UAS for Electric Utilities

Overview

For many utility industry observers, it’s not a matter of whether drones will be integrated into the operational landscape—it’s when. The practical applications of unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) are poised to transform the industry with strong implications for worker safety, system reliability, and data collection & storage. The opportunity to get an aerial view of transmission and distribution lines, towers, and poles without deploying a crew is attractive to many utilities.

This conference gathers industry experts to discuss all of the important topics relevant to UAS use for electric utilities. An FAA representative will discuss the Final Rule for drones and its implication for the utility industry. The Director of the UAS Research Center for Oak Ridge National Laboratory will discuss his research regarding best practices of UAS usage in the utility industry. Southern Company and Xcel Energy will provide case studies pertaining to their usage of UAS. Legal experts will discuss important considerations including state/local regulations, traffic management, property rights, and privacy rights. NRECA will assess the business case for UAS. Practical applications of UAS will be discussed, including transmission line monitoring and asset inspection. Finally, a panel of experts will convene and discuss hot topics and audience questions regarding UAS.

Learning Outcomes

Summarize the Final Rule for Small UAS
Discuss UAS concept of operations and applications to support utility work
Review a comprehensive guide and foundation for safe operations
Describe challenges to realizing UAS potential, including spectrum, traffic management, and state/local regulations
Evaluate Southern Company’s UAS policy and integration plan
Assess how Xcel Energy plans to use UASs to change how they assess electric and gas facilities to pinpoint potential risks while improving reliability, safety and enabling regulatory compliance
Address primary exposures associated with UAS operations
Review UAV economics
Determine best bets for immediate UAV uses
Discuss long-term UAV applications
Evaluate systems and processes that still need development
Participate in a question & answer session with UAS & utility experts
Discuss utility asset inspection programs
Describe state law issues related to property rights, including questions related to trespass, nuisance, and takings
Discuss state law issues related to privacy, including tort considerations, as well as federal initiatives and litigation concerning UAS and privacy considerations
Explain the extent to which federal laws and regulation may pre-empt state regulations
Discuss UAS for transmission line and pipeline mapping

Credits

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EUCI is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.

EUCI is authorized by IACET to offer 1.0 CEUs for this event.

Requirements for Successful Completion of Program

Participants must sign in/out each day, be in attendance for the entirety of the conference.

Instructional Methods

Case studies, PowerPoint presentations, and group discussion will be used for this conference.

Agenda

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

8:00 – 8:30 a.m. :: Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 8:45 a.m. :: Conference Introduction

8:45 – 9:30 a.m. :: Keynote Presentation: Mainstream Utilization of UAS within the Electric Utility Industry

Publication of a comprehensive guide and foundation for safe operations
UAS concept of operations and applications to support utility work
Considerations for using UAS near energized infrastructure
UAS-mounted sensors applications

Rick Lusk, Director – UAS Research Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

9:30 – 10:30 a.m. :: FAA UAS Rules & Regulation

Overview of the Final Rule
Updates & changes
Impact on the utility industry
Waivers

Alvin Brunner, Aviation Safety Inspector- UAS, FAA

10:30 – 11:00 a.m. :: Networking Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. :: Challenges to Realizing UAS Potential (Spectrum, Traffic Management, State/Local Regulations)

UAS legal experts will discuss policy and regulatory challenges to realize full UAS potential, including:

Spectrum: While current VLOS unmanned aircraft flights utilize unlicensed spectrum, beyond line of sight flights will require spectrum and infrastructure to provide the control links necessary to operate the unmanned aircraft. This session will discuss the options available for such spectrum.
Traffic Management: Wiley Rein experts will discuss the NASA initiative to develop a traffic management system for unmanned aircraft systems.
State/Local Regulations: This session will discuss the scope of FAA authority, as well as strategies for addressing the multiplicity of state and local regulations that inhibit UAS flights.

Anna Gomez, Attorney, Wiley Rein

Josh Turner, Attorney, Wiley Rein

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. :: Group Luncheon

1:00 – 1:45 p.m. :: Case Study: Southern Company

Utility applications of UAS
Southern Company’s UAS policy and integration plan
Business case of UAS for transmission inspections

Dexter Lewis, Senior Research Engineer, Southern Company

1:45 – 2:30 p.m. :: UAS for Transmission Line and Pipeline Mapping

Vegetation mapping for encroachment and volume measurement
Measuring line sag from point clouds
Tower inspection geolocation, data storage and 3D modelling
Thermal inspection and mapping for transmission towers
Pipeline survey before, during and after construction
Pipeline inspection & leak detection with thermal and other sensor
Future pipeline monitoring with new sensors to detect leaks

David Day, Executive Vice President, Keystone Aerial Surveys

2:30 – 3:00 p.m. :: Networking Break

3:00 – 3:45 p.m. :: UAS Insurance & Liability Considerations

Primary exposures associated with UAS operations
Insurance coverage available for UAS operations
How to manage exposures associated with UAS operations
Non-owned considerations for companies who hire UAS operators to work on their behalf
Check-list of insurance requirements for contracted UAS operators and documents that should be obtained
How telematics insurance can provide a real-time picture of UAS fleet operations and control

Terry Miller, President, Transport Risk Management

3:45 – 5:00 p.m. :: UAS Integration into the Utility Industry

This Q&A panel will be the perfect opportunity for audience members to ask questions of UAS experts.

Moderator: Donald Chance Mark, Shareholder, Fafinski Mark & Johnson

Panelists:

Eileen Lockhart, UAS Program Manager, Xcel Energy

Dexter Lewis, Senior Research Engineer, Southern Company

Linda Rhodes, Operational Strategy & Business Intelligence, Commonwealth Edison Company, an Exelon Company

Brian Sloboda, Program and Product Line Manager-Energy Utilization/Delivery/Energy Efficiency, NRECA

Rick Lusk, Director- UAS Research Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Nathan Schuett, CEO, PreNav

5:00 – 6:00 p.m. :: Networking Reception

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

8:00 – 8:30 a.m. :: Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 9:15 a.m. :: UAS Based Automated Inspection of Utility Assets

Improved reliability of electricity distribution and transmission
Reduced risks of field work hazards
Faster reaction to emergency events
More efficient maintenance
Optimized operations
Enhanced environmental compliance

Chris McMurtry, Solutions Architect, Sharper Shape Inc

9:15 – 10:00 a.m. :: Case Study: Xcel Energy: Harnessing UAS Potential and the Power of Collaboration

How Xcel Energy plans to use UASs
Xcel & Environmental Consultants UAS case study
Utilities & consultants: Best practices for working cohesively

Eileen Lockhart, UAS Program Manager, Xcel Energy

Jim Downie, President, Environmental Consultants, Inc.

10:00 – 10:30 a.m. :: Networking Break

10:30 – 11:15 a.m. :: UAS Usage: Property Rights Issues & Privacy

State law issues related to property rights, including questions related to trespass, nuisance, and takings
State law issues related to privacy, including tort considerations, as well as federal initiatives and litigation concerning UAS and privacy considerations
The extent to which federal laws and regulation may pre-empt state regulations

Tom Dougherty, Partner, Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie

11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. :: The Business Case for UAS

Review of UAV economics
Best bets for immediate UAV uses
Long term UAV applications
Look at systems and processes that still need development

Brian Sloboda, Program and Product Line Manager-Energy Utilization/Delivery/Energy Efficiency, NRECA

12:00 p.m. :: Conference Adjourns

Speakers

Alvin Brunner, Aviation Safety Inspector- UAS, FAA

David Day, Executive Vice President, Keystone Aerial Surveys

Tom Dougherty, Partner, Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie

Jim Downie, President, Environmental Consultants, Inc.

Anna Gomez, Attorney, Wiley Rein

Joseph J. Leccese, VP Client & Partner Development, Sharper Shape Inc.

Dexter Lewis, Senior Research Engineer, Southern Company

Eileen Lockhart, UAS Program Manager, Xcel Energy

Rick Lusk, Director – UAS Research Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Donald Chance Mark, Shareholder, Fafinski Mark & Johnson

Terry Miller, President, Transport Risk Management

Linda Rhodes, Operational Strategy & Business Intelligence, Commonwealth Edison Company, an Exelon Company

Nathan Schuett, CEO, PreNav

Brian Sloboda, Program and Product Line Manager-Energy Utilization/Delivery/Energy Efficiency, NRECA

Josh Turner, Attorney, Wiley Rein

Location

Grand Hyatt Denver
1750 Welton Street
Denver, CO 80202

To reserve your room, please contact Danielle Menard at [email protected] with your check in/check out dates.

ROOM RATE:

The room rate is $209.00

ROOM BLOCK DATES:

A room block has been reserved for the nights of October 17-18, 2016.

RATE AVAILABLE UNTIL:

Make your reservations prior to September 26, 2016. There are a limited number of rooms available at the conference rate. Please make your reservations early.

Register

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