Drones, or uncrewed aerial vehicles, have a huge array of uses for utilities, and are capable of boosting worker safety while saving money. Drones can provide a cost-effective solution to improve SIADI and SAIFI performance. Wake EMC in Youngsville, N.C., deployed drones to inspect thousands of utility poles and conduct LiDAR scanning to create a digital twin of a large substation in its service territory. In this presentation, WEMC management will provide an overview of the advantages unlocked by deploying drones at their cooperative, including how drones are used to help mitigate wildfires, improve outage restorations after severe weather, assist in permitting processes, and provide data that can be used in digital twin applications.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand what drones have to offer the utility industry.

• Convert utility M&O mindset from a reactive to proactive program.

• Learn how drones can create digital twins of equipment and conduct LiDAR scanning of powerlines to identify sag characteristics.