Drones and AI: SCE’s Aerial Inspections

Drones are rapidly transforming industries like package delivery, agriculture, and even real estate. Electric utilities are no exception, and Southern California Edison is setting the pace among California’s utilities. Its drone program is maximizing the technology with its more than 200,000 annual inspections of electrical infrastructure in high-firerisk areas as part of its Wildlife Mitigation Plan. Uncrewed aerial vehicles have become irreplaceable in performing inspections of the more than 400,000 poles, transformers and lines in SCE’s high-fire-risk areas, or about 27% of its 50,000-square-mile service area. Aerial inspections in these areas are now done 75% by drones and 25% by helicopters, when just a year ago it was the exact opposite. Drones are also being deployed outside high-fire-risk areas for dam inspections, with programs planned for other SCE facilities. “Drones…