116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Low-flying helicopters to inspect transmission lines
ITC Midwest will conduct aerial patrols of its transmission infrastructure until Oct. 13, weather permitting
Oct. 2, 2023 1:20 pm
If you see a low-flying helicopter within the next few weeks, don’t be alarmed: It’s probably ITC Midwest inspecting some of its energy infrastructure.
ITC Midwest is a company headquartered in Cedar Rapids that operates more than 6,600 circuit miles of transmission lines — which carry energy across the power grid — in Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and Missouri.
The company will be conducting aerial patrols of its transmission structures and lines until Oct. 13, weather permitting. The inspection flights are required by the North American Electrical Reliability Corporation, a not-for-profit authority that helps regulate the power grid.
Areas in Iowa where flights will be conducted
● South zone: Iowa counties include Appanoose, Cedar, Clinton, Davis, Des Moines, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Henry, Lee, Linn, Lucas, Mahaska, Monroe, Poweshiek and Wapello. That includes the communities of Beacon, Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Clinton, DeWitt, Eddyville, Fort Madison, Iowa City, Keokuk and Ottumwa.
● Central zone: Iowa counties include Adair, Cass, Benton, Boone, Dallas, Franklin, Greene, Grundy, Guthrie, Hardin, Iowa, Jasper, Louisa, Marshall, Polk, Story and Tama. The includes the communities of Ames, Ankeny, Boone, Dysart, Gladbrook, Iowa Falls, Marengo, Marshalltown, Newton, Perry and Vinton.
● North Zone: Iowa counties include Allamakee, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Clayton, Delaware, Dickinson, Dubuque, Fayette, Franklin, Hancock, Howard, Jackson, Mitchell, Osceola, Winnebago and Worth. This includes the communities of Asbury, Dubuque, Independence, Key West, Lansing and Mason City.
The crews specifically will inspect steel structures, wood poles, conductors and insulators among other equipment, ITC Midwest said. They’ll also check for damaged or worn equipment and vegetation hazards.
The flights may be conducted at low altitudes so crews can accurately inspect the equipment.
“This is normal procedure, so there is no cause for alarm if a low-flying helicopter is sighted near transmission lines during the time frame,” the company said in a news release.
Brittney J. Miller is the Energy & Environment Reporter for The Gazette and a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.
Comments: (319) 398-8370; brittney.miller@thegazette.com
Daily Newsletters