Summary:
Wildfires are increasing the risk to power lines in the U.S.
Utility companies rely on AI to monitor 5.5 million miles of power lines.
AIDash uses satellite technology to prevent accidents before they occur.
$10 billion is spent annually on maintaining trees along power lines.
National Grid reports a 30% reduction in outages since using AIDash.
As wildfires rage across the western United States, utility companies find themselves on the front lines of protecting the vital power lines that serve millions of customers. With the increasing frequency of fires and severe storms, technology plays a crucial role in ensuring safety and reliability.
The U.S. boasts an extensive 5.5 million miles of power lines supported by over a quarter billion poles, making it nearly impossible to monitor everything manually. This is where artificial intelligence steps in to take the lead.
Innovative software companies like Pano AI, Satelytics, and AIDash are leveraging cutting-edge technology to mitigate risks. According to Abhishek Singh, CEO and co-founder of AIDash, "Using satellites, we can monitor each and every tree, each and every pole, as frequently as we want, identify the challenges and fix them before they cause an accident."
Utility companies are often mandated by local governments to conduct thorough inspections of their power lines before fire season. Singh highlighted, "This entire exercise of maintaining trees along power lines is a $10 billion annual spend in the U.S. alone. With rising labor costs and shortages, identifying problems without technology is becoming increasingly difficult."
AIDash utilizes its technology to not only pinpoint current issues but also predict potential future ones. By integrating weather data with detailed vegetation information, it assesses risk levels throughout the fire season, as well as during extreme wind and precipitation events.
National Grid, servicing much of the northeast, is both a client and investor in AIDash through its venture arm, National Grid Partners. Andre Turenne, VP of investments at National Grid Partners, noted significant improvements: a 30% reduction in outages and a 55% decrease in the duration of outages since collaborating with AIDash.
"Their differentiator was they built an end-to-end platform, a workflow platform designed for utility engineers to deploy predictive analytics and manage ground crews efficiently," Turenne added.
AIDash is also supported by major players such as Duke Energy, Edison International, Shell Ventures, Lightrock, and SE Ventures, having secured a total of $91.5 million in venture capital funding.
As industries transition to all-electric power, the importance of grid capacity and reliability will only grow. Over the next five years, National Grid plans to invest $75 billion in upgrades across the U.K. and in New York and Massachusetts to enhance reliability.
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