing From Within (31:31) - Success Starts and Stops with the GF (34:53) - What the Next Generation Really Wants (37:14) - Lineman Schools: Are Grads Ready? (41:16) - Advice for Line School Graduates (43:07) - Creating National Lineman Appreciation Day (47:28) - The Push for Lineman First Responder Status (52:21) - Lineman Hall of Fame: Father & Son (58:37) - The Trade at a Crossroads: Curbing Fatalities (1:03:24) - Advice for a 20-Year-Old Apprentice (1:04:52) - Closing & Sign-Off For more episodes, show notes, and to connect with the show, visit https://powergridtalks.com/. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, share it with someone in the industry, and leave a review. It helps us bring more voices from across the utility world to the conversation.

Storm restoration is big business and it isn't always pretty. Nicole Rhodes (CEO) and Dustin Toney (Director of Storm Operations) of Center Phase Energy join PowerGridTalks fresh off a brutal storm week in Oklahoma to talk about what really happens behind the scenes of line contracting. Host Thomas Williamson sits down with the Center Phase Energy team for a candid look at the gap between utility and contractor culture, the ugly side of storm work: subcontractor poaching, unaccountable aggregators, and a race-to-the-bottom bidding market. Plus the debate over lineman schools vs. traditional apprenticeships, why fatality rates are creeping back up, and why the industry's real threat is the shrinking workforce. Dustin also opens up about losing his brother to line work and what it's taught him about safety leadership. Presented by Tallman Equipment Company. (1:57) - Show Intro & Host Welcome (2:18) - Nicole's Path: Engineer to CEO (5:05) - Dustin's Origin Story: Cutting Teeth on Katrina (9:16) - Utility vs. Contractor: The Reality Check (15:48) - Vetting Contractors & Storm Chaos (26:33) - Resource Poaching & Accountability Gaps (40:21) - What Separates a Top-Tier Contractor (44:42) - Driving All Night: Safety and Dustin's Brother (48:38) - Lineman Schools vs. IBEW Apprenticeship (53:36) - Training for Safety vs. Training for Skill (58:08) - The Real Economics of Line Contracting (1:05:54) - Bid Work: A Race to the Bottom (1:09:04) - Fatalities, Safety & Sleepless Nights (1:14:41) - Workforce Shortage: The Industry's Biggest Threat (1:22:23) - Rapid Fire: Nicole & Dustin (1:35:24) - Storm Feedback & Closing Thoughts For more episodes, show notes, and to connect with the show, visit https://powergridtalks.com/. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, share it with someone in the industry, and leave a review — it helps us bring more voices from across the utility world to the conversation.

Buddy Hasten spent 20 years running nuclear submarines for the U.S. Navy. Now he's president and CEO of Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation (AECC)  and he's bringing submarine-grade leadership straight into the boardroom. On this episode, host Thomas Williamson catches up with Buddy at the Arkansas Electric Cooperatives' Statewide Directors' Conference in Hot Springs, AR for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership under pressure, why "we" beats "they" in a healthy culture, the real mechanics behind rolling blackouts, and the biggest threat to grid reliability. Buddy also breaks down the escalating energy race with China, AI and data centers, what keeps a utility CEO up at night, and why the electric cooperative model still matters. This episode is presented by Tallman Equipment Company. Chapters: (1:53) - Meeting Buddy Hasten in Arkansas (9:03) - From Rural Iowa to the Navy (16:38) - Submarine Pressure & the "Carbon Into Diamond" Lesson (23:40) - Two Kinds of Leadership: War-Fighter vs. Political (27:45) - The 90/10 Rule for Fast Decisions (35:51) - Investing in People vs. Infrastructure (38:41) - Military-Grade Training vs. Utility Training Gaps (45:36) - Where Grid Reliability Really Starts (47:54) - The Biggest Threat to the Grid: AI Data Center Demand (53:26) - How Rolling Blackouts Actually Work (57:05) - What Keeps a Utility CEO Up at Night (1:02:05) - The "We vs. They" Mindset (1:07:15) - The Karma Cake Story (1:17:40) - The Future of the Co-op Model (1:27:26) - Advice for a 22-Year-Old Starting Out (1:39:08) - The Case for a National Energy Policy (1:40:34) - Legacy for His Grandchildren For more episodes, show notes, and to connect with the show, visit https://powergridtalks.com/. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, share it with someone in the industry, and leave a review — it helps us bring more voices from across the utility world to the conversation.

Colby Wells almost turned down the top job. Now he's CEO of South Central Arkansas Electric Cooperative and its broadband subsidiary, South Central Connect — a 20+ year journey that started as a groundman apprentice terrified of heights in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. On this episode, host Tom Williamson catches up with Colby at the Statewide Cooperative Directors Conference in Hot Springs, AR for a candid conversation about leadership, mentorship, and the co-op business model. They cover why line work has gotten harder, the industry's shift from training for knowledge to training for liability, the disconnect between the field and the boardroom, the challenges of expanding rural broadband, why winter demand — not AI — is straining the grid, and how to build the next generation of linemen. Chapters: (0:00) - Intro: Meeting Colby Wells in Arkansas (1:38) - Colby's Role & Nearly Turning Down the Job (5:44) - Starting as a Groundman Apprentice (7:01) - Overcoming a Fear of Heights (11:10) - Billy: The Lineman Who Shaped Him (16:49) - Has Line Work Gotten Harder? (19:21) - Training for Liability vs. Knowledge (25:13) - From Lineman to Manager: A Rocky Transition (28:41) - Unionizing and Becoming a Steward (38:43) - The 2009 Ice Storm & Mutual Aid (43:19) - Why the Co-op Model Matters (51:49) - The Field-to-Boardroom Disconnect (55:14) - Building the Broadband Subsidiary & New Competition (58:43) - The Future of the Grid & Energy Policy (1:03:15) - Surging Demand: Load Growth, Not Just AI (1:06:41) - Lightning Round: Tools & Trucks (1:09:06) - Biggest Pet Peeves in Line Work Today (1:13:10) - Advice for Every Apprentice (1:14:52) - The Hardest Days as CEO (1:18:06) - Best Decision He Ever Made (1:21:09) - What He'd Tell Every Co-op CEO (1:26:26) - His Hoped-For Legacy & Fixing Workforce Development (1:34:09) - Closing & Sign-Off For more episodes, show notes, and to connect with the show, visit https://powergridtalks.com/. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, share it with someone in the industry, and leave a review — it helps us bring more voices from across the utility world to the conversation.

What happens when a routine day in the line trade turns into a life-changing accident? In this unforgettable episode of PowerGridTalks, host Thomas Williamson sits down with journeyman lineman Dominic Duchon and his wife, Naiane, to share the powerful story of a devastating workplace accident, Dominic's fight for survival, and the incredible road to recovery that followed. Dominic opens up about the events leading up to the incident, the injuries that nearly claimed his life, and the months of recovery that tested him physically, mentally, and emotionally. Naiane offers an equally powerful perspective, describing what it was like to receive the call no spouse ever wants to get, navigating uncertainty while Dominic was hospitalized, and helping him rebuild after the accident. Together, they discuss the realities of working in the electric utility industry, the importance of safety culture, family support, mental resilience, and how the brotherhood of lineworkers helped carry them through one of the darkest chapters of their lives. Whether you're a journeyman lineman, apprentice, utility worker, contractor, safety professional, or someone who has family in the electrical industry, this episode delivers lessons that extend far beyond the job site. It's a reminder that every safety procedure matters, every decision counts, and every lineman has people waiting for them at home. In this episode you'll learn: Dominic's firsthand account of the accident and what happened next The emotional impact on his family during his hospitalization and recovery The importance of electrical safety and jobsite awareness How resilience, determination, and the lineworker brotherhood helped fuel his recovery Why every lineman should never take shortcuts in the field Lessons for apprentices, journeymen, contractors, and utility leaders If you're passionate about linework, electric utilities, power restoration, transmission, distribution, utility safety, apprenticeship, storm response, and the people who keep the lights on, this is an episode you won't want to miss. (3:18) - Family on the Road (6:26) - Dominic's Accident (9:38) - Response and Rescue (12:42) - Waking Up Weeks Later (17:17) - Hospital Reality Check (23:36) - Pregnancy and the Seizure Scare (28:14) - A New Perspective on Work (32:02) - Returning After Injury (35:34) - Rehab Memory Gaps (38:33) - Faith and Community Support (41:11) - Birth During Rehab (44:10) - Company and Insurance Pressure (47:06) - Safety Lessons for Apprentices (49:42) - Advice for Line Wives (56:11) - Seven P's and Humility (57:43) - Mental Health 🎧 Subscribe for more conversations with linemen, utility leaders, contractors, and the people shaping the future of the electric power industry. 🌐 Visit https://powergridtalks.com for more episodes, articles, and resources from the PowerGridTalks podcast.