Overhead Line and Equipment Inspections

A drone, or unmanned aerial system (UAS), is an aircraft that is controlled by a remote pilot. All Duke Energy remote pilots are licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and only operate drones for business purposes. 

Duke Energy uses drones for various business purposes, including the inspection of solar panels, wind turbines, power lines, transmission towers, and aspects of power generation equipment. In neighborhoods, drones are used to inspect power lines and various electrical equipment that deliver electricity to the homes and businesses in your community. 

Delivering reliable electricity to the communities we serve, while keeping costs as low as possible, is priority for Duke Energy. Drones provide an efficient and effective solution to conduct surveys and capture data needed to plan equipment upgrades and other improvements to keep our power grid reliable, resilient and ready to serve communities now and in the future. 

At Duke Energy, safety is of the highest priority. Our trained and licensed drone pilots follow the FAA Small UAS Rules for the operation and maintenance of aerial equipment to help ensure pilots conduct their work safely and within the rigorous requirements established for this work. 

Drones are used to inspect Duke Energy power lines and other equipment. We capture visual and other data directly related to this work. All data acquired is managed by the company from the time it is captured, until it is used for grid planning purposes, and then destroyed, if appropriate.