Potelco, Inc

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and while the timing is fitting, what we are announcing today goes well beyond this month. Potelco and InfraSource Services are taking action as part of the MATES North America Pilot program through Quanta Services, Inc., a long term commitment to bringing peer-based mental health support to the trades. One in five construction workers will experience a mental health challenge this year, and far too many face it alone. MATES was built from the ground up for workers like ours, and we are proud to be part of bringing it to our crews. Mental health is a safety issue, and we are treating it like one.

Nine WSU Pullman engineering students traded their spring break for hard hats. We think that's a pretty good trade.

From March 16-20, Potelco and Puget Sound Energy hosted the 2026 Power Practicum through WSU's Energy Systems Innovation Center. Students spent the week embedded in real utility operations, including substation tours, hydroelectric facilities, protection engineering, and hands-on transmission and distribution work. They even wired transformers in delta and wye configurations under professional supervision.

The week covered everything from AI in power engineering to fault analysis to pole setting. One student put it well: "Energy and electricity are truly the backbone of society." Another arrived planning a career in consulting and left seriously reconsidering.

That kind of shift is exactly why we do this.

A huge thank you to our Potelco team, Shamish P., Tim B., Laurel M., Jeanette S., Glen K., and to our partners at PSE: Jenny B., Brady K., and Kishan M.. And of course, to the nine students who showed up and put in the work.

Keeping the lights on tomorrow starts with investing in people today.

We're grateful for the hardworking Potelco team that keeps communities powered every day. Wishing you and yours a safe, bright, and restful Easter weekend. 🌷⚡