Compelling Use Cases Encourage Utilities to Harness the Power of Satellites

Although the utility industry has been slow to adopt satellite technology, recent advancements in satellite sensors, optics and image processing throughput merit a fresh look.

In an article for Utility Dive, Jeff Lewis, partner at Guidehouse, says one of the more compelling utility use cases for satellite technology is in support of power outage restoration activities following a major hurricane, where millions of customers are left without power and billions are spent on restoration.

“Utility operators face tremendous challenges following a major storm event, and many of these obstacles stem from a lack of situational awareness in the hours and days following the storm’s impact on the service territory,” Lewis said. “Current operational technologies can provide an initial estimate of how many customers have lost power and where they are located. However, those systems cannot tell operators the location and extent of physical damage to the grid or flooding in the service territory.”

The article explains that satellite technology could be a game-changer for advancing the timeliness and accuracy of situational awareness for utility incident commanders. Ultimately, satellite technology could help utilities restore customers faster, for less money, with improved customer communications.

“Imagine if satellite technology could provide situational awareness to utility incident commanders as a storm is still unfolding or has just passed, even before they have begun dispatching crews to assess damage and flooding,” Lewis said. “This would result in faster restoration for customers and timelier and more accurate estimates for restoration (ETRs).”