In this episode of the T&D World Line Life Podcast, Journeyman Lineman Michael Bulger of Xcel Energy shares stories from a career that began as a groundman and took him from traveling contractor work to electrical troubleshooting and, ultimately, utility management in Boulder, Colorado.

Bulger, an electric operations manager for Xcel Energy, shares lessons he’s learned from storm restoration — including his experiences helping communities in Puerto Rico and responding to Hurricane Maria — and why lineworkers should approach every workday with the same heightened awareness they bring to a major storm.

He also discusses how safety culture has changed over the years, the importance of thoughtful job planning, opportunities in the line trade and the tools and technologies he considers true “game changers."

From getting the lights back on for children at a school in Puerto Rico to finding safer ways to perform dangerous tasks, Bulger offers a firsthand look at what it means to build a career in the power industry — and why he believes the future of the trade is in good hands.

With the 2026 International Lineman's Rodeo Week around the corner, we are featuring the article "Tribute to Team Trios" from the March 2026 issue of T&D World magazine for our ICYMI series for the Line Life Podcast.

This episode shines a spotlight on three journeyman teams at last year's event: the first all-women team, the Sturgeon Electric/IBEW Local 77 championship trio and Duke Energy’s journeyman team, which participated in last year's event after taking a year off to respond to back-to-back hurricanes in their service territory.

For more information, read the story on the T&D World website. Also, if you plan to be at the 2026 International Lineman's Rodeo in mid-October in Kansas City, please swing by the T&D World booth to participate in a podcast recording for a future episode, pick up a copy of the 2026 Lineworker Supplement, enter a drawing and compete for prizes on the show floor. We look forward to seeing you!

For Part 2 of our two-part Line Life Podcast series on safety in the line trade, Max Fuentes shares practical safety advice for young and aspiring lineworkers, stressing continuous training, effective tailboards and pre-job briefings and the importance of having observers and teamwork during live-line work.

He outlines common causes of accidents — poor rigging, damaged PPE, induction hazards, incorrect grounding and inadequate traffic control — and urges following procedures, learning from experienced lineworkers and prioritizing getting home safely each night.

To listen to Part 1 of this series, visit the Line Life Podcast on Podbean or your favorite podcasting app. Thanks for listening to and sharing this episode to keep lineworkers safe in the field.

For more information about safety in the line trade, you can attend the 2026 International Lineman's Rodeo Safety and Training Conference this October. While you're in Kansas City, stop by the T&D World booth at the International Lineman's Expo to participate in a future podcast recording for the Line Life Podcast.