Southern Company says it has been granted a conditions-based waiver by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct autonomous beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations across its energy network from Georgia to California.
The authorization will allow the utility provider to operate dock-based drones remotely for infrastructure monitoring and inspection at its plant sites, substations, and other fixed-site locations. Previously, the FAA had allowed Southern Company to conduct advanced BVLOS drone operations at only one plant in Alabama (pictured above).
As such, Southern Company’s UAS program manager Dean Barefield is calling the development a “huge step” in advancing autonomous and remote operations at scale. “The waiver will help to unlock the true potential of autonomous and remote-based operations while increasing efficiency and reliability,” Barefield stresses.
Southern Company plans to use the Skydio X2 drones and Skydio Dock for more efficient inspections, mapping, and monitoring of its energy infrastructure. The company is also involved in a research project with Mississippi State University (MSU), looking to determine onboard sensor systems that can help drones to detect and avoid other aircraft in their surrounding airspace.
Jenn Player, Skydio’s senior director of aviation regulatory affairs, says, “When it comes to scaling beyond visual line of sight operations, having an intelligent drone makes all the difference. Skydio was proud to support Southern Company in obtaining this approval that enables inspection and monitoring of critically important facilities.”
Read: New software update enables Remote ID on Skydio 2, 2+, X2E drones
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments