If you spot a drone in your neighborhood, it might be PG&E checking up on power lines and equipment. The company is using drones to improve safety and speed up inspections.
PG&E Senior Program Manager Vinh Nguyen explained safety is the top priority, especially when working near helicopters or sensitive sites.
“We stay safe on the job,” Nguyen said. “We make sure we are in the correct fire zone area and there’s no other critical infrastructure nearby.”
PG&E’s drones are only capturing photos of utility equipment, not your home or yard. Aerial Inspection Supervisor Janet Henkai clarified: “Our imagery is only taking photos of our assets. If folks do have questions and see one of our pilots in the field, they’re more than welcome to ask them questions, just wait until the drone lands.”
By using drones instead of climbing poles or towers, crews can inspect more equipment faster and safer.
“This allows us to speed up that process and get more photos of our assets. We can spot a problem before it becomes a problem,” said Andria Borba with PG&E’s Community Outreach team.
PG&E says customers will be notified ahead of drone operations in their area.
