As communities and states modernize their electrical grids to overcome power outages due to energy sources or extreme weather events, emphasis should be placed on equity and resilience. In collaboration with the Vermont Electric Power Company and the University of Vermont College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, the Spatial Analysis Lab is supporting the mission of energy resiliency and equity focused on rural Vermont. This project is in collaboration with multiple utility distributions across the state. The wider-project's intent is to support resilience and equity of Vermont’s electrical grid by using geospatial data to fill pressing informational gaps by developing models that utility providers can use to improve energy resiliency in the face of climate change and increasing extreme weather. Specifically, the lab is mapping utility electrical infrastructure information from 2023 statewide Q1 LiDAR data. This presentation will cover the series of techniques used to classify the LiDAR point clouds and custom surface model development. Techniques included such as ERSI's pretrained GEOAI models and active learning to further train LiDAR classification models. With this research, the lab will provide utilities with highly accurate vector data that can be used for utility maintenance and preparedness. This project is funded by the Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships.
