by Peter Henderson
(Reuters) – AIDash, a California startup that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and satellites to detect fire and weather threats on power lines, said on Tuesday it has raised $50 million in new funding, which will lead the energy Reflects Silicon Valley’s efforts to create products that help companies. Adapt to climate change.
Electric utilities are under pressure to reduce the risks of wildfires and storm-based outages after massive fires caused by downed power lines and line failures caused by weather events. Also, the load on the grid is likely to increase as electricity displaces fossil fuels in applications such as electric vehicles and home heat pumps.
Data from researcher PitchBook shows that hundreds of startups and small companies provide services and technology aimed at improving forest management, wildfire detection and response, and other forest fires and wildfire services.
AIDash uses AI to search satellite images for problems and changes along power utility power transmission lines, such as where vegetation has grown and whether trees are encroaching on the lines.
The technology is also being used to help create surveys for companies facing new biodiversity reporting rules, such as in the United Kingdom. The new funding will partly be used to open a European headquarters.
AIdash customer and investor National Grid, which owns networks in the UK and the United States, said it has been able to cut the number and duration of outages since using the system to identify maintenance priorities on its Massachusetts grid. Have seen measurable improvement.
“As conditions change, we have to be more dynamic in allocating our resources,” Abhishek Singh, chief executive of AIDash, said in an interview.
LightRock led the investment round which included National Grid Partners from National Grid…
