THE Commonwealth Utilities Corp. plans to obtain an unmanned aerial vehicle commonly known as a drone to reduce the timeline and costs for CUC project assessments.
Drone technology provides a safe and cost-effective means of performing routine duties, CUC power division manager Lee Lieto said.
CUC power division manager Lee Lieto poses for Variety on Friday.
Photo by Bryan Manabat
He said because a drone “can operate on distances up to a four-mile radius, this provides advantage to operators to work from safe distances and assess large and hard to reach areas without having to be physically present at every location.”
Lieto said the designated drone operators will undergo training. “We will acquire one drone then go from there,” he added.
CUC Executive Director Gary Camacho said drone technology can be used for “checking power lines, inspecting vegetation along transmission lines, pinpointing leaning sagging wires or insulators during or in an emergency.”
He said a drone can also be used for “monitoring criminal activity, vandalism, or potential security threats; scoping sites for new transmission lines or pipelines; carrying out wildlife inventories to reduce impact on protected species; and calculating stockpiled fuels at power plants.”
Camacho said drone technology “will allow us to be more consistent and more capable of quickly monitoring and maintaining CUC programs not only of the power division, but also water/wastewater division, and other building structures.”
