Jake Kidder was at work washing cars when he looked up and saw two electric linemen working on a nearby power pole – in a moment of inspiration, he imagined a career where he too would be 30 feet in the air, repairing critical infrastructure. A few years later, that moment of inspiration had become reality.
Jake attended Avista/SCC Line Construction school in Spokane and then traveled throughout nearly every western state working through his apprenticeship and the beginning of his career as a journeyman lineman.
While he loved working in different environments and with different crews, he and his wife grew weary of traveling and living in an RV. He had always wanted to return to this area and jumped at the opportunity to take a temporary lineman job at Clearwater Power.
That temporary position turned into a permanent one this autumn. When asked why he enjoys line work, Jake says: “I just like fixing things and helping people out.”
He enjoys working outdoors and seeing new country but going into the trade, he hadn’t realized how good it would feel to work through storms and trouble calls. He says: “It’s important to help people and get their power back on. It gives you a good sense of value to know your work is appreciated.”
He, and his wife Nickie, enjoy camping, hunting, fishing, and 4-wheeling and after many years of seeing other states, they love being back in Idaho.