Drones will fly over parts of Central Coast for 3 weeks. Here’s where and why
Have you seen a drone flying overhead in San Luis Obispo County?
The unmanned aerial vehicles will be hovering over several areas of the Central Coast for the next three weeks, according to the Pacific Gas & Electric Company.
PG&E warned customers that drone operators will be taking photos of company equipment to “help spot and fix potential issues ahead of winter storms,” according to a Wednesday, Dec. 10 news release.
Here’s where and where drones will be gliding over the Central Coast:
Where will PG&E fly drones on Central Coast?
In SLO County, PG&E plans to fly drones over Nipomo, the release said.
The utility company’s “drone team” will also be operating drones over parts of Santa Barbara County, including Lompoc, west Santa Maria and Orcutt.
In Monterey County, drones will take photos over sections of Salinas, Aromas and Gilroy, according to PG&E.
Elsewhere in California, PG&E will fly drones in parts of Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties.
When will PG&E fly drones in SLO County?
The drones will be flown during daytime hours throughout the month of December, the release said.
According to PG&E, each drone inspection will take about 10 to 45 minutes per location.
“The work will not impact customers’ power,” the company said.
Why are drones hovering over the Central Coast?
PG&E is using drones to capture photos of poles and power lines in “hard-to-reach areas,” the release said.
The company said it will analyze the pictures to identify maintenance problems and areas overrun with vegetation that could cause future power outages.
“Once an issue is detected, our inspectors issue a work tag, so our local electric or vegetation team can go out and address the problem.
Will drones take pictures of private property?
PG&E said its drones will only capture photos of company equipment.
Homes and other private property will not be photographed, the release said.
