DENVER BUSINESS JOURNAL - Xcel Energy Inc. said Wednesday it will be the first utility in the nation to use drones to survey transmission lines, with the drones flying beyond the line of sight of the operator.
The drones will be used for routine transmission line surveys this summer about 20 miles north of Denver International Airport, the utility said.
Minneapolis-based Xcel (NASDAQ: XEL), Colorado’s biggest utility with 1.4 million customers, called the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision last week to allow the flights “unprecedented in the utility industry.”
“Xcel Energy is honored to be the first utility to conduct flights that will enhance grid reliability and safety for our employees and the public,” said Ben Fowke, Xcel’s chairman, president, and CEO, said in a statement.
