2020 UAS for Utilities

November 17-18, 2020

AGENDA

Tuesday, November 17, 2020 : Central Time

8:45 – 9:00 a.m. :: Log In and Sound Check

9:00 – 9:05 a.m. :: Conference Welcome

Aaron Voss, Program Director, EUCI

9:05 – 9:30 a.m. :: Keynote #1: The Role of Technology and Drones to Improve Utility Operations

Kevin Bryant, Chief Operating Officer, Evergy

9:30 – 10:15 a.m. :: Wildfire Sensing using Advanced Sensors on UAS Platforms

An Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) research project, funded by the US Fire Service, tackles the difficult challenge of identifying the presence of airborne asbestos, with high confidence, in real- or near-real-time during a dynamic forest fire environment.  In addition, providing the communication link between the UAS-mounted sensors and participants on the ground of the threat in real-time will be described. 

Peter Fuhr, Tech Director, UAS Research Center, Oak Ridge National Lab

10:15 – 10:30 a.m. :: Morning Break

10:30 – 11:15 a.m. :: SGI Process to Enable BVLOS Operation as a Response to Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Events

The presentation will cover some emerging updates to the developments using the SGI process to enable BVLOS operation as a response to Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events. This talk will answer questions, cover data, and present on work, recently completed on the PSPS project for the very first time.

Craig Stenberg, Sr. Project Manager, Southern California Edison (SCE)

11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. :: How UAS is Supporting the Utility Industry at ComEd

ComEd is exploring options to use UAS to support their industry in installing bird diverters.  We are focusing on waterway crossings that are moderate to high collision risk with migratory birds.  Studies have shown that the cost to install bird diverters the conventional way can be costly to a Company.  By using UAS to install these diverters would save time and money to the industry.

Valerie Dammann, Manager Emergency Preparedness, Governance and Oversight for the UAS Program, ComEd

12:00  – 12:30 p.m. :: Break for Lunch

12:30 – 1:15 p.m. :: Methane Emission Quantification of Compressor Regulator Stations Using Small UAV

A new approach is being explored by PG&E to quickly screen compressor and regulator stations for methane emissions using fly over by UAV equipped with a high sensitivity detector. The method provides the overall emission rate of the facility as well as the identification of its most emitting sub-systems. Results can be used to prioritize maintenance and better characterize emissions of these stations.

Francois Rongere, Manager, R&D and Innovation Gas Operations, PG&E

Lance Christensen, Atmospheric Scientist, NASA JPL

1:15  – 1:45 p.m. :: KEYNOTE #2: FAA Plan for Continued UAS Penetration in the Commercial Market

Thomas Baker, Manager of the UAS Operational Programs Branch, Safety and Integration Division, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

1:45 – 2:00 p.m. :: Afternoon Break

2:00  – 2:45 p.m. :: In-Housing AI and New Technologies for UAS at Ameren

Ameren is in the process of transforming its UAS deployment into a sophisticated network of drone technology, including in-house data analysis and Artificial Intelligence. This presentation will cover the current work going on in this project, lessons learned, an evaluation of costs, and a look at the future. Objectives for this talk include:

James Pierce, Supervisor – UAS Operations, AI Development Lead, Ameren

2:45  – 3:30 p.m. :: Turning Drone Data into Action

So you’ve gathered asset imagery and data. Now what? How do you turn that data into action? Join Robert Henley, VP of Energy Solutions at PrecisionHawk, for best practices in collecting, processing, and analyzing information. You'll come away with innovative examples of how you can integrate drones to drive business objectives.

Robert Henley, Vice President, Energy Solutions, PrecisionHawk

3:30  – 4:30 p.m. :: Hot Topics Panel

Moderator:

Peter Fuhr, Tech Director, UAS Research Center, Oak Ridge National Lab

Panelists:

Lance Christensen, Atmospheric Scientist, NASA JPL

James Pierce, Supervisor – UAS Operations, AI Development Lead, Ameren

Al Brunner, Aviation Safety Inspector, UAS Integration, FAA

Valerie Dammann, Manager Emergency Preparedness, Governance and Oversight for the UAS Program, ComEd

Robert Henley, Vice President, Energy Solutions, PrecisionHawk

4:30 p.m. :: Conference Concludes

Wednesday, November 18, 2020 : Central Time

8:45 – 9:00 a.m. :: Log In and Sound Check

9:00  – 9:30 a.m. :: CASE STUDY: Distribution and Inspection Program at a Coop

This presentation will look at DEC’s UAS transmission and distribution inspection program.  The program started this year after an emergency UAS inspection of one of our transmission lines found an issue that we were unable to detect from the ground.  I will discuss the initial transmission issue as well as some of the issues that have been brought to our attention from the inspection program.

Troy Dickerson, Assistant VP of Engineering, Delaware Electric Coop

9:30  – 10:45 a.m. :: UAS Integration Panel

In this panel we will discuss some of the important outsourcing partnerships necessary to run a cohesive, cost effective, and technologically resilient UAS program.  Topics include:

Moderator:

Mike Kelly, UAS Program Manager, Evergy

Panelists:

Kurt Carraway, UAS Department Lead, Kansas State Polytechnic

Steve Hambric, President, North America, eSmart Systems

10:45  – 11:00 a.m. :: Morning Break

11:00 – 11:45 a.m. :: Integrating UAS into the Storm Restoration Process

It’s no surprise that Alabama has been in the path of some significant storms, leaving major restoration needs in its wake. Alabama Power has been utilizing UAS to improve grid resiliency and maintain robust O&M strategies. This presentation will cover the practices, applications, and lessons learned integrating UAS into the storm restoration process at Alabama Power Company.

Bobby Hawthorne, Manager, Distribution Engineering Services, Southern Company

11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. :: Networking Reception and Virtual Card Exchange

SPEAKERS

ONLINE DELIVERY

We will be using Microsoft Teams to facilitate your participation in the upcoming event. You do not need to have an existing Teams account in order to participate in the broadcast – the course will play in your browser and you will have the option of using a microphone to speak with the room and ask questions, or type any questions in via the chat window and our on-site representative will relay your question to the instructor.

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