Space Imaging has announced that Southern Company has completed a three-year project with Space Imaging for the collection of high-resolution IKONOS satellite imagery of large, environmentally-sensitive areas in the Southeast United States where Southern Company has property or distribution assets.
The contract for the purchase of approximately $600,000 worth of IKONOS imagery was negotiated by Space Imaging reseller Geographical and Environmental Data Services (GEDS).
The imagery was taken during multiple seasons and has been used for development, research, environmental analysis, and as a tool for meeting re-licensing and other regulatory requirements allowing the company to reduce internal costs and increase efficiency.
Southern Company is a super-regional energy company with nearly 39,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity in the Southeast.
Southern Company uses IKONOS imagery data for a number of projects including hydropower re-licensing, forestry, environmental applications, land use planning, business development, asset management, and transmission line planning and routing. It has also been used to identify land classification, cultural resources and encroachment.
“The IKONOS satellite imagery has enabled us to plan more efficiently and ensure minimal environmental impact, and will continue to add value for years to come,” said Kenny Lowe, GIS senior specialist at Alabama Power Company, a division of Southern Company.
“The high resolution and accuracy of the satellite images as well as the fact they reflect the current landscape, provides us with the data we need to make intelligent business decisions. In the past, we relied on the U.S. Geological Survey’s Digital Orthophoto Quadrangles (DOQs).”
Ten years ago Southern Company began simultaneously re-licensing seven facilities and became one of the first energy companies to use satellite imagery to meet these re-licensing requirements as defined by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
According to the FERC, over the next decade 220 hydropower project licenses will expire. This group of projects has a combined capacity of 22,000 megawatts, or 20 percent of the nation’s installed hydropower capacity.
Collectively, these hydropower re-licensing decisions will reshape local communities, ecosystems and economies across the country.
Having access to IKONOS imagery for the past three years has simplified the re-licensing process. Southern Company can now view a larger area of not only specific land features, such as reservoirs and boundaries, but also its surrounding properties.
Southern Company then submits the analyzed satellite imagery to the FERC and state and local government agencies to demonstrate that it is meeting regulatory requirements.
“Southern Company has been very innovative in its use of satellite imagery to meet re-licensing requirements for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,” said Steve Bedsole, president of GEDS.
“Working with Space Imaging, we can provide Southern Company with imagery that can be used for multiple purposes thereby increasing the company’s return on investment.”
“Southern Company was one of our early customers and this deal represents a large sales and usage milestone for both companies,” said Howard Klayman, director of Customer Service Operations at Space Imaging.
“Our IKONOS satellite imagery has provided Southern Company with a vast amount of data that has enabled better assessment and project planning. This is a prime example of how satellite imagery is being utilized in the commercial industry to improve efficiencies and save costs.”
