Westerville Electric Division is a community-focused utility responsible for managing a network of overhead and transmission lines. Dedicated to delivering reliable power to thousands of customers, the utility plays a critical role in maintaining grid stability and safety.
Initial State: Challenges of Traditional Vegetation Management
Westerville Electric Division faced growing challenges in ensuring grid reliability while managing vegetation encroachment. Manual inspections, inefficient planning, and a lack of predictive insights led to outages, increased costs, and safety risks.
Key obstacles included:
- High Operational Costs: Manual work processes resulted in inefficient resource allocation and budget strain.
- Risk Exposure: Outdated processes led to vegetation-related outages and regulatory compliance risks.
- Limited Visibility: Biannual inspections and reactive responses left Westerville vulnerable to unforeseen incidents.
- Workforce Constraints: A retiring workforce threatened knowledge retention and operational continuity.
Negative Consequences
Without a proactive approach, Westerville faced:
- Service Disruptions: Frequent outages due to unmonitored vegetation encroachment.
- Rising Costs: Emergency response expenses and inefficient use of maintenance budgets.
- Compliance Risks: Potential fines and reputational damage due to regulatory non-compliance.
- Resource Inefficiencies: Limited data integration and manual work order processes slowed operations.
Ideal Future State: A Data-Driven, Predictive Approach
Westerville sought a transformative solution that would:
- Increase Reliability & Safety: Shift from reactive to predictive vegetation management.
- Enhance Budget Efficiency: Leverage data-driven forecasting to optimize expenditures.
- Improve Field Operations: Digitally streamline workflows for faster, more effective responses.
- Achieve Digital Transparency: Centralize vegetation risk data for proactive decision-making.
Required Capabilities: What Westerville Needed
To achieve these outcomes, the ideal solution had to provide:
- Real-Time Monitoring: Continuous assessment of vegetation encroachment risks.
- Predictive Analytics: AI-driven risk forecasting to prioritize high-impact maintenance.
- Automated Workflows: Integration with existing systems to streamline task management.
- Scalability & Integration: Compatibility with GIS and asset management platforms for seamless operation.
How Treeline by LiveEO Delivered
Westerville implemented Treeline by LiveEO, an AI-powered satellite vegetation management platform, to achieve its modernization goals:
- Encroachment & Fall-In Risk Analysis: Satellite imagery pinpointed high-risk areas before they caused outages.
- AI-Driven Vegetation Health Insights: Automated detection of declining tree health enabled preventive actions.
- Predictive Budgeting & Resource Allocation: Data-backed planning reduced emergency costs and optimized spending.
- Seamless Integration with Esri GIS & Cityworks: Automated workflows connected risk insights to field operations.
Positive Business Outcomes
Through Treeline, Westerville achieved:
- 41% Reduction in Outages: Proactive maintenance drastically cut vegetation-related service disruptions.
- Cost Savings & Optimized Budgeting: More accurate forecasting enabled smarter financial planning and reduced emergency expenses.
- Streamlined Field Operations: Faster work order completion and improved contractor oversight increased efficiency.
- Regulatory Compliance & Risk Reduction: Comprehensive digital records enhanced compliance tracking and minimized liabilities.
Seamless Integration: A Key Success Factor
Treeline’s ability to integrate with Westerville’s existing infrastructure was critical in achieving these results:
- GIS-Based Risk Visualization: Teams accessed real-time vegetation risks within Esri GIS.
- Automated Work Order Creation: Cityworks integration ensured precise task delegation and tracking.
- User-Friendly Adoption: The intuitive interface enabled quick team onboarding and immediate operational improvements.
Conclusion: A Scalable Model for Utilities
Westerville Electric Division’s adoption of Treeline by LiveEO underscores the impact of AI-powered, proactive vegetation management. By leveraging real-time data, predictive analytics, and seamless integration, the utility achieved greater reliability, safety, and cost efficiency.
As utilities worldwide face growing demands for efficiency and resilience, Treeline provides a proven framework for transforming vegetation management.
See Treeline in Action
Watch Joseph DeLong, Utility Forester at Westerville Electric Division, walk through the improved workflow:
Take the Next Step
Contact us today to learn how Treeline by LiveEO can help your utility achieve operational excellence and grid reliability.
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