Press Based on data of inspection efficiencies from past projects and the data coming from the field trials done by Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) the reduction in cost with using an automated UAS compared to a helicopter inspection is between 55% and 28%.
The challenge is doing these cost comparisons is that there are intangibles that are difficult to quantify. Safety is one of these. Helicopter accidents are not infrequent in the electric utility industry and more often than not they lead to fatalities.
Source: Between the Poles: Automated drone systems improve power line inspections and reduce costs
