National Lineman Appreciation Day celebrates Guam Power Authority lineman

For this group of Guam Power Authority linemen, their shift starts with a safety briefing before they head out to work at the Ukudu power plant, which is slated for completion in Sept. 2025.

Jesse Cruz, Power System Superintendent has been with GPA for 29 years and he took us through what the crew is doing in preparation for the opening of the Ukudu power plant.

“We're installing lines and hardwares from the new 115k voltage circuits. Three of them will be tying in the Ukudu plant to the rest of the island,” said Cruz. 

Today is National Lineman Appreciation Day, and it's an opportunity to recognize all they do. 

Linemen are first responders during storms and other catastrophic events, working to make the scene safe for other public safety heroes. Linemen must often work under dangerous conditions to construct and maintain the energy infrastructure of Guam. 

Case in point, Typhoon Mawar. 

Nathan Quinata is a Line Electrician II  and has been with GPA for 5 years and said Mawar was his first big storm.

“It was a very challenging experience working all those long hours, every single day...day and night….It was stressful physically and mentally but as a team with GPA and all the people that helped us, just the motivation to get the power back to the people, it was good,” said Quinata. 

Sharing the same sentiment is Roque Santos, Line Electrician Supervisor who has been working at GPA since 2004.

Santos shared, “The most rewarding part of our job during Typhoon Mawar was restoring power to those customers and seeing a smile on their face.”

Linemen work with thousands of volts of electricity high atop power lines 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to keep electricity flowing. 

Quinata, who is a 5th cycle graduate from the GPA Apprenticeship program, said as linemen, anything can change at any given moment.

“Power failures, power outages, any kind of emergencies. So the way we prepare for the day is to always be ready for anything that can happen. Respond in a timely manner, quick response is what we go for,” said Quinata. 

And Santos reassured the island, they are ready for whatever comes their way

He said, “Our employees work cooperatively and productively together to achieve effective results.” 

With currently 51 linemen at GPA, each day, crews understand that their mission is to keep the energy flowing throughout the island and keep each other safe on the job.the  tight-knit group has learned, trained, and worked together during some of the harshest conditions

Cruz added, “The most fulfilling aspect of my job is seeing everyone's face, especially the younger guys and my counterparts come together and celebrate our success in what we do best-and that is restore power to the island.” 

So if you happen to see a GPA lineman in your village, make sure to take the time to say hello and thank them, after all, they are working hard to keep the island energized.

“If it wasn't for our customers, we wouldn't have a job. We appreciate everyone supporting us in their own special way. the management and the entire GPA, for coming together in times of disaster and most importantly our families for holding down the fort while we're working long hours,” said Cruz.