When severe weather damages electric equipment or an inspection reveals a potential problem, getting a clear view of the situation quickly can help our crews determine what needs to be done. Drones give our teams another way to do that — helping us inspect equipment, identify potential problems and assess storm damage while keeping employees out of hazardous areas.
It’s one of the ways we’re using new technology to better serve our customers. Whether it’s strengthening the electric grid, preparing for severe weather or embracing new technologies, our goal is the same: deliver safe, reliable service while working to keep energy affordable and care for the communities we serve.
How does PSE&G use drones to inspect the electric grid?
Drones are changing the way we inspect critical electric infrastructure. Equipped with cameras, they give our teams a close-up view of transmission lines, substations and other equipment without requiring employees to climb structures or, in many situations, wait for a helicopter to be available. That means inspections can often be completed more quickly, safely and efficiently.
How can drones help prevent power outages?
In addition to increasing safety, the real value of these inspections is what they help us find.
Drones can identify early signs of equipment wear, damaged insulators, loose hardware or vegetation growing too close to power lines before these situations contribute to outages. Finding them early gives our crews an opportunity to make planned repairs and address potential problems before customers lose power.
Making every infrastructure investment count
By planning ahead, we can use our resources more efficiently to maintain our system. Emergency repairs are often more complex and costly than scheduled maintenance. By using drone inspections to identify and prioritize work before equipment fails, we can better plan maintenance, deploy resources more efficiently and make the most of every investment in our infrastructure. Those efficiencies help us continue providing reliable service while being responsible stewards of our customers’ dollars.
How are drones helping PSE&G respond after severe storms?
Drones are also proving to be an invaluable tool after severe storms, like the severe thunderstorms that impacted our area this past July. Instead of waiting for crews to access difficult or hazardous areas, drones were quickly deployed to capture detailed images of damaged equipment across large sections of the electric system.
That real-time information helped us assess conditions faster, prioritize repairs and restore power to customers as safely and efficiently as possible.
In one case, drones were used to survey and assess a complex backyard area that had significant access challenges. This provided a real-time view of the damage, allowing dispatch of the correct crew and materials more efficiently. As a result, the overall outage duration was several hours shorter than it may have been without utilizing the drones.
How do drones help keep PSE&G employees safer?
Just as importantly, drone technology enhances employee safety.
For some inspections, drones can capture detailed images from a distance, giving our teams the information they need while reducing employees’ exposure to heights, damaged equipment and other hazardous conditions. This helps our field teams assess equipment and facilities more safely and efficiently.
Reducing those risks while improving the quality of inspections is a win for both our employees and the customers we serve.
FAA approval unlocks new capabilities
We recently reached an exciting milestone in our drone program with approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to expand how we use this technology.
The approval allows our docked drones to fly Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), meaning they can inspect infrastructure farther from their operators. One remote pilot can safely oversee up to four drones at the same time.
The approval reflects the safety procedures and risk controls required for these advanced drone operations, marking an important achievement and another example of the utility industry adopting advanced technology to enhance customer value. It reflects our continued focus on using innovative technology to improve safety, strengthen system reliability and perform inspections even more efficiently.
What’s next for PSE&G’s drone program?
As drone technology evolves, so will the capabilities of our drone program.
Advances in imaging, automation and data analysis will continue to help us monitor the health of our infrastructure and make smarter, more informed maintenance decisions to keep the electricity flowing.
At PSE&G, we don’t just adopt new technology for technology’s sake. We adopt new tools when we are confident they will help us deliver better outcomes for our customers. Our drone program is one more way we’re building a stronger, more resilient electric system while improving safety, enhancing reliability and helping keep energy affordable for the communities we proudly serve.
Learn more about other ways we’re helping strengthen New Jersey’s energy systems and prepare for severe weather on Energize!
