LPPC Urges FCC to Protect Critical Infrastructure Drone Operations
LPPC joined the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), American Chemistry Council (ACC), American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), American Petroleum Institute (API), American Public Power Association (APPA), and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) in comments urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reconsider a proposed ban on certain foreign-produced “military-grade” drones and components.
The coalition cautioned that the proposal, as currently drafted, could inadvertently restrict commercial drones that electric utilities and other critical infrastructure operators rely on for essential civilian operations. Drones support infrastructure inspections, wildfire mitigation, vegetation management, emergency response and restoration, and mapping, while technologies such as thermal imaging and LiDAR help utilities identify equipment problems and safely inspect infrastructure following storms and other disasters.
While supporting efforts to strengthen national security and expand domestic drone manufacturing, LPPC and its industry partners argue that the FCC's proposed definition of “military-grade” is overly broad and could restrict widely used commercial technologies before equivalent domestic alternatives are available at scale.
The coalition urged the FCC to instead adopt a targeted, risk-based approach that would narrow the definition of military-grade UAS, preserve lifecycle support for existing fleets, establish an expedited approval process for critical infrastructure operators, and provide at least a 24-month transition once equivalent domestic alternatives are demonstrated to be commercially available.
National security and critical infrastructure reliability are complementary objectives. Federal policy can strengthen America's domestic drone supply chain while preserving the technologies utilities need to safely inspect, maintain, and restore the electric grid.
