[Scan-DC] Pepco Using Helicopter and Infrared Technology to Inspect Regional Power Lines...

[Peter Rothschild]

Pepco Using Helicopter and Infrared Technology to Inspect Regional Power
Lines  

Proactive inspections support company's delivery of safe, reliable energy
service for customers

 

Greetings Neighbors: 

The notification below is from PEPCO and is for your information and sharing
and is not affiliated with the Executive Office of the Mayor.

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 1, 2019) - This week, Pepco will inspect more than
650 miles of aerial transmission lines by helicopter and infrared camera in
the District and Maryland. The aerial inspections are part of the company's
ongoing commitment to deliver safe and reliable service for its customers.
Pepco crews work year-round to proactively review the company's system and
make needed upgrades and improvements. These regular inspections allow the
company to proactively locate and repair areas of the energy system, making
the system less susceptible to damage during extreme weather and preventing
outages for customers. 

 

"Whether it's a record heat wave, an intense thunderstorm or major
hurricane, inspections such as these, help us ensure our systems and
equipment are prepared to handle the extreme conditions we continue to see
across our service area," said Donna Cooper, Pepco region president. "This
work is essential to our operational success and making sure we can provide
our customers the safe, affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy
services they expect from us, no matter what."

 

The helicopters conducting the aerial inspections will fly low at a moderate
speed, completing comprehensive visual inspections of transmission lines and
guy wire grounding, which is used to support utility poles and protect
against potential issues. Helicopters provide a more efficient and safer
option for this kind of work when access to structures on the ground is
limited, while minimizing impacts to customers in the local area. The use of
an infrared camera provides the team with a clear visual of potential areas
of concern on the transmission line and other associated equipment.
Following the inspections, Pepco will complete any necessary upgrades and
maintenance.  

 

Inspections are scheduled to take place in the District of Columbia and
Prince George's and Montgomery counties. This work is not anticipated to
impact energy service in the company's service area. 

 

This is just one example of how Pepco continually works to help improve and
strengthen service reliability. Other reliability work includes trimming
trees that could potentially impact the system, building new substations,
building new underground equipment, and installing stronger, tree-resistant
aerial cable. The company also installs innovative technologies to improve
system reliability, such as specialized equipment that can automatically
restore service more quickly or isolate damage. These new technologies have
been a main driver behind the continued drop in the number of outages
customers experience.

 

In fact, Pepco customers experienced the fastest restoration times ever, as
well as some of the lowest number of electric outages, on average, in the
company's history in 2018. During the past five years, the frequency of
service interruptions for customers also have decreased 23 percent in the
District of Columbia and 37 percent in Maryland. During the same time,
customers in the District were restored 44 minutes faster and Maryland
customers were restored 24 minutes faster, on average.  

 

To learn more about Pepco, visit The Source, Pepco's online news room. Find
additional information by visiting pepco.com, on Facebook at
facebook.com/pepcoconnect and on Twitter at twitter.com/pepcoconnect.
Pepco's mobile app is available at pepco.com/mobileapp.

 

 

 

(Notice appeared on DC "Next door" mailing list, posted by DC Mayor's
Office.)

--Peter--