Severe weather used to be somewhat predictable. Hurricane, tornado and wildfire seasons, for example, could be largely expected to fall within specific date ranges. Severe weather outside of those patterns occurred but it was the exception, not the rule. This is no longer the case.
Driven by climate change, severe weather seasons are starting earlier, lasting longer and taking a bigger toll on people and infrastructure. In fact, the U.S. set a record for the greatest number of billion-dollar weather and climate disasters with 28 devastating storms on the books in 2023, surpassing the previous record of 22, which was set just three years prior.
From destructive wildfires to devastating floods and extreme temperatures, utilities today find themselves in a near-constant battle with Mother Nature. As a result, they’re increasingly turning to drone technologies to accelerate disaster recovery efforts.
The value of drone operations
High tech drones are revolutionizing the way utilities approach disaster recovery operations because they allow leaders to make data-informed decisions that optimize restoration times.
Historically, power lines, substations or other faulted pieces of equipment had to be inspected by a human in the wake of the storm or other outage event. It could take hours for the crew to reach the site, perform the inspection, make repairs and report the system ready for reenergizing.
Drones streamline this process by becoming a utility’s first responders. When housed in docking stations, drones can be positioned at critical infrastructure sites across the service area and flown remotely from a command center. That means, the condition of lines, switches, substations and other critical components can be assessed before a human ever leaves the depot and decision-makers can use the gathered intelligence to optimize the use of labor and material resources.
During Hurricane Harvey, drones were used to assess the condition of critical infrastructure and help crews assess which routes would avoid flooding and other road hazards. This improved response time, minimizing the customer minutes interrupted (CMI) and potentially saving the utility millions of dollars.
Beyond disaster recovery
Drone programs are increasingly valued for their ability to assist with maintenance and other types of outages, including those related to aging infrastructure or wildlife interference. Drones can be programmed to fly regular inspection missions, proactively identifying issues before they cause an outage. When non-disaster-related outages do occur, drones can accelerate the restoration process just as they do in the wake of a natural disaster.
Key considerations when selecting a drone program
Your choice of drone matters and as such, there are several key features utilities should consider during the selection process.
Easy to fly
It’s crucial that you select a drone that’s easy to fly. Most utilities don’t have existing drone departments, so the operators will likely be line persons who have traditionally done their work manually. Like any new technology, for drones to be widely adopted they need to be intuitive and easy to use. Autonomous drones, like those offered by Skydio, have built-in obstacle avoidance making them easy to fly and nearly impossible to crash.
A drone that uses a magnetometer to understand where it’s positioned in space can be unreliable in energized environments because electromagnetic interference can disrupt the magnetometer’s operation, causing it to crash. On the other hand, a drone that relies on multiple cameras and vision-based navigation to know where it is doesn’t have this issue. This is a critical feature for someone with minimal experience operating a drone in an energized environment.
Data security
Data security, including the data generated by your drones, is of paramount importance for owners of critical infrastructure. Look for a drone partner that prioritizes security and is SoC2 Type II compliant, ISO 27001 certified and meets the best-in-class standards of security auditors and penetration testers. You also want to be sure your data is stored in the U.S, is accessible via a secure cloud, and is encrypted both when the drone is in transit and at rest.
Turn data into actionable insights
You also want to invest in smart drones that use the latest artificial intelligence (AI) to capture and analyze data quickly and efficiently. Actionable data that supplements the experience of your engineers, linepersons and other in-house experts allows you to make data-informed decisions that optimize your resources and restore power as quickly as possible.
Better data, better decisions and better outcomes with Skydio
Utilities like PG&E, Dominion Energy, American Electric Power and others have come to rely on Skydio drones and drone docking stations. Designed based on feedback from customers, Skydio’s drones are easy to fly and impervious to electromagnetic interference, making them an ideal solution for the utility sector. They’re also designed, manufactured and assembled in the U.S.
Skydio doesn’t just sell products, it partners with its customers to solve their most pressing problems. That’s why the company built an in-house team of experts devoted to customer success. For example, Skydio’s solutions and strategy experts have utility industry experience and Skydio’s regulatory team has the knowledge to help you gain the Federal Aviation Administration waivers you need to fly drones remotely.
Contact the Skydio team to learn more about how their tools and expertise can help you do your job better and reduce your CMI.
