Portraits: Carey Gleason

Carey Gleason, a 23-year lineman for Xcel Energy, changes a 250-watt high-pressure sodium lamp at the corner of Main Avenue and 11th Street. Xcel contracts with the city of Fargo for the service. "We provide electricity and maintenance for a flat rate per light," Gleason says. "There's always something needing fixing. We're still putting in lines," he says, even through the winter. "We sometimes almost get caught up in the winter time," but repairs run year-round. The first underground lines last only 20 to 30 years. Those as well as overhead lines eventually need replacement. "Electricity demand is always growing, so you need bigger and better," Gleason says.