S12E3 - Cherryland's Drone Inspection Program: A New Perspective

About this episode

The episode discusses how Cherryland Electric Cooperative is utilizing drone technology for power line inspections and improving service reliability.

In this episode of Co-op Energy Talk, host Courtney Doyle is joined by Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson and Communication & Controls Field Engineer Zach Endres to talk about how Cherryland is using drone technology to better serve its members. Together, they explore how drones help crews inspect power lines more safely and efficiently, improve reliability, and respond more quickly after storms. Rachel and Zach also discuss how new tools like this fit into Cherryland’s long-term commitment to safety, innovation, and keeping costs in check. Tune in to learn how a bird’s-eye view is helping keep the lights on across northern Michigan.

People in this episode

Host: Courtney Doyle

Guests: Rachel Johnson, Zach Endres

Topics covered

• drone technology
• power line inspection
• safety
• innovation
• reliability
• storm response

Keywords

• drone inspection
• Cherryland Electric Cooperative
• power lines
• safety
• innovation
• storm response
• efficiency

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cherryland Electric Cooperative

Places: northern Michigan

More episodes of Co-op Energy Talk

• S12E10 - Board Meeting Brief, May 2026 · May 21, 2026 · 6 min
• S12E9 - Checking In On Your Co-op · May 4, 2026 · 21 min
• S12E8 - Board Meeting Brief, April 2026 · April 22, 2026 · 5 min
• S12E7 - Hard Hats and Hot Takes with Cherryland Lineworkers · April 1, 2026 · 25 min
• S12E6 - Board Meeting Brief, March 2026 · March 24, 2026 · 7 min
• S12E5 - Why FEMA Matters · March 2, 2026 · 33 min