Real-time inspection, from thousands of miles away.

May 13, 2026
North Ballroom
C&I and Data Centers , Reliability & Resiliency , Grid Modernization , Asset Management , Strategy & Workforce , Digital Transformation

During this session, watch a drone will take off at an energy facility thousands of miles from Scottsdale. It will fly a live inspection mission. The presenters will control it from the stage.

No pre-recorded footage. No simulation.

The drone is a permanently stationed, autonomous aerial system that launches on demand and transmits thermal and visual data in real time. Utilities and infrastructure operators are deploying these systems to inspect substations, transmission corridors, distribution equipment, and large-load facilities without rolling a truck or putting a crew in the field. The same system secures facility perimeters and responds to alarms autonomously. More than 450 energy companies trust Skydio to help them inspect and protect critical infrastructure today.

As AI-driven load growth pushes infrastructure buildout faster than traditional inspection programs can follow, this session covers what automated aerial operations look like in practice: how missions are triggered, what the data looks like, and where operators are finding real reductions in truck rolls and time-to-find on equipment anomalies.

Session Sponsored by

Speakers
Mike Brubaker
Mike Brubaker, Vice President - Skydio
Kit Revell
Kit Revell, Director - Skydio
Josh Voelker
Josh Voelker, Account Executive - Skydio