PINEVILLE, La. – April 15, 2021 – Cleco is celebrating National Lineman Appreciation Day on Sunday, April 18 and asking customers to participate by posting a message, photo or video on Facebook, tagging @ClecoPower and using the hashtag #ThankALineman.  The campaign starts Friday and continues through Sunday.

“We invite our customers to thank our power line technicians who often work long hours, including nights and weekends, in challenging conditions and sacrifice time with their families to keep the lights on for the communities we serve,” said Bill Fontenot, president and CEO of Cleco Corporate Holdings.  “We want to take this opportunity to let them know we appreciate their hard work and dedication.”

The U.S. Senate designated April 18 as National Lineman Appreciation Day in 2013 to recognize men and women who work in hazardous conditions to deliver safe, reliable power and serve as first responders during storms and natural disasters.

“The work they do is critical, especially considering last year’s unprecedented hurricane season and the back-to-back winter ice storms in February,” said Shane Hilton, president of Cleco Power.  “If you see them in your neighborhood, the grocery store or at a community event, let them know you appreciate what they do.”

Cleco Power’s 175 power line technicians are responsible for delivering electricity to 290,000 customers in 24 parishes, maintaining 12,000 miles of distribution lines and 1,300 miles of transmission lines.

To date, the Edison Electric Institute has presented the company’s power line technicians with a total of 24 national emergency response awards – 13 for their outstanding storm response locally and 11 for assisting other electric utilities with power restoration following a severe weather event or natural disaster. 

For more information, visit the company’s Facebook page @ClecoPower.