BINGHAMTON, NY — New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E) say they have been updating their systems of record to detect possible risks, make necessary improvements and take preventive actions to support the reliability and safety of the grid. 

“Through a combination of vehicle, drone and in-person imagery capture, we are updating the records of our entire overhead distribution system. With more than 45,000 miles of overhead lines in New York, this is the largest combined acquisition of data on company-owned equipment,” said Shawn Ras, senior manager of Data Projects for Avangrid. “We will use imagery recognition models to compare the images against our internal systems, allowing us to recommend equipment replacement and upgrades.”

The project, which started in September 2024 and is projected to continue until the end of 2025, will use vehicles, drones and authorized personnel to conduct the survey. The first stage, which is nearly complete, includes vehicles outfitted to take photos of overhead electric equipment. With the help of innovative AI tools, the companies will be able to assess more than 45,000 miles of line and detect utility equipment that is not up to their safety or durability standards.

When equipment issues are detected, the next stage will employ drones and personnel on the ground to review and take the necessary steps to upgrade and repair the detected equipment.

The GMEP is a survey of overhead electric distribution equipment and does not require power interruptions. The focus of the survey is strictly utility equipment and not private property. All authorized personnel working on this project will have identification and badges and vehicles are marked with the company logo.

The imagery capture will become the basis of an internal AI model to assess equipment health, enabling NYSEG and RG&E to provide more reliable power delivery in the future. This will be a part of the companies’ ongoing efforts to invest in the upkeep and safety of the grid.