New York utilities use drones to inspect thousands of miles of power lines

New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E) are inspecting thousands of miles of transmission lines throughout their service areas through the end of 2024 using drones.

The process, known as Comprehensive Visual Inspection (CVI), involved using drones with high-resolution cameras to capture images of electrical infrastructure.

“Using drones to gather aerial data is highly effective,” said Paul Iannuzzelli, manager of networks standardization and maintenance for NYSEG and RG&E. “Drones can inspect electrical infrastructure that’s hard to access, such as high-voltage power lines or remote locations, without the need for scaffolding or other equipment. The process is also faster and safer than traditional inspection methods.”  

NYSEG and RG&E say the inspection is critical for maintaining the safety and reliability of the electrical grid and is designed to identify issues that may not be visible from the ground, such as damage, wear, or potential hazards. With CVI, the Companies check for physical damage, corrosion, or other signs of deterioration that could lead to failures or outages.

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Once data is collected, NYSEG and RG&E look for several factors that may require repairs, including vegetation encroachment that could interfere with power lines, physical damage to poles, lines, or transformers, and other causes that could lead to outages or safety hazards. The companies have been performing inspections using drones since 2021.

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) is also a fan of drone inspections. In early 2024, New York-based startup Manifold Robotics announced the culmination of a product development effort in collaboration with NYPA, which developed new sensing technologies and software algorithms to enable Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to leverage the electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted by power transmission lines for navigation.

More than 100 test flights were performed with the technology on NYPA’s transmission line infrastructure. As a final demonstration, the technology was deployed for an approximately one-mile-long flight along a 345-kV line. Manifold Robotics and NYPA said the EMF sensing technology guided the UAS to maintain a 20-foot standoff distance from the line while flying parallel to it. In doing so, the UAS autonomously followed a change in the transmission line direction, as well as adjusted its altitude to account for varying conductor height due to line sag and terrain variation.

A few months later, in April 2024, NYPA announced that it would be expanding its drone capabilities as part of the asset monitorization and inspection of its electric infrastructure around the state, following the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) granting of a waiver to fly drones beyond visual line of sight. The FAA granted NYPA license to fly unmanned aircraft systems beyond the visual line of sight of the pilot in command in a one-mile radius in any unrestricted, or Class G, airspace without prior approval.

The approved waiver expands the Power Authority’s ability to use drones to monitor and inspect its transmission, generation and canal assets throughout the state. The waiver was obtained with the help of Skydio, a U.S. drone and software manufacturer providing equipment and advisory services. The waiver authorizes operations through 2028 and is specific to Skydio drones.

Last year, NYPA announced that it had received a waiver from the FAA to conduct fully remote drone operations at its Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Project in Schoharie County.

Drones are operated at various NYPA sites throughout the state to monitor asset health, including the inspection of transmission lines, vegetation management and monitoring of overgrown trees, and spillway erosion mapping. More than 100 NYPA employees are now trained as drone pilots, up from 40 last year, and NYPA is investing more than $37 million in its drone program through 2028.

Originally published by Sean Wolfe on power-grid.com