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Posted on 06/15/2026 12:08:45 PM PDT by nickcarraway
PG&E is using drones with infrared technology to enhance the safety and efficiency of power line inspections, providing a bird's-eye view of overhead electric systems.
"Today we are demonstrating an infrared drone flight on some nearby distribution poles, which are the smaller poles that provide power to your homes and businesses," said a PG&E representative, Janet Henkai.
The representative explained that drones offer a unique advantage by allowing faster identification of potential issues using imagery and infrared data.
"We have started using drones because it allows us to have a bird's-eye advantage of our overhead electric system, and that's an advantage that we haven't had before. And we're able to find potential issues on our overhead electric system, faster and using imagery as well as infrared data that we're able to find the issues before they become real problems," Henkai said.
The drone program also increases efficiency and safety by reducing the need for workers to climb poles or towers.
"Our drone program allows us to scale the number of structures we're able to inspect, because we're able to fly a lot quicker than it is to have someone climb one of our poles or towers. Additionally, we don't have to have someone climb that infrastructure, which is a huge win in terms of safety when we can instead have someone fly it," Henkai said.
Infrared technology used by the drones can detect temperature differences that may signal potential issues.
"When we see irregularities and the temperature differences, it can be an indication that there's an issue," another representative, Kyle Hutchens, said.
The representative highlighted the preventative benefits of the program, noting that many issues can be identified before they are visible to the naked eye.
"And it's such a great preventative measure, because a lot of times we can find these issues before they can be physically seen with your naked eye," Hutchens said.
The drones provide a detailed, close-up view of power lines that would otherwise be difficult to achieve.
"Drone is one of our great tools to get that close, detailed bird's-eye view that you can't get any other way," Hutchens said.
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In the last 20 years, PG&E has blown up and destroyed more of the United States than Al Qaeda and ISIS put together. And their only punishment is they get to charge customers more money.
you’re full of shit ...
Sorry, I’m not a big government shill. PG&E blew up the city of San Bruno. Then they helped set a large percentage of the state on fire. If that is acceptable to you, you should probably vote for Karen Bass.
that’s who the government blamed ... I don’t believe them ... you seem like the shill ...
All that being said, it seems like a very good use of the technology.
I do not know all the facts, but wasn’t some of the problem was that they were NOT ALLOWED to maintain their ROW under the power lines. Meaning the environmentalists would not let them cut down the trees and brush ?
AGAIN, I do not live in California.
Here in NH Eversource(electric utility) does not trim trees around their lines unless they are forced by the state/towns. It is better for them financially to wait until a tree falls/breaks and takes out the line. Instead of proactively paying a tree service company to trim around them. Of course, we do not have the forest fire danger that you do.
ANOTHER VERY LITTLE KNOWN FACT:
TIMBER/LOGGING COMPANIES MAINTAIN FIRE ROADS & TRIM TREES WHEN THEY HAVE PERMITS TO HARVEST TIMBER.
WHEN THAT HARVESTING GETS SHUT DOWN——THAT SERVICE DISAPPEARS.
H, In NH Asplundh Tree Expert Company is the primary vegetation management and line-clearing contractor hired by Eversource in New Hampshire to maintain power line clearances.
They do a real good job here of keeping the ROWs clear in northern NH.
Of course we have our local enviro whacos who fight it and are the first to complain when their power goes out.
Maybe they have given up in southern NH with all of the whackos to fight?
Some faults might generate that in the early stages before heat.
It is also a problem with ham radio reception.
It wasn’t PG&E that started any fires.
It was the enviro-weenies and their
ridiculous rules of clearing
brush and trees from
rights of way and utility
easements.
I worked for a power company
for a number of years.
First and foremost is customer/
consumer safety.
The company I worked for used
to deploy helicopters for
remote line inspections.
90% of noted line failures
in the region of the company
I worked for were from
sabotage and some idiot
shooting at line insulators
as target practice.
Linemen have a very dangerous
job of keeping the lights on.
The use of drones to monitor
line faults is a great idea,
and probably helps save on
the cost of your electric bill.
“Since when does PG&E care about safety?
In the last 20 years, PG&E has blown up and destroyed more of the United States than Al Qaeda and ISIS put together. And their only punishment is they get to charge customers more money.”
____________________________________________________________
Everybody hates PG&E - with good reason. This is still a positive development for an ongoing inspection cycle. Helicopters are super expensive to operate, which is how they’ve been conducting many inspections. Drones make the same inspections possible for much less money.
About the only thing they have been doing here in southern NH is cutting down all the dead White Ash trees.
About 12-15 years ago it got so bad and so many people were complaining that the Governor forced them to trim around the power lines. That was because we were losing power for multiple days every year. We had a couple big ice storms back then that “trimmed” the trees too. Especially in the Monadnock region. There were power outages that last two plus weeks.
It was really good for the stand by generator salesmen.
Everyone eventually bought a generator and they trimmed the trees more often.
I have had a State Senator tell me that it is better for the power company to NOT TRIM. It costs a lot of money to have Asplundh trim all those miles of lines. Plus, in many towns they have to hire off duty police. So, just two cops is another $600/day. Plus the tree crew.
I have 600’ of road frontage. In the last five years I have had two trees break and fall across the lines at each end of my property. Each started a small fire because the tree was touching the top(dangerous)line and the ground at the same time. Prior to the fuse blowing out down the road.
I had another pine tree next to the road that was hit by lightning. Eversource put their tape around it to be marked for removal. That was in 2021. It broke two winters ago and fell across my driveway. So, I cut it up and hauled it to the dump. The base and first 30’ is still standing 5’ from the power line.
100% Accurate!! I guess they finally got tired of paying out the millions of $$$ and found a CEO who could put things right....they admitted to not inspecting “troublesome” hard to get to lines...
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