Satelytics, a company specializing in geospatial analytics, has announced a successful partnership with Georgia Power, the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company. Using advanced AI-powered geospatial technology, Satelytics is aiding Georgia Power in monitoring lakes and reservoirs, which are crucial for the utility’s hydroelectric system that serves over 2.6 million residents in Georgia.
Satelytics deployed a set of proprietary algorithms to detect land disturbances, vegetation clearing, and construction activity. This allowed Georgia Power to identify and address potential issues quickly. High-resolution images from Airbus’ Pléiades 1A/1B satellites were used to provide detailed insights into these challenges.
“Land disturbance issues are the primary concerns we are looking for with our surveillance program in the lands around the lakes,” said Dawson Ingram, Lake Resources Manager at Georgia Power. “Environmental risk is the biggest issue.”
The hydroelectric power industry faces several challenges, including unregulated private construction near shorelines, pollution runoff into reservoirs, and invasive species. These problems, if not addressed promptly, can disrupt power generation and affect local communities. Satelytics’ technology helps detect these issues early, including aquatic plant growth that can clog dam flows.
“Hydropower is key to a clean energy future, but that future is jeopardized by threats to the hydroelectric system,” said Sean Donegan, president and CEO of Satelytics. “By drawing multilateral insights from the highest-resolution imagery, we’ve been able to help Georgia Power avoid problems faced by hydroelectricity projects worldwide, providing the kinds of timely, actionable information that stops problems at the source.”
“Our expertise is taking big data and distilling it down into critical action alerts and easily digestible data visualizations for our customers,” Donegan continued. “In doing so, we give Georgia Power and other companies the tools they need to keep operations running smoothly.”
Satelytics’ ability to analyze and deliver data quickly has significant implications for the hydroelectric power industry, the company said. Georgia Power can now focus its remediation efforts more efficiently, saving time and resources. This approach represents a major advancement for clean energy and utility infrastructure.
Given the vast terrain and frequent private property encroachments, field inspections are challenging. Satelytics’ technology offers a solution by continuously analyzing data and providing actionable results within hours. These results are delivered in various formats, including text and email alerts, and integrated with Georgia Power’s existing business software through APIs.
