For nearly 160 years, CPS Energy has been providing customers with the means needed to power their homes, first through natural gasses, then electric sources. In 1942, CPS was purchased by the city of San Antonio, TX. Today CPS “is the nation’s largest municipally owned energy utility providing both natural gas and electric service. We serve more than 840,750 electric customers and 352,585 natural gas customers in and around San Antonio, the nation’s seventh largest city,” as stated on CPS’s website. Their coverage region stretches over 1,566 square miles to include San Antonio’s surrounding counties. They are committed to providing their customers with the best service possible at the lowest rates possible. To be able to do this, CPS has made sure to stay up to date with the most advanced energy solutions available. One of these advanced solutions comes in the form of drone technology.

In May of 2017, CPS began testing a drone for use as inspection tools. In this initial trial, the drone was used to inspect 50 transmission towers and their high voltage wires. The test results blew CPS’s minds. Using conventional methods to check these towers and wires, such as a crew going up to the tower in a cherry picker, would normally take about 2 weeks to complete. The drone was able to fully inspect, with great detail, all 50 towers in only 2 two and a half days, far exceeding expectations. After the success of this trial, CPS announced the following year that they would begin using drones for inspection purposes on a regular basis.

In May of 2018, with two drones in their possession, CPS began broader drone inspection practices. “We are integrating new technologies to expand our capabilities and operate more efficiently,” said Cris Eugster, Chief Operating Officer at CPS Energy. “Performing inspections with the use of drones helps maintain the safety of our employees and leads to faster inspections of our overhead infrastructure. This proactive effort helps us identify potential issues and mitigate future power outages.” Along with the two drones, inspectors will use virtual reality headgear to assist in inspections. While one crew member pilots the drone, another will observe the inspection in real time with the aid of the headgear. All of the footage the drone captures will also be recorded to further analyze at a later time. This allows the crew to make any immediate adjustments at an inspection site if necessary, and have a record to plan for further repairs.

All crew members who will be operating the drones will be fully certified by the FAA and fly within all regulations. Before inspections commence, CPS will alert any customers in the inspection area. CPS want their customers to know that the drones are being used to better serve them, and in no way would they be used to infringe upon customer privacy. The drones can make all the difference in maintaining power services for CPS’s customers. When towers or wires are damaged by storms, vegetation overgrowth, or simply wear and tear, customers are at risk for loosing power. Vigilant inspection is the only way to ensure these towers are working properly.

In the past, inspection of power lines has been a dangerous and slow job. Dangerous because it means an individual has to go up sometimes hundreds of feet in the air and work with lines carrying anywhere from 155,000 to 765,000 volts of energy running through them. Crews have to work slowly and carefully, but drones simplify this process. A crew can safely inspect transmission towers and lines from the ground in record time. Not only do the drones take out the risk of having to be elevated near dangerous wires, but they collect data so impressively that companies that use them can keep their infrastructures running smoothly.

CPS said that they will be using the drones to inspect towers, lines, and other power tools that may have been damaged or are simply becoming dated. Councilman Manny Pelaez of District 8 in San Antonio, is a big supporter of using tools like drones to make San Antonio a better community. “As chair of the City’s Innovation and Technology Committee, I am thrilled that CPS Energy is using this innovative, and efficient technology to conduct inspections,” Manny said. “CPS Energy continues to be a leader in Smart City technologies.”