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Meet Christian Espina, one of our drone pilots based in Richmond, VA
Christian Espina shares what inspired him to work in the energy industry and how we are using drones across our footprint.
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Christian Espina shares what inspired him to work in the energy industry and how we are using drones across our footprint.
Tired of the same old routine, Christian Espina sought something different. As an electrician, he wanted a chance to use his skills to help people in a new way. His search for something different led him to Dominion Energy, where he now works as an unmanned systems operator II in Richmond, Va.
There are no dull days in this innovative role, whether he is flying drones, learning new aircraft systems or preparing for future flights.
We've checked for downed lines (preventing having to walk miles to look for an outage), mapped missions for solar fields, checked for erosion and environmental issues, and monitored structural-construction progression. Sometimes, we plan certain flights out ahead of time, which increases efficiency when we get out into the field. Then, all we have to do is hit “play” and get the job done.
Drones are an immense help during storm restoration. We are not experts in electric transmission, so we have our lineworkers alongside us to help pinpoint the problem. Most times, they are looking over our shoulder or we have the drone controller connected to a screen so we can all view what the drone sees in real time. Drones also allow us to view structures, like poles, from multiple perspectives that we cannot always see with the human eye.
We are constantly completing training on new systems and getting the proper certifications. We are improving processes and procedures on how to better train new employees and others around the company that utilize drones. We are always learning about new drone models — a lot of drones have distinct functions that we need to know how to use to be experts in our craft.
My favorite part of the job is being able to see every piece of Dominion Energy and how each group is connected to one another. There are a lot of cogs in the machine, whether it be hydro, nuclear, solar, or electric transmission. I get to work with and learn about a lot of different business units and every week is different.
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