Versant Power to begin aerial survey work
Thursday, September 29, 2022
Presque Isle, Maine – Starting next week, an aerial surveying company working with Versant Power will use a helicopter to assess and collect data on transmission lines in our northern operating region. Equipped with LiDAR (light detection and ranging) and imaging technology, the helicopter will assess vegetation conditions to help prevent outages and improve reliability along our rights-of-way.
“The technology will identify vegetation concerns such as narrow clearances and danger trees and provide valuable data for engineering of line rebuilds and upgrades,” Transmission Development and Vegetation Manager Steve Sloan said. “With this valuable information, we can then target areas needing more trimming, and prepare for future projects to keep our system safe and reliable.”
Work will begin on this project in Versant Power’s Maine Public District. Once survey work is complete in the north, the helicopter will fly to our southern operating region.
The helicopter, pictured above, is a blue-and-white Bell Jet Ranger 206L - N29WW with gold stripes. It will fly 400-500 feet over the lines along utility rights-of-way. The helicopter may need to fly over homes and businesses briefly while making turns. Flights are weather-dependent and will average about six to seven hours per day, beginning no earlier than 8:30 a.m.
LiDAR technology uses safe and efficient laser-based equipment that is commonly used in the utilities industry. GeoDigital, the aerial surveying company will use this technology to generate a three-dimensional model of the Versant Power system. The model will help Versant’s vegetation management team identify areas of concern and assist engineers with future projects.
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Versant Power is committed to delivering safe, reliable electric service. As the state's second-largest electric utility, the company delivers electricity to nearly 170,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers across 10,400 square miles in northern and eastern Maine.