| Resource Type | Case Study |
| Author / Source | Cathy Cash (NRECA) |
| Publication Date | September 2025 |
| Location | Michigan (approach applicable nationally) |
| Initiative Type | Technology, Partnership |
| Project Complexity | Intermediate |
| Recommended For | Board, Staff |
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Why This Matters for Rural Electric Co-ops
After a major storm, a co-op has to assess damage across large, often impassable rural territory before it can restore power, and sending crews into icy conditions with downed trees and lines is slow and dangerous. This case study shows how Cherryland Electric Cooperative used drones, an unmanned aerial system (UAS), to assess storm damage roughly three times faster and far more safely while providing mutual aid to neighboring co-ops after a March ice storm.
The case doubles as a model for how a smaller co-op can build a drone program despite thin staffing. Cherryland had shelved its own program until it partnered with a local college that held the trained pilots and the federal beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) exemption needed to fly farther, and the same drones now cut routine pole-inspection costs. A co-op can use this as a practical reference when weighing a UAS program for both storm response and everyday inspection.
Key Takeaways
| › | Drones roughly tripled the pace of post-storm damage assessment and let one person inspect miles of line from a single safe spot, a real timing and safety gain during mutual aid. |
| › | Partnering with a local college that held a federal beyond-visual-line-of-sight exemption let the co-op fly farther and inspect dozens of poles per flight without building the capability alone. |
| › | The same program cut routine inspection costs, with nearly 7,000 poles inspected, 40% less field work, and about $45,000 in annual savings. |
Implementation Considerations
- Regulatory or Governance Considerations: Routine drone inspection needs standard FAA authorization, and flying beyond visual line of sight needs a separate FAA exemption. A co-op without one would partner with an entity that has it.
- Staffing or Technology Requirements: Beyond pilots, a program needs drones with zoom and infrared cameras, image-processing and storage, and a workflow to route findings to crews. Battery limits of about 25 minutes per flight also shape how much line can be covered at once.
Notable Examples
- Cherryland Electric Cooperative: Michigan co-op that built the drone program and deployed it for mutual aid damage assessment.
- Northwestern Michigan College: College partner whose trained pilots and federal beyond-visual-line-of-sight exemption made the longer-range flights possible.
- Great Lakes Energy, Presque Isle Electric & Gas, and Wolverine Power Cooperative: Neighboring Michigan co-ops that received Cherryland's drone-assisted mutual aid after the ice storm.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
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