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Fourteen lineworkers to empower a global community for a better tomorrow

Posted in Uncategorized.

Fourteen Indiana electric cooperative lineworkers will travel to Guatemala in late April as part of an international initiative to bring electricity to a developing area in Guatemala.

“Project Indiana: Empowering Global Communities for a Better Tomorrow” will bring electricity to a part of the Central American country where none is available. The crew will spend April 27 through May 13 extending electric infrastructure in the village of Peña Roja along the western edge of Guatemala. When completed, approximately 26 homes will have electricity for the first time.

Project Crew

  • Matt Bassett, Tipmont
  • Kevin Bay, JCREMC
  • Michael Bowman, Boone REMC
  • Cody Campbell, South Central Indiana REMC
  • Nathan Clayton, Clark County REMC
  • Collin Crabtree, Decatur County REMC
  • Ethan DeWitt, Northeastern REMC
  • Austin Gearlds, NineStar Connect
  • Tom Gettinger, Henry County REMC
  • Clint Heeke, Southern Indiana Power
  • Frank Leach, Carroll White REMC
  • Terry Minic, Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative, Inc.
  • Jason Morrison, Jackson County REMC
  • Michael Newlin, Orange County REMC

Support Team

  • Joe Banfield, Indiana Electric Cooperatives
  • Jamie Bell, NineStar Connect
  • Ron Holcomb, Tipmont
  • Chris Todd, Northeastern REMC

This is the Indiana electric cooperatives’ fifth trip to Guatemala. In August 2012, 28 Hoosier lineworkers from 17 of Indiana’s electric cooperatives, spent four weeks working across the mountainous terrain to bring electricity to 184 homes, a church and a school in three villages. In April 2015, 14 lineworkers battled extreme heat and the rugged land to bring electricity to 164 homes, a school and a church.

In 2017, 14 lineworkers endured temperature extremes to power 68 homes, a school, a church and a health clinic. And, on the last trip in 2019, 14 lineworkers brought electricity to nearly 90 homes, two churches and a school, and ensured that every home they wired for electricity had a properly vented wood-burning cooking stove installed to replace the open fires villagers have used for years.

Follow along the crew’s journey in Peña Roja by visiting ProjectIndiana.org/PenaRoja.