ATLANTA, May 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- As one of the first
U.S. utilities to receive Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
approval to pilot unmanned aerial systems (UAS), the Southern
Company system is seeking innovative ways to more safely and
efficiently meet customers' energy needs using this emerging
technology.
Under the FAA exemption granted to subsidiary Southern Company
Services, the company is permitted to investigate the applicability
of UAS for assessing weather-related damage to power lines and for
routine inspections.
Among their potential benefits, UAS could help utilities reduce
the duration of storm-related outages, perform power line
inspections more safely, lower operating and maintenance costs and
reduce environmental impacts. For example, with utility
infrastructure that includes more than 27,000 miles of transmission
lines across 120,000 square miles in the Southeast, UAS could
provide the Southern Company system a quicker and more detailed
assessment of areas and infrastructure impacted by severe
weather.
"Families across the Southeast depend on us to quickly and
safely get the lights back on after major storms," said Southern
Company Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Kimberly S. Greene. "Our innovative
approach to exploring the use of unmanned aerial systems in damage
assessment could speed the process of restoring power to affected
communities – further delivering on our commitment to the customers
our utilities serve."
The company will conduct initial UAS research operations at
subsidiary Georgia Power's Klondike Training Facility in
Lithonia, Georgia, and, following
research operations, may deploy the technology across the Southern
Company system.
With more than 4.5 million customers and approximately 46,000
megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is
the premier energy company serving the Southeast through its
subsidiaries. A leading U.S. producer of clean, safe, reliable and
affordable electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in
four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well
as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company
brands are known for energy innovation, excellent customer service,
high reliability and retail electric prices that are below the
national average. Southern Company and its subsidiaries are leading
the nation's nuclear renaissance through the construction of the
first new nuclear units to be built in a generation of Americans
and are demonstrating their commitment to energy innovation through
the development of a state-of-the-art coal gasification plant.
Southern Company has been recognized by the U.S. Department of
Defense and G.I. Jobs magazine as a
top military employer, listed by DiversityInc as a top company for
Blacks and designated a 2014 Top Employer for Hispanics by Hispanic
Network. The company received the Edison Award from the Edison
Electric Institute for its leadership in new nuclear development,
was named Electric Light & Power magazine's Utility of the Year
for 2012 and is continually ranked among the top utilities in
Fortune's annual World's Most Admired Electric and Gas
Utility rankings. Visit our website at
www.southerncompany.com.
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SOURCE Southern Company