ComEd expands drone program

CHICAGO - ComEd said Wednesday that, for the first time, its certified pilots will operate drones remotely from locations across northern Illinois.

The drones will enable safe, cost-effective, on-demand surveillance capabilities without dispatching trucks of crews to perform in-person inspections, the utility company said.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates commercial drone operations, permits organizations like ComEd to request operational waivers that allow pilots to remotely operate drones without a visual line of sight. These operational waivers will allow FAA-certified ComEd pilots to use enhanced drones to support routine equipment inspection, enabling utility crews to focus on priority grid repair and improvements, ComEd said.

Using new Skydio Drone Dock technology, ComEd said its crews will test remote drone monitoring solutions.

"At ComEd we are always looking for ways to improve our customers' experience and advance our storm recovery efforts. Smarter equipment monitoring is one way to proactively prevent outages and support overall grid performance," said Terence Donnelly, president and COO of ComEd.

Currently, the technology is installed at ComEd's Chicago Training Center while ComEd pilots are trained to use the new technology; the installation of additional docks is expected later in 2023 at secure locations throughout ComEd's service territory.