Green Mountain Power uses drones to more efficiently locate storm damage

Green Mountain Power is using drones to locate down and damaged power lines left in the wake of severe weather, helping line crews restore power more quickly by saving hours of time hiking in rough, remote terrain to search for damage before those crews can move in to make repairs.

Since January, 10 GMP field assessors certified as drone pilots have conducted more than 150 flights over lines, poles and other infrastructure to find damaged equipment, including after the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby swept through Vermont on the evening of Friday, Aug. 10, leaving downed trees and power lines behind.

"We are saving time while customers are waiting for service restoration, and crews face less exposure to hazardous working conditions," Mike Burke, GMP's vice president of operations, said in a statement. "The detailed drone images can quickly pinpoint the exact location and cause of damage, which is critical information during a major storm response."

Most of Green Mountain Power's lines are in rural areas, making the drones even more important

The drones are particularly effective for finding damage on the 80% of GMP's lines that are in rural areas, serving about 15 customers per mile. The rural lines travel cross-country, away from roads, meaning crews have to hike, snowshoe or use ATVs to reach them and then climb the poles, hauling equipment by hand to make repairs.

Burke said that while the drones have made it safer and more efficient for repair crews to do their work, GMP will also continue to "storm-harden and underground our lines as quickly as possible to further reduce outages and protect our customers from ongoing severe weather events."

Contact Dan D’Ambrosio at 660-1841 or ddambrosio@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDambrosioVT.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Green Mountain Power uses drones to more efficiently locate storm damage