Drones Boost Grid Reliability with Faster Inspection of 400 Miles of Power Lines | ‘DRONES ARE A …

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Drones Boost Grid Reliability with Faster Inspection of 400 Miles of Power Lines

JACKSON, Mich., Aug. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Consumers Energy has expanded its use of drone technology across the electric grid by doubling its fleet in the past 2 years reinforcing its commitment to delivering reliable, safe and affordable service. By enhancing inspection speed and accessibility, drones enable the early detection and resolution of potential issues—particularly in areas where traditional inspections are difficult—helping to prevent service disruptions and improve customer experience.

"Reliability is at the core of everything we do," said Greg Salisbury, SVP & president of electric distribution at Consumers Energy. "Drones allow us to spot and fix problems before they impact customers, and to respond faster and more safely when outages do occur."

'DRONES ARE A VITAL TOOL' | Consumers Energy celebrates drone fleet expansion

JACKSON, Mich — Consumers Energy is highlighting its drone program after two years of continued expansion.

The utility company announced that their drone fleet has doubled to 40 drones and 40 pilots since 2023. They say the drones are enhancing inspection speed and accessibility, resulting in a more reliable, safe and affordable service.

“Reliability is at the core of everything we do,” said Greg Salisbury, SVP & president of electric distribution at Consumers Energy. “Drones allow us to spot and fix problems before they impact customers, and to respond faster and more safely when outages do occur.”

Consumers says that their drone fleet is allowing for less use of company helicopters for inspection of power lines, which they say is more affordable. Helicopter crews inspect about 4,000 miles of lines each year, but about 400 miles of lines are inaccessible to those crews due to thick brush, protected airspace or challenging spaces in urban areas.

Consumers Energy Doubles Drone Fleet: How 40 Drones Are Revolutionizing Power Grid Inspections

Consumers Energy (NYSE:CMS) has significantly expanded its drone technology deployment for power grid inspections, doubling its fleet over the past two years. The company now operates 40 drones with 40 licensed pilots to inspect approximately 400 miles of power lines that were previously inaccessible to traditional helicopter inspections.

The drones, equipped with high-resolution cameras and thermal imaging, enable faster and more cost-effective inspections of challenging terrains, helping identify potential issues before they cause outages. This technology has proven particularly valuable during storm recovery operations and has contributed to reducing customers' average power outage time by over 20 minutes last year.

Consumers Energy (NYSE:CMS) ha ampliato significativamente l'uso della tecnologia dei droni per le ispezioni della rete elettrica, raddoppiando la sua flotta negli ultimi due anni. L'azienda ora opera 40 droni con 40 piloti autorizzati per ispezionare circa 400 miglia di linee elettriche precedentemente inaccessibili alle ispezioni tradizionali con elicotteri.

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