SWEPCO Conducting Drone-Assisted Tree Trimming Inspections to Enhance Reliability
Broll: Drone Coverage
SHREVEPORT, La. (Mar. 12, 2026) — Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) is modernizing how it keeps the lights on with the launch of a new drone‑based inspection program that gives crews a faster, sharper view of vegetation near power lines. By integrating high‑resolution aerial technology into its reliability strategy, SWEPCO is identifying potential trouble spots earlier, reducing outage risks, ensuring the quality control of work execution and strengthening service for customers.
Customers in Keithville, Florien, and Negreet, La., along with parts of Shreveport, may soon see drones operating safely above power lines. The drones will collect high‑resolution imagery of vegetation, encroaching trees, and surrounding infrastructure. In addition to the Louisiana sites, inspection flights have also recently taken place in the East Texas cities of Clarksville, Kilgore, and Marshall.
SWEPCO crews and contractors adhere to all federal aviation guidelines and will not collect personal data. All SWEPCO drone operators are FAA certified, and these flights will focus solely on electric infrastructure and the vegetation surrounding it.
The drones help SWEPCO check areas where tree‑trimming has already been completed and spot places where more trimming might be needed. The cameras on the drones give SWEPCO forestry crews a clear, overhead look at trees growing near power lines. This helps find branches that could fall or cause outages, so problems can be fixed earlier and keep customers’ power more reliable.
“This drone initiative supports our continuous efforts to improve reliability and resiliency for the communities we serve,” said Matt Tarpley, Region Forestry Supervisor at SWEPCO. “The detailed imagery helps our forestry teams make faster, more informed decisions so we can stay ahead of potential issues and keep power flowing safely and dependably.”
For more information about SWEPCO’s vegetation management efforts, visit SWEPCO.com/trees.
About Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO), headquartered in Shreveport, Louisiana, delivers safe, reliable, and affordable electricity to more than 500,000 customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. SWEPCO is an American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) company. Learn more at SWEPCO.com. Connect with us by following Facebook.com/SWEPCO, Twitter.com/SWEPCOnews, Instagram.com/swepco, Youtube.com/SWEPCOtv and LinkedIn.com/company/swepco.
About American Electric Power (AEP)
American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) is committed to improving our customers’ lives with reliable, affordable power. We expect to invest $72 billion from 2026 through 2030 to enhance service for customers and support the growing energy needs of our communities. Our nearly 17,000 employees operate and maintain the nation’s largest electric transmission system with approximately 40,000 line miles, along with more than 252,000 miles of distribution lines to deliver energy to 5.6 million customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with approximately 31,000 megawatts of diverse owned and contracted generating capacity. We are focused on safety and operational excellence, creating value for our stakeholders and bringing opportunity to our service territory through economic development and community engagement. Our family of companies includes AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana, east Texas and the Texas Panhandle). AEP also owns AEP Energy, which provides innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide. AEP is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. For more information, visit aep.com.