For energy providers and grid operators, unmanned aerial systems (UAS or drones) are a real multiplier. With some specialized training and equipment, a small number of utility workers can keep an eye on miles of power lines or inspect dozens of transmission towers every day – all without having to send people up high.
With more accurate inspections, lower costs and fewer risks for workers, it is not surprising that many utility companies have chosen to train their employees as pilots and set up their own in-house UAS departments.
I recently spoke with Jesse T. Watts, project manager at Georgia Power Transmission Co., who shared some details about how his utility, a subsidiary of Southern Co., entered the drone business and proved that UAS could be a tool to effectively and efficiently solve potential problems on the power grid.
Georgia Power Co. owns a total of 11,855 miles of transmission lines and 78,583 miles of distribution lines. These lines run through terrain that is sometimes mountainous, hilly, forested, densely populated and urban, or remote and rural. The utility is growing as the state of Georgia itself does, serving 2,712,780 customers as of December 31, 2022.
Lift up
Southern Co.’s UAS began their official launch in 2015 when they received the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Chapter 333 exemption. Since the federal government granted Part 107 certification, Southern has used both manned aircraft and third-party contractors.
The utility currently employs over 160 of its own pilots with more than 200 aircraft. Southern requires these pilots to complete additional training in addition to their Part 107 certificates.
Georgia Power Co. launched its UAS Transmission Tier II Working Group in 2018. This group began as a team of ten transmission experts who were also trained drone pilots. Their mission was to operate and test more advanced UAS for work such as power line maintenance, line construction, and property and casualty (P&C) services.
These pilots were stationed throughout Georgia and were selected based on the skills they had acquired in their other full-time jobs. Some were assembly line workers, others were specialists, others were engineers, and so on.
