Montana's Electric Co-Op Linemen: "Welcome to the Jungle"

"Welcome to the Jungle." I couldn't resist.

Ryan Hall, who is down in Guatemala with electric utility linemen from all across Montana, says that's what everybody else is saying too.

Ryan is the editor of the Rural Montana magazine who also serves as Communications Director for the Montana Electric Cooperatives Association. He is joining over a dozen linemen from electric cooperatives all across Montana working to bring electricity to remote villages for the first time. Their "Co-ops to Cocalitos" efforts are being funded thanks to generous donors who helped make the trip happen.

Ryan Hall called in to our statewide radio talk show, Montana Talks with Aaron Flint, on Friday morning from Guatemala. He shared a great story that is also documented on the MECA Facebook page.

"Today, the Co-ops to Cocalitos crew learned how much having electricity means to the village of Cocalitos, Guatemala. An 82-year-old woman who has lived here for more than five decades said she prayed to God for electricity and God brought the Montana linemen.

On the other end of the age spectrum, a young girl in the school came out to tell our communications staffer that she wants to say thank you to every lineman and give them a hug before they leave. She started with Todd Irwin of Ravalli Electric Co-op , and all of her classmates soon followed."

They're coming across some interesting wildlife, as you'd imagine, and even a tree that when you cut it can make you sick. What about the terrain? One day they were "pulling wire up over several long spans of over 1000 feet each -- up the mountain. Several of the longer spans were flown with a drone carrying a small line that was then tied to a rope and pulled by hand...then finally to the power line that was pulled either by hand or pickup truck."

Full audio with Ryan Hall is in the first few minutes of the below podcast.

Then, in the final couple segments of the show, Mark Lambrecht, Government Affairs Manager for MECA, joined us to talk about important legislation in the Montana Legislature for co-op members. The main bill we talked about is HB 490.

Montana’s electric cooperatives, and other utilities, need House Bill 490 to ensure they won’t be bankrupted by wildfire lawsuits when the fire isn’t their fault.

Full audio is below.

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Gallery Credit: Stacker