Ryan Lucas II (AI Servers, Journeymen in the Trades and Hiring our Nation's Veterans) - Episode 1198
Behind The Shield
James Geering
4.9 • 695 Ratings
🗓️ 6 February 2026
⏱️ 116 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Ryan Lucas is a second-generation journeyman power lineman and the creator and host of Powerline Podcast, one of the most trusted platforms in the electrical utility and line trade. With over two decades in the field, his experience spans urban distribution, major transmission construction including 500kV barehand work, helicopter operations, and large-scale infrastructure projects work rooted in discipline, teamwork, and operating under pressure. In 2019,
Ryan launched Powerline Podcast, now backed by Quanta Services, to spotlight the people, culture, and leadership behind the power grid while inspiring the next generation to consider a future in the trades.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Behind and Shield podcast. As always, my name's James Gearing. And this week, it is my |
| 0:04.0 | absolute honor to welcome back onto the show, veteran lineman and the man behind the Power Line podcast, |
| 0:11.2 | Ryan Lucas. In the second conversation, we discuss a host of topics. From his unique perspective |
| 0:18.6 | on the pandemic, the selfless courage of our linemen during storms |
| 0:23.1 | and the most recent ice storm, the recruitment crises in the trades, reinvesting in domestic |
| 0:29.8 | industry, the impact of AI servers on our grids, and so much more. Now before we get to this |
| 0:36.6 | incredible conversation, as I say every week, |
| 0:39.2 | please just take a moment. |
| 0:41.2 | Go to whichever app you listen to this on. |
| 0:43.7 | Subscribe to the show. |
| 0:45.5 | Leave feedback and leave a rating. |
| 0:48.4 | Every single five-star rating truly does elevate this podcast, |
| 0:52.6 | therefore making it easier for others to find. |
| 0:55.5 | And this is a free library of almost 1,200 episodes now. |
| 1:00.8 | So all I ask in return is that you help share these incredible men and women's stories |
| 1:06.2 | so I can get them to every single person on planet Earth who needs to hear them. |
| 1:12.4 | So with that being said, I welcome back onto the show, Ryan Lucas. |
| 1:18.9 | Enjoy. Ryan, I want to say welcome back. You and I have gone back and forth for years and years and years. I can |
| 1:44.7 | actually remember when we had our first conversation and we discussed the podcast because I was |
| 1:49.9 | driving in a rainstorm in Southern California and you kind of kept me company while I was going |
| 1:55.6 | up PCH. But when you came on the show was episode 268, which was January 12th, 2020. |
| 2:04.2 | So the world was a little different when we first sat down. |
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