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TECHNOLOGY
AI-Powered Computer
Vision Is Transforming Utility
Inspection and Maintenance
Employing artificial intelligence (AI) in the power industry may seem like a futuristic
concept, but the truth is that it's available in several innovative applications today.
Power companies that tap into the latest computer vision technology stand to
benefit greatly.
Gordon Feller
I
nfrastructure maintenance has proved
to be one of the greatest challenges-and
most costly expenses-for
the utility industry. As risks grow, utilities
companies increasingly seek out
more efficient solutions for assessing
and mitigating those risks. In particular,
the emerging technology of computer
vision-an application of artificial intelligence
(AI)-is rising in prominence. It's
become of interest because it is such
an efficient and cost-effective means for
managing the growing burdens of asset
inspection and asset maintenance.
Interconnected Challenges Bring
Increased Industry Risks
Recent events have shown that insufficient
maintenance of utility infrastructure
can cause catastrophic damage to
human lives, communities, and the environment.
This, in turn, leads to costly
consequences for those utility companies
that are found liable for such losses.
The prime example, of course, is Pacific
Gas & Electric's (PG&E's) liabilities
following a series of deadly California
wildfires in 2017 and 2018 that killed
104 people. California government authorities
found the fires were sparked by
downed power lines and faulty electrical
equipment. The findings concluded that
these fires were fueled by improperly
maintained vegetation around electrical
equipment. PG&E has thus far agreed
to settle multiple lawsuits for more than
$14 billion in total, which prompted a
Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.
The industry is facing a rising set of
risks to utility infrastructure, and these
will become more common with the
mounting effects of climate change especially.
Planning for extreme weather
events is now commonplace, whether
it be California droughts that fuel
April 2024 | POWER
1. A view of Stanislaus National Forest from the " Rim of the World " turnout area on the side
of California State Route 120. Source: Creative Commons / King of Hearts
catastrophic wildfires, or hurricane or
deep-freeze impacts on Texas power
lines. It's no longer just a matter of " if "
they'll occur, but a question of when,
and how often.
In addition, risks associated with the
industry's aging assets carry real costs.
For example, California's Camp Fire was
sparked by nearly 100-year-old power
lines that PG&E had acquired in 1930.
The U.S. Department of Energy reported
that 70% of power transformers and
transmission lines are more than 25
years old. Companies are faced with
tough choices: which assets to maintain,
upgrade, or replace, based on their
risk profiles.
In the face of these challenges, inspection
and maintenance become key
priorities. However, these are traditionally
labor-intensive tasks, and that is not
good news when the industry faces
historic labor shortages-another fundawww.powermag.com
mental
challenge. In the U.S., the Bureau
of Labor Statistics predicts that the employment
of electricians and other skilled
laborers will need to increase by 10% between
2020 and 2030. This comes at a
time when the current workforce is rapidly
approaching retirement age, while
younger generations are reluctant to enter
the field to replace them. Labor shortages
lead to delays in new construction
projects, and a lack of resources and
necessary experience to conduct critical
inspection and maintenance work.
As these and other interconnected
risks and challenges increase, so do their
associated costs. In the wake of the California
wildfires and the resultant PG&E
bankruptcy, other utility companies are
shoring up their mitigation efforts. For
example, since 2019, Xcel Energy in
Colorado-another prime wildfire area-
has invested nearly $500 million in mitigation
costs alone. These efforts come
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