CHALLENGE

Most utilities, specifically electricity and telecommunication providers, grapple with managing vegetation encroachment around their infrastructure. The threat of overgrown foliage near power lines and overhead assets looms large, posing risks of outages, wildfires, and safety hazards. Traditional vegetation management methods such as manual inspection and upkeep prove not only labor-intensive but also error-prone and inconsistent. One utility was looking to significantly increase their efficiency and effectiveness in hopes of more thoroughly mitigating wildfire risk while improving operational costs and service reliability. They wanted to enhance work prioritization and scheduling while providing field users the ability to view assets and infrastructure, surrounding vegetation, potential risks, and nearby obstacles. Furthermore, an effective solution needed to integrate with organization business processes and existing enterprise system architecture. When adherence to regulatory standards governing vegetation management practices grew increasingly stringent along with concerns for wildfire mitigation, the utility sought to procure a more advanced solution.

SOLUTION

To address these challenges, the project team collaborated with the utility’s IT and vegetation management specialists to develop and implement a comprehensive GIS-based vegetation management solution. Initial steps involved collecting and integrating various data sources including: existing utility infrastructure, tax assessor and administrative boundaries, potential hazards, field-collected data, LiDAR data, as well as a host of other information to provide a holistic geospatial view of the utility's infrastructure and surrounding vegetation. The new solution analyzed the integrated data to identify vegetation encroachment risks, prioritize work management activities, and develop individual management zones. Custom analytics were incorporated to assess factors like vegetation type, growth rates, proximity to power lines, and environmental sensitivity as means to further prioritize work management requests. Field crews were equipped with the ability to efficiently collect data on vegetation conditions, maintenance activities, and regulatory compliance issues. Additionally, the real-time synchronization with the central GIS database ensured data accuracy and prevented data loss and omissions. Reporting tools were developed to assess and forecast vegetation growth patterns, allowing for preemptive measures to mitigate risks. Both historical and field-collected data were leveraged to develop robust reporting tools for evaluating and forecasting vegetation growth patterns, enabling proactive risk mitigation measures. Collaboration with various Business Unit departments and key stakeholders helped ensure compliance with industry and environmental regulations and garnered support throughout the company to further invest in the vegetation management initiative for additional functionality.

RESULT

The implementation of the GIS-based vegetation management solution significantly improved operational efficiency, reliability, and regulatory compliance for the utility. The utility streamlined data management, analysis, and field operations, achieving considerable cost savings and resource optimization through automated scheduling and targeted interventions. This resulted in reduced downtime and increased system resilience. Proactive identification and mitigation of vegetation-related risks minimized outages and safety hazards. Timely maintenance and clearance of vegetation around power lines enhanced service reliability and reduced wildfire risks, particularly during adverse weather conditions. The GIS-based solution also ensured regulatory compliance with vegetation management standards while minimizing environmental impacts. Transparent reporting fostered trust with regulatory agencies and stakeholders. Access to comprehensive spatial data and analytics empowered data-driven decision-making for vegetation management strategies, resource allocation, and infrastructure planning, with continuous monitoring and feedback facilitating ongoing improvement. Overall, the successful implementation of this solution enabled the utility to achieve operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and improved environmental stewardship, demonstrating the transformative power of GIS technology in addressing complex infrastructure management issues in the utility sector.