MissionGo Unmanned Systems, the leader in uncrewed aircraft systems production and operations, announced a 3-year partnership with Southern California Edison, the largest subsidiary of Edison Internation and the primary electricity supplier for much of Southern California. Under this partnership, MissionGo will provide UAS inspection services to Southern California Edison.
For energy and utility companies, staying ahead of mechanical issues, malfunctioning equipment, and dangerous facilities is a priority due to high temperatures and extreme droughts throughout the region.
The minimization of time and hazards while increasing the quality and quantity of collected data is possible with the use of UAVs. UAVs can be used to inspect and view transmission and distribution electricity poles along with other components of critical infrastructure.
The President of MissionGo, Chris Corgnati, said, “MissionGo is proud of its long-standing history with Southern California Edison, and we look forward to continuing working together. SCE’s commitment to safety makes us their perfect partner to keep the people of California connected and secure.”
Throughout their existing partnership with Southern California Edison, MissionGo’s UAS inspection team performed over 6500 sorties and also cataloged more than 1200 hours of flight time. They recorded and reviewed zero incidents from the captured data of 20,000 distribution poles and 4,000 transmission poles. This has given Southern California Eison the time it needed to prioritize and repair damaged infrastructure to make the community safe and has also prevented wildfires.
MissionGo was selected as one of the two companies that would secure this new contract with Southern California Edison after a vigorous vetting demonstration process. Under the contract, nearly 1,60,000 poles will be inspected, and it is estimated at over $50 million for the span of the next 3 years. MissionGo is looking forward to one of the world’s largest UAS services contracts in the world by bringing on talented pilots and crews to continue this critical task in California.