Jones-Onslow EMC Lineworker Helps Bring Electricity to Rural Guatemalan Village

This spring, a Jones-Onslow EMC lineworker extended the cooperative mission of powering communities beyond North Carolina, helping bring electricity to the remote Guatemalan village of El Plan Nuevo Amanecer for the very first time.

Joe Zirnheld, Lead Journeyman Lineman at Jones-Onslow EMC, joined 14 volunteer lineworkers from eight North Carolina electric cooperatives on a three-week service project coordinated through North Carolina Electric Cooperatives’ Brighter World Initiative. Working alongside local community members, the crews built more than three miles of power line to serve the village.

Their efforts brought electricity to more than 50 homes, a school, two churches and the community’s only health clinic—creating new opportunities for education, economic growth and improved quality of life.

Without access to bucket trucks or heavy equipment, the work was physically demanding. Volunteers relied on manual labor to set poles, pull wire through dense vegetation and rugged terrain, and lift transformers weighing more than 300 pounds.

Traveling more than 2,800 miles from home, Zirnheld said the experience was one he will never forget.

The project was completed through a partnership between North Carolina Electric Cooperatives, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) International Foundation and local community leaders. For villages like El Plan Nuevo Amanecer, access to reliable electricity can be life-changing. Students can study after dark, businesses can grow, medical services can expand, and families can enjoy a safer and more connected way of life.

In addition to building the electrical system, North Carolina’s electric cooperatives provided each household with an electric burner stovetop, offering a safer alternative to cooking over open indoor fires. Volunteers also donated medical supplies to support the village’s health clinic.

To celebrate the completion of the project, residents, local leaders and volunteers gathered at the village school for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Volunteers were presented with commemorative plaques, and a permanent sign was installed in the village to recognize the partnership and the lasting impact of bringing electricity to the community.

For Zirnheld and the other volunteers, the project was about more than building power lines—it was about helping create new opportunities and a brighter future for the families of El Plan Nue vo Amanecer.