Electricity North West trials AI drones to speed storm outage response

Electricity North West is piloting AI-enabled drones in Cumbria to speed fault detection on overhead lines during storm-related access disruptions. Program starts in November. A 12-month trial will cover Carlisle and Kirkby Stephen. Drones will be stationed at substations. Operations will run 24/7. Live feeds will stream to the control room for rapid damage assessment. Initiative targets faster restorations, lower field risk, reduced reliance on foot patrols or helicopters, stronger network resilience.