How Drones Are Shaping PEC’s Operations
At PEC, keeping power safe and reliable is a daily practice. That’s why PEC’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program has grown into a core part of how the cooperative maintains its infrastructure.
Launched in 2016, the drone program started with a simple goal: inspect hard-to-reach lines more efficiently to find issues before they cause problems. In the 10 years since, it has evolved into a systemwide reliability tool that supports maintenance across PEC’s fast-growing service territory.
“Prior to using this technology, it was hard to identify particular issues unless we could see them from the roadway,” said PEC System Maintenance and Reliability Manager Dennis Brown. “These drones also save us time on maintenance. If you’re setting up bucket trucks at different locations, that could take up to 15-20 minutes, whereas with a drone, we can inspect 10 miles of line or more in one day.”
Our drone pilots take thousands of flights per year, inspecting hundreds of miles of line and capturing thousands of images of our infrastructure along the way. Inspections with drones allow us to find issues like tripped lightning arresters, slightly frayed lines, and damaged insulators that we often aren’t able to see from the ground.
“What we’re looking for are broken ties, cracked insulators, and rotting poll tops,” said PEC Oak Hill Regional Operations Supervisor and drone pilot Neil Dodson. “These are the kinds of problems that you can’t easily see from the ground or maybe even from a bucket.”
Using LiDAR — a laser-based remote-sensing technology — the drones are capable of mapping exact distances between power lines and surrounding trees, allowing us to pinpoint where branches and trees are encroaching on our lines. LiDAR can provide 3D measurements, allowing us to prioritize maintenance in areas posing the highest risk to electric equipment.
Along with other efforts such as GIS mapping and Advanced Metering Infrastructure, this technology has helped the cooperative save about 90% in inspection times and 50% in line maintenance and repair costs. It’s also kept our System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) at just 75 minutes — less than half the most recently reported average of Texas utilities.
“It’s a component of a larger set of comprehensive and extraordinarily progressive things we’re doing,” Brown said. “And outside of maintenance, our external relations team has done a great job educating members and municipal governments on how our operations work and what they can do to keep themselves and our crews safe.”
Members are also essential in helping keep PEC’s system in top shape, and we thank them for being observant. If you ever see damaged infrastructure, please stay 50 feet away and call 911 or our emergency line at 888-883-3379. If branches are coming in contact with power lines at your home, you can request free tree trimming through your online account or on the SmartHub app. Never trim trees near power lines yourself.
Becoming a drone pilot
All pilots must become FAA-certified before ever taking flight for PEC.
“After that, you’re required to take a one-to-two-day training with PEC on day flying and night flying,” Dodson said.
Once pilots understand all of the safety components that go along with flying near electric infrastructure, they’re able to begin flying for PEC.
Looking ahead
PEC is always researching new technologies and working with our vendors to find innovative ways to better maintain our infrastructure. Our UAV program has been an invaluable addition to our maintenance and operations, and that’s thanks to our team’s continued research, training, and education on the technology’s capabilities.
Staying abreast of the latest technology and using it to strengthen our operations and enhance our safety is another way PEC shows that we are member focused and people driven.
