Contact: NOVEC Public Relations, 1-703-335-0500, [email protected]
MANASSAS, Va. – Megan Balderson of Stafford County was one of more than 80 girls and young women who attended Girl Power, an annual event hosted by the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives (VMDAEC). The association created Girl Power three years ago to introduce young women – primarily high-school aged girls – to opportunities in the energy industry.
Balderson, 23, was one of the more mature attendees. She has already dipped a toe in several occupations, but is still looking for the right fit. Working for a year caring for horses taught her that she liked working outside. Currently, she is a waitress while finishing up a certification in cosmetology, but she has concerns that field may be oversaturated.
Her mother, Tamara Balderson, found an advertisement for Girl Power on the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) Facebook page and nudged her daughter to attend the Nov. 3 event at the VMDAEC’s training center in Palmyra, Virginia.
Balderson moved from one hands-on exercise to the next, eagerly trying her hand at replacing a fuse high atop an electric pole using a telescoping fiberglass “hot stick.” She had a knack for it. At one section of the training center, the poles (nicknamed “Smurf” poles) are cut shorter to allow students to stand on the ground while they learn to repair or replace cables. Wearing safety glasses and heavy gloves designed for electrical work, Balderson wrapped stiff wire around electric equipment.
She watched as an operator flew a buzzing drone to check on electrical equipment and listened while an instructor explained the mechanics of a bucket truck.
For Balderson, the most intriguing – and challenging – part of the day was pole climbing, which she discovered is harder than it looks. NOVEC’s Zach Bell, a first class line technician, worked with Balderson, who slowly made progress up the pole. She admitted she’s going to have to work on strength training and technique if she wants to be a lineworker, but she said the idea appeals to her.
One of Balderson’s fellow Girl Power attendees had a natural advantage. Victoria Taylor’s dad, Jesse Taylor, is a construction supervisor at NOVEC and has had years of experience climbing electric poles.
When it was time to choose a pole to climb, Victoria, 17, made a beeline for her father, who was helping out at the event. It was a good collaboration. They capitalized on their father-daughter bond, laughed a lot, and Victoria made solid progress up the pole.
He said, “It was like the typical apprentice lineworker’s first day at climbing school. Tory climbed good and fell hard – but only a couple of feet. Climbing is much safer now thanks to modern fall restraint devices that squeeze the pole and catch you if you slip or fall.”
Balderson said she saw a lot to like at Girl Power. She is a hands-on kind of person and worked to graduate high school a year early. “I was kind of bored in school,” she said, “I like to be engaged in my work.”
A conversation with one of the female lineworkers at Girl Power offered her some reassurance. She told Balderson that linework is difficult at times, “but I love it. And the pay is excellent. Some people might try to tell you that you can’t do it. Don’t believe them. You can do it.”
