Cooperative Living April 2023 - 21

CUTTING EDGE
Staying One Step Ahead
of Mother Nature
by Jennah Denney, Contributing Columnist
New technologies can help curb the effects
of weather events on power lines
M
to be
other Nature tends to have a mind of her own.
Utility power lines are constantly at risk from severe
storms - particularly fallen and overgrown tree
limbs, which can lead to power outages. It's estimated that
50% of outages can be attributed to overgrown vegetation,
which is why electric co-ops regularly trim and maintain their
local systems.
This tried-and-true method requires a signifi
nificant amount
ofon-the-ground labor, includingmanual data collection,
ini
ofon heound
labor nclud
n which dozens ofworkers assess the vegetation that needs
to be cleared while walking below the infrastructure, as well
as manua
which dozens ofwork
wa
as manual veriification of
by contractors.
This is how things haveav been done for the past few
how th
decades. This method has been effective, but in the era of
extreme weather events and accelerating digitalization,
ha
weathe
ve ts
electric co-ops are looking to
mana emen
are
the members they serve.
DA
ives
to innovative vegetation
management methods to improve power reliability for
hods to mpr
LiDAR, which stands for " lig
surface around utility assets. LiDA
gives exact, three-dimensional data about the shape ofthe
the
wa to
which stands for " l ht detection and ranging, "
DAR is a popular way to scan
portions of forests to determine how tall trees are and acquire
information about their health, like whether a tree has leaves.
LiDAR doesn't provide data on how healthy plants are in
general, but the technology can be paired with highLiDAR
paired with satellite imagery can be used to
collect detailed, beneficial data on large amounts of
vegetation near power lines and other utility assets.
fica ion ofthe work's quality and completion
resolution multispectral satellite imagery to obtain accurate
information about the health of the plants surrounding power
lines. Timely data like this is extremely beneficial and can
help electric co-ops make more proactive planning decisions.
Electric co-ops are also using fixed-wing aircrafts and
drones to keep an eye on and control the growth of trees and
plants near power lines. Drones fly very close to utility assets
so they can take the clearest images and provide data to help
keep an eye on how close vegetation is to equipment and
check the health oftrees to see ifthey are likely to falll..
Many co-ops are utilizing drones with cameras, which
began as a novelty tech for utilities but are now considered
essential tools.When it comes to taking care ofsurrounding
vegetation, drones are often used for detailed surveys ratherthe
than large-scale monitoring like satellites. Once LiDARor
satellites (often together) have collected data on a large
amount ofvegetation near power lines, drones are used to
inspect a single area and do all the necessary checks without
putting operators in danger.
er
so they can
ke
ng
but are now
es to taking care ofsurrounding
ke
for det ile
dat
are use
e
management. It is the most crucial tool for reducing the
er
Electric co-ops place a high focus on vegetation
the
Electric co-ops place a high focus on vegetation
gh
tool for reducing the
likelihood ofpower outages. A thorough understanding of
ood of
ut
es
past, prese
hor
and project
nderstand
ur is esse
of
theth vegetation's past, present and projected future is essentiaial
for a successful approach to reducing these risks.
The growth of LiDAR, drone and satellite data presents
an opportunity to close the loop with continuous data-driven
vegetation management intelligence, and to increase the
power line system's dependability and safety. In the end, all
three technologies for managing vegetation serve different
purposes, and electric co-ops choose the ones that work best
for them. 
to
su
ys
Once LiDAR or
ery close to utility assets
est mages and provide data to help
ion
the
to
are
uipme
to
and
Drones fly very close to
utility assets to take the
clearest images and provide
data to help keep an eye
on how close vegetation
is to equipment.
Jennah Denney writes on consumer and cooperative affairs
for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
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April 2023 ●
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Cooperative Living April 2023

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