Utilities have moved drones from pilot programs into core operational workflows, but scaling those programs in regulated, risk-sensitive environments comes with a distinct set of challenges. Cybersecurity requirements, vendor concentration risk, data infrastructure gaps, and an evolving regulatory landscape are reshaping how asset owners design and govern their UAV operations. This session brings together practitioners and program managers from across the energy and utilities sector to examine what it takes to build drone programs that go beyond just being capable, into resilience, compliance, and durability.
Topics span the full operational picture: Navigating utility cybersecurity reviews, scaling thermographic inspection across large solar portfolios, transforming vegetation management verification from assumption to auditable proof, building enterprise data platforms that turn aerial imagery into actionable grid intelligence, and understanding what C-suite energy executives say needs to change about infrastructure inspection. For asset owners, operators, and service providers working in energy and utilities, this session offers a comprehensive and field-grounded look at where the industry stands and what serious program development actually requires.
The following presentations will be shared in this session:
Approaches to UAS Cyber Security for Utility Applications
Presented by Bri O'Neill, Altimetis
Cybersecurity requirements are one of the most consistent barriers to UAS deployment in utility environments. Most programs today stall not because the aircraft can't fly, but because the supporting systems can't pass internal security reviews. This presentation provides a practical, program-level approach to UAS cybersecurity tailored specifically to utility environments where IT/OT separation, NERC CIP expectations, and conservative security postures are the norm. Rather than focusing on compliance checklists, attendees will learn how to frame cybersecurity as a systems integration challenge spanning aircraft, ground control, communications links, data pipelines, and operational procedures. The session addresses the failure points that most commonly cause utility security teams to reject UAS deployments and provides decision-making frameworks operators can apply regardless of platform.
Strengthening Commercial UAV Programs for Energy and Utilities in an Era of GNSS Fragility and Vendor Concentration
Presented by David Grasso, Washingtonia
Commercial UAV programs in energy and utilities have become operational necessities, but most enterprise drone fleets were built during a period of stable GNSS availability, predictable spectrum conditions, and access to a dominant vendor ecosystem. That environment is shifting. GNSS interference events are increasing, RF congestion is growing near critical infrastructure, and regulatory scrutiny of foreign-manufactured systems continues to evolve.
This presentation introduces a structured UAV Resilience Audit model for energy and utility asset owners, evaluating five operational domains: navigation reliability, communications stability, firmware governance, data sovereignty, and supply chain continuity. Using real-world inspection scenarios, attendees will examine how vendor concentration creates fleet-wide exposure and leave with practical mitigation frameworks and a forward-looking risk model for navigating the next three to five years.
Building a Performance-Driven Solar Thermography Program at Utility Scale
Presented by Robert Hart, LIDAR Drone Services
Drone-based thermography has become standard practice in utility-scale solar, but capturing imagery and building a disciplined, repeatable inspection program are two very different challenges. This presentation draws on field-tested experience inspecting more than 6 GW of solar assets across the United States to share what it actually takes to scale thermographic operations across multiple sites, crews, and reporting environments without sacrificing data quality.
Attendees will learn how to design flight standards that ensure anomaly reliability, maintain thermal integrity through proper validation practices, build real-time reporting frameworks that accelerate response for asset owners, and structure internal programs that are compliant and built for long-term sustainability. For operators and asset owners ready to move beyond basic data collection, this presentation delivers a practical roadmap for performance-driven inspection at scale.
From Manned to Unmanned: What Energy Executives Really Need From UAV Inspections
Presented by Larry Berkin, Xplorate Group, Inc.
North American energy infrastructure is under growing strain, and the sector is actively accelerating the shift from traditional crewed inspection methods toward uncrewed workflows. This presentation draws on the Energy Infrastructure Index 2025 — a study surveying 100 C-level executives across electricity, gas, oil, and public utilities in the U.S. and Canada — to quantify why energy leaders believe inspection practices must change now. Findings reveal that executives widely anticipate major infrastructure consequences within the next decade, cite inspection frequency as a persistent barrier, and identify data quality as a significant constraint on proactive maintenance. Field experience from supporting utilities through this transition complements the research, translating executive priorities into a practical roadmap covering program design, data workflow considerations, and the path from pilot to reliable, repeatable operations.
From Assumption to Proof: Verifying Utility Vegetation Management with Aerial Intelligence
Presented by Trevor Perrott, Censys Technologies
Most utility vegetation management verification still relies on visual spot checks, helicopter flyovers, or ground patrols that are expensive, inconsistent, and difficult to scale, leaving utilities paying for work that isn't always completed to compliance. This presentation explores how combining drone-based lidar and high-resolution RGB imagery with analytics-driven workflows creates a verifiable, auditable record of vegetation conditions before and after work is performed. Clearance distances can be measured against regulatory requirements, contractor performance can be objectively assessed, and ground-level brush treatment can be confirmed without dispatching crews. Drawing on a 73-mile BVLOS operation through Class C airspace as a central case study, attendees will leave with a practical understanding of how aerial intelligence transforms vegetation management from an assumption-based process into a defensible, data-driven program.
