Liberty’s annual aerial transmission line inspection to begin Monday

Joplin, MO – Liberty’s annual aerial inspection of electric transmission and substations is scheduled to begin Monday, July 24.

The inspection is scheduled for 10 days, and is dependent upon weather and wind conditions.

The aerial inspection is done via a low-flying helicopter to survey approximately 1,300 miles of transmission line throughout Liberty’s local electric service territory.

The focus is on identifying potential problems with transmission structures, hardware, conductors, and vegetation. An observer in the helicopter will utilize an infrared camera to take a deeper look at lines, connections, and substations to identify potential areas of concern.

“It’s a quick and fast way to assess our system for reliability issues,” says Jason Grossman, Liberty’s Manager of Vegetation Management. “The speed and coverage we can get with a helicopter makes the process very effective.”