Utilizing Drones to Improve Efficiency and Safety

At VEC, we leverage technology to improve the efficiency and safety of our operations, especially when it comes to ensuring the lights stay on.  We are excited to begin integrating the use of drones into our utility operations.

Drones offer a range of capabilities that enable us to enhance and benefit our operations in a number of ways:

1 - Infrastructure Inspection: Drones equipped with high-resolution cameras and sensors can provide detailed visual inspections of power lines, poles, and other critical infrastructure. This technology allows us to identify potential issues such as equipment damage or vegetation encroachment more quickly and accurately than traditional inspection methods. As issues are found, VEC can take proactive steps to prevent outages before they occur.

2 - Asset Management: By capturing aerial imagery and data, drones enable us to create comprehensive inventories of our assets, including the precise location and condition of equipment. This information facilitates better asset management and planning for maintenance and infrastructure investment.

3 - Emergency Response: In the event of an outage or other emergency situation, drones can rapidly assess the extent of damage to our system, allowing us to prioritize restoration efforts, deploy resources more effectively, and provide more accurate estimated restoration times.

4 - Safety Enhancements: Utilizing drones for certain tasks reduces the need for personnel to work in potentially hazardous environments. For example, the use of drones reduces the need for VEC personnel to fly in aircraft to perform the same type of inspections.

We recognize the importance of ensuring that our use of drones is conducted in a safe, responsible, and privacy-conscious manner. Our drone operations, and any contractors that we work with, will adhere to all regulations and guidelines. Drone activity is limited to our Rights-of-Way or publicly accessible areas only. Additionally, drone pictures are focused on VEC's equipment and Rights-of-Way for operational purposes only, including those areas that may be on members' land.

At VEC, we are excited about the potential of drones to transform the way we deliver reliability  and are committed to leveraging this technology responsibly to better serve our members and communities.