To continue to provide resilient, safe and reliable power to its 1.4 million customers on the island, LUMA Energy has trained specialized lineworkers in Human External Cargo (HEC) work methods. This allows the trained lineworkers to access infrastructure in mountainous terrain, and the utility to place materials near work sites on the island.

At the heart of this program is José Luis Campos Figueroa, director of operations aviation for LUMA Energy. After serving in the National Guard and spending 30 years in the industry, he now works to train and supervise his team at LUMA. Recently, the workers engaged in a training program, in partnership with Volo Mission, to practice aerial rescue techniques and learn how to respond to emergencies.

Pilots and 18 transmission field workers across the island earned certification to perform rescues in remote areas. In addition, LUMA collaborated with the fire department to train the participants in aerial firefighting to protect transmission towers and critical power lines. They also learned helicopter safety during the training program. To learn more, look for a future feature article in T&D World magazine.

T&D World has shared stories of construction projects and best practices for decades to help its readers and subscribers to discover innovative work methods and technologies. For the cover story of the February 2025 print magazine, we featured the article, "Dominion Powers Through Tough Terrain."

A narrated version of the article is now part of our ICYMI series on the Line Life Podcast platform. The audio story shares how the utility overcame numerous challenges while rebuilding its Mt. Storm to Valley line. For example, the construction team faced access challenges due to extreme mountainous terrain, limited roads and multiple stream crossings. Other issues included environmental mitigation and changing regulations. During the project, the crews replaced more than 260 structures in remote terrain.

Bobby Capehart and Matthew Vinson of Dominion Energy Inc. authored the article, which is also available on the T&D World website. If you have comments on this article or thoughts on other stories we should narrate for our ICYMI series, please email Amy Fischbach, host of the Line Life Podcast and Field Editor for T&D World magazine.

T&D Talk is a special series on the T&D World Line Life podcast channel. For each episode, companies can share their stories about how they are supporting the electric utility industry. Through their tools, technologies, products and services, they are helping lineworkers and fieldworkers improve their productivity and safety.

For Part 1 of our new three-part series sponsored by Southwire, we are featuring the episode, “Empowering DEMCO: The Role of Southwire’s Data Analytics in Grid Management.” It features two guests: Mark Phillips, chief engineering and operations officer for Dixie Electric Membership Corporation (DEMCO), a member-owned, Louisiana-based electric cooperative and Ray Kasten, vice president of digital solutions for Southwire.

Southwire's data analytics platform has become an indispensable tool for DEMCO, particularly for measuring and enhancing grid performance. By leveraging advanced analytics, DEMCO can gain insights into various aspects of grid operations, from identifying potential issues to optimizing performance. This proactive approach helps maintain a reliable and efficient grid, ensuring that customers receive uninterrupted service.

To learn more about the episode, visit the T&D World podcast page.