While a helicopter has allowed Liberty to get a bird’s-eye view of electric transmission lines and tree encroachment, a new partnership with LiveEO offers an out-of-this-world opportunity to simplify the process of improving the delivery of efficient and reliable service.
Founded in 2018, the Berlin-based company uses satellite technology and artificial intelligence to collect a wide variety of data in ways that can benefit a wide variety of industries … including how utility companies approach vegetation management.
Liberty is currently testing the satellite imagery that LiveEO provides, says Jason Grossman, Liberty’s Central Region Manager of Vegetation Management. Based on the reflectivity of their leaves, the satellite imagery can color code trees by species and show how close the branches are growing to power lines.
(live-eo.com)
“We hope to use this as a replacement for flying a helicopter through our electric service territory each year,” Grossman says. “The satellite constantly takes near-infrared images and uses AI-based change detection software, so we’ll have an archive of tree vitality going back several years.
“By looking at these snapshots of tree health every year, we can see trees that are in decline and flag them to prevent them from falling on power lines.”
There are many factors that can affect tree health, including the effects of climate change and drought, says Grossman. But one in particular has unfortunately been making itself known in the Midwest in recent years.
The emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle native to Asia, was first detected in Michigan in 2002 and over the last two decades has spread to at least 36 states. While it can take several years before any signs or symptoms make themselves known, the larva feed on the inner bark and prevent water and nutrients from moving through it. According to the U.S. Forest Service, they have become the costliest and most destructive invasive insect to have ever invaded North America.
(A satellite image identifies ash trees in decline in Columbus, Kansas.)
An infected ash tree can die three to five years after the initial infestation, says Grossman, and can become very brittle and unpredictable when it comes to safe removal.
The partnership with LiveEO will provide Liberty with a treasure trove of data for vegetation management crews, Grossman says.
“It’s a very cool tool that will help us quickly narrow down the areas we need to look at,” he says. “It’s a pilot program in terms of implementing this technology for the electric-transmission field but it will help us drill down on areas needing attention, improve safety, and save money.”