AEP Ohio is taking grid inspections to the sky.
This year, AEP Ohio is using drones to inspect more than 1,400 miles across 81 circuits throughout our service territory. This innovative approach allows AEP Ohio to reach hard-to-access areas, providing a comprehensive 360-degree view of the electrical equipment that powers homes and businesses across the state.
By harnessing the power of drones, AEP Ohio aims to identify potential issues before they escalate into outages, ensuring more reliable service for customers.
Traditionally, circuit inspections can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, requiring inspectors to walk pole-by-pole and visually inspect each circuit. But drones can travel 200 to 300 feet above the lines, using high-resolution cameras and infrared technology to identify potential issues on lines, equipment and poles.
Each circuit is inspected every five years, and in 2025, AEP Ohio plans to conduct about 20% of those inspections using drones. This shift not only improves the speed of inspections but also enhances the quality of the data collected, allowing for a more thorough analysis.
The drones are equipped with the ability to use AI technology that, in the future, will enable AEP Ohio teams to identify potential problems even more efficiently. This proactive approach helps the company prioritize maintenance and repairs, ultimately reducing the frequency of outages and improving system performance. Pursuing the integration of AI in the inspection process symbolizes AEP Ohio’s commitment to innovation and customer reliability.
Jay Garrett, AEP Ohio director of reliability, emphasized the importance of this initiative: “The use of drones for circuit inspections is a game-changer for us,” Garrett said. “By improving our reliability and reducing controllable outages, we are not only serving our customers better but also being good stewards of the resources we allocate for inspections. This technology allows us to be more efficient and effective in our efforts to maintain a robust electrical grid.”
The drone inspections will also provide crucial information to AEP Ohio’s Center for Customer Reliability, which focuses on implementing strategies and technologies that enhance the reliability of electric service, ensuring that customers receive consistent and dependable power.
Will you be contacting customers when to expect your drones flying near or over their homes?
Hi there, thanks for reaching out. We will be notifying customers via email about drone inspections in their area. Thank you.
Why in the hell is everybody’s electric bill? So high, there’s no reasoning for this. Things have gotta change or starving.People to death
I am interested in hearing any shortcomings in this approach and technological opportunities for improvement you’d be seeking.
Be safe all of you God bless you all.