Post by Duke Energy Corporation

Our Aviation and Power Grid Operations teams recently came together to train on helicopter-assisted pole setting, a capability that will change how we work in the most challenging terrain across our territory. Think mountainous and other remote areas where trucks can’t go without hours of prep work, mats laid down to protect vegetation, and significant time invested before a single pole is ever set. With a helicopter, crews can place poles in a fraction of the time with a smaller environmental footprint. This investment also strengthens our storm readiness. By bringing helicopter pole-setting in-house for the first time, we now have the ability to deploy our own crews and equipment to hard-to-reach areas faster when it matters most for customers. "The investment in equipment, helicopters, and crew training will ultimately lead to better response time for getting power lines back up, plain and simple," said Luke Harper, Duke Energy’s Utility Aviation director. "The investment on the front end will pay off in the future."

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