Unmanned Aerial - Drone News

Utilities – Page 2

U.S., Canada Utilities Put UAV to Work at Niagara Ice Boom

Posted by Betsy Lillian on January 27, 2017

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) and Canadian utility Ontario Power Generation (OPG) recently deployed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to inspect an ice boom between Lake Erie and the Niagara River. The test with OPG – using one of [Read More]

English Water Company Puts UAS to the Test for Leakage Detection

Posted by Betsy Lillian on January 25, 2017

U.K.-based Anglian Water Services Ltd. has begun trialing thermal imaging drones to detect leaking water pipes. With nearly 24,000 miles of water pipes to keep an eye on – much of it in rural and remote areas – the company [Read More]

New York State Electric and Gas Corp. Brings in Drones

Posted by Betsy Lillian on January 20, 2017

New York State Electric and Gas Corp. (NYSEG), a subsidiary of Avangrid, is currently deploying drones to conduct routine inspections of transmission lines in several communities in the Binghamton, Ithaca and Oneonta areas of New York State. The unmanned aircraft [Read More]

University-Utility Partnership Goes Big on Drones

Posted by Betsy Lillian on December 19, 2016

Kansas State University’s Polytechnic Campus and Kansas-based power company Westar Energy say they are increasingly using drone technology to advance electric utility inspection and maintenance methods. With a focus on increasing reliability for customers, improving employee safety and reducing costs, [Read More]

Drones in Energy: Firm Improves Safety, Efficiency and Bottom Line

Posted by Betsy Lillian on December 12, 2016

By using Identified Technologies’ drone services, Keystone was able to survey six well pads in a single day and receive the data in near real time.

N.D. Drone Company OK’d for Night Flying; Utility Signs Up Right Away

Posted by Betsy Lillian on November 16, 2016

Grand Forks, N.D.-based SkySkopes has inked permission from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) at night. The flight services firm completed its first set of nighttime operations on Nov. 10 in cooperation with Minneapolis-based Xcel [Read More]

Wanted: U.S. Energy Company Seeks Unmanned Solutions

Posted by Betsy Lillian on November 07, 2016

The AES Corp. is launching an open innovation contest targeted at improving the safety and increasing the availability of power plants through unmanned inspections in extreme heat. AES, a Fortune 200 global power company, provides energy to 17 countries through [Read More]

Nevada Utility Completes UAS Pilot Program

Posted by Joseph Bebon on November 02, 2016

With the help of several partners, Nevada-based NV Energy has completed an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) pilot program to inspect, collect and analyze data on sections of the utility’s transmission and distribution lines. NV Energy says all of the flights [Read More]

Verizon Goes with Drones for Critical Inspections After Hurricane Matthew

Posted by Betsy Lillian on October 17, 2016

Verizon is using drones to help with cell site inspections in North Carolina and South Carolina to survey areas impacted by severe flooding from Hurricane Matthew. Washington, D.C.-based Measure is using a quadcopter to inspect cell sites in difficult-to-reach locations, [Read More]

AT&T Uses UAS to Get You Ready – and Connected – for Some Football

Betsy Lillian
Written by Betsy Lillian on October 06, 2016

Using its proprietary EchoBOT technology on board an unmanned aircraft system, the telecommunications giant says it can “track in-stadium networks” more efficiently.