Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative has joined several organizations to help raise awareness during Child Abuse Awareness Month. CASA of Bastrop, Fayette & Lee Counties, Children's Advocacy Center Serving Bastrop, Lee & Fayette Counties, CASA for Kids of South Central Texas, CASA of Central Texas Inc. and SAFE are among the organizations that support families affected by abuse and neglect. 

“No child should ever live in fear of or endure abuse,” said Matt Bentke, Bluebonnet’s general manager. “Bluebonnet is committed to bringing this tragic topic to the forefront and raising awareness so that we can all do our part to recognize the signs and help children in abusive situations.” 

The cooperative’s member service centers in Bastrop, Brenham, Giddings, Lockhart and Manor will be illuminated with blue light at night, and key community events and resources will be shared on our social media channels throughout April. 

The concern is more important than ever this year. With families having worked and schooled from home during the past year, increased pressure and isolation could make violence and neglect more common. Early signs of abuse and neglect are often seen in schools. With some children continuing remote learning, the responsibility may fall to family, friends and neighbors. Learn more at www.childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/.

By Alyssa Dussetschleger
 

We’re celebrating a new milestone! Earlier this year, Bluebonnet’s 100th line worker apprentice, John Horton, graduated. Apprentices go through approximately four years of coursework and on-the-job learning to earn the designation of U.S. Department of Labor-certified journeyman linemen. 

Bluebonnet began offering an apprentice program in 2004. We currently have 27 apprentices and 79 journeyman linemen on staff. 

Bluebonnet’s apprentice program requires 672 hours of technical instruction and 8,000 hours of on-the-job learning. The program generally takes four years, though previous experience and education can speed things along. Some apprentices start right out of high school, while others have had years of experience in utility line work or other fields.

On-the-job training focuses primarily on building overhead power lines, though apprentices also learn about underground lines and transmission of power at substations. One of the most technical tasks an apprentice must learn in the field is the proper way to connect meters, including large commercial meters.  

The final step in becoming a Bluebonnet journeyman lineman is demonstrating the capability of troubleshooting an outage and making the needed repairs.

Check Bluebonnet’s Facebook and Twitter pages on April 12, Lineman Appreciation Day, for a tribute to Bluebonnet’s line workers. Feel free to thank them there.

WANT TO BECOME A LINE WORKER?

Find applications and other career opportunities here.

 

Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative's service center in Caldwell County is now the cooperative's third facility with solar panels. The service center, which opened in July 2020, is located between Lockhart and San Marcos in Maxwell. It allows field operations personnel to better serve the area. In December 2020, New Braunfels-based Speir Innovations installed 292 solar panels totaling 100 kilowatts of AC power with four power inverters on two roofs of the facility. The array will produce enough power to offset about 70 percent of the facility's total annual energy consumption. 

The campus also features two rainwater collection tanks that each hold 30,000 gallons. 

Looking to install solar? You're in luck – the 26 percent federal tax credit was recently extended through 2022. Learn more about connecting your power source to the grid at bluebonnet.coop.