P34.003: Overhead Transmission Asset Data Analytics

Analytics for Fleet Management of Transmission Line Wood Poles and Metal Structures plans to investigate and develop population performance metrics based on condition assessment data for transmission line structures. The analytics are developed using results from utility-supplied inspection, replacement and demographic data, subject matter expert experience, and other inputs such as operating environment. The analytics may lead to the development of statistical models of structure performance. The models could be applied to plan capital and maintenance investments, prioritize inspections, and develop risk mitigation strategies (e.g., wildfires, extreme weather events, etc.).
Planned efforts in 2025 include:

• Wood Poles:

  • Continue collection and processing of industry-wide wood pole inspection, replacement, and demographic data.
  • Continue development of analytic techniques to better understand the useful life of wood poles and the effect of variables such as service age, species, original treatment type, environment, inspection providers, pole dimensions, etc.

• Metal Structures:

  • Continue collection and processing of industry-wide steel structure inspection, replacement and demographic data.
  • Continue development of analytic techniques to better understand the performance of steel structures and the effect of variables such as service age, land cover type, soil chemistry, environment, etc.

Analytics for Fleet Management of Transmission Line Conductors and Shield Wires proposes the investigation and development of condition assessment analytics for transmission line conductors and shield wires. The analytics are developed using laboratory testing of utility supplied field-aged samples or live line assessment results, replacement and demographic data, subject matter expert experience, and other inputs, such as operating environment. The analytics could lead to the development of statistical models of conductor and shield wire performance. With sufficient data, the models can be applied to investigate population survival rates and plan capital and maintenance investments. EPRI can work with members through a one-on-one supplemental project to help collect field-aged samples and perform tests to initiate the collection of the data necessary for analytical model development. Efforts in 2025 intend to:

• Continue collection of industry-wide field-aged conductor and shield wire samples and data, from laboratory condition assessments, replacement records, and demographic records.

• Continue development of analytic techniques to better model the degradation of conductors and shield wires and the effects of variables such as environment.

Analytics for Fleet Management of Other Transmission Line Components aspires to investigate the development of population performance metrics for other transmission line components such as insulators and arresters. Key research questions and readily available data (inspection, failures, replacement, maintenance, test results, subject matter expert experience, operating environment and other relevant EPRI research) will be identified with guidance from participating members to enable the development of suitable analytics. The development may lead to new knowledge for use in planning maintenance and capital investments, inspections, and replacement decisions.

Overhead Transmission Line Risk Assessment for Fleet Management intends to investigate and develop risk assessment analytics for OHT systems, considering both individual components (such as conductors, structures, insulators, and arresters) and lines as an integrated system of components. A practical and holistic approach to transmission line risk assessment will be investigated using industry-wide data such as condition assessment results, maintenance records, asset demographic information, degradation research and subject matter expert experience. Efforts in 2025 intend to:

• Continue developing and testing data models to collect inspection and maintenance records and associate them with the underlying component and circuit.

• Populate the data models with utility supplied data to assess applicability; make changes based on experience.

• Continue developing new circuit and component level metrics to better understand circuit and component performance.

• Research other available data sources such as geospatial information and evaluate their usefulness.

• Develop and deliver a prototype software framework that utilizes results of the above-mentioned tasks to help utilities gain a systemic view of transmission line risk.

Applying Geospatial Data for Overhead Transmission Asset Management plans to survey the publicly available and readily accessible geospatial data sources (e.g., wildfire, vegetation, climate, corrosion) and investigate and document the applicability and usefulness of these resources for augmenting utility supplied data. This will allow for deeper and more informative insights regarding risk factors associated with asset location. Efforts in 2025 intend to continue the investigation and documentation and publish a technical brief on this topic highlighting potential applications of value, best practices, as well as capabilities and limitations of these resources.

Applying Advanced Data Science and Statistics to Improve Overhead Transmission Asset Analytics intends to explore the applications of advanced data science and statistics to the extraction of information from disparate sources to better understand OHT asset condition and performance by:

• Assessing the state of the image analysis science regarding the availability and applicability of image-based data sources that can be utilized to support approaches to supplement existing analytical approaches utilizing more traditional data sources (e.g., spreadsheets containing inspection records, maintenance records, demographic information). This work focuses on available data resources identification, data characterization, computation infrastructure requirements, and industry leading practices.
• Evaluating the applications of advanced data science and statistical techniques to analyze inspection and maintenance records with the goal of developing new metrics to better understand transmission line and component performance.

In 2025, researchers intend to publish a technical brief highlighting use-cases.

Data Specification for Overhead Transmission System Component Performance Analysis intends to provide a catalog of OHT system component characterization data, including demographic and condition assessments, which are useful as inputs to EPRI analytics, and the formats required by those analytics. The work in this task is based on EPRI investigations of utility supplied data. In 2025, EPRI intends to review and update data models and definitions for select assets such as wood poles, metal structures, conductors, and shield wires.