Philadelphia-based electrical utility Peco is conducting helicopter inspections of its transmission lines as an important part of its program to ensure safe and reliable electric service to homes and businesses throughout its service area.
The company has contracted aerial power line inspection and maintenance service provider Haverfield Airship, to perform infrared and visual inspection of more than 1,000 miles of transmission lines in Peco’s six county service territories.
The infrared equipment detects portions of the lines that may need to be repaired or replaced, while visual inspections of other aerial equipment like conductors and transmission towers identify potential damage due to weather, such as high winds or lightening strikes. There will be no outages or customer impacts associated with the inspections, according to Peco.
Peco owns approximately 1,035 miles of above ground transmission line in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. Most of its transmission right-of-ways are in the suburban counties connecting the region’s power plants to local substations and connecting substation to substation for increased reliability.