Idaho Power—a regulated electrical power utility involved in the purchase, sale, generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in eastern Oregon and southern Idaho—has partnered with Pitch Aeronautics to launch a $4 million dynamic line rating (DLR) project. This has been enabled with part funding of $2.1 million from the US Department of Energy (DOE), from its $8.4 million committed to grid-enhancing technologies (GETs), with parallel cost share by project partners. When complete, it will be among the largest deployments of DLR in the US.
In this project, Pitch Aeronautics is using its custom drone, Astria, to install 35 WireWarrior sensors—Pitch’s combined weather and line sag sensors—over three years, on Idaho Power’s transmission lines. Pitch’s WireWeather software integrates this sensor data with weather stations and forecasts to predict DLR, ambient adjusted ratings (AAR), and emergency ratings. This project is unique for its focus on direct weather measurements and high-resolution wind modelling.
Implementing DLR will provide a more accurate assessment of real-time and forecasted transmission capacity, optimizing grid efficiency and improving reliability during contingency operations. Enhanced weather data can also support wildfire risk mitigation efforts.
Idaho will use the insights gained from this project to optimize its infrastructure as it prepares for the energy demands of the future.