Digitalizing grid asset management with AI to support risk-based decisions and improved operational planning
Potential ROI identified, proving cost-effectiveness and scalability
Existing defects found to be non-existent and were removed, reducing defect backlog
The challenge
Hydro One manages one of Canada’s most expansive and remote electricity networks serving across varied terrain. Faced with challenges such as an aging grid, a backlog of defects, and rising maintenance costs, the utility saw an opportunity to improve its inspection processes and uplift its data to support broader asset management and operational strategies.
They launched a multi-phase digital inspection program using Grid Vision® to inspect and digitalize transmission and distribution assets. The goal was to move away from traditional inspection practices in which information was spread across multiple systems and formats, and instead establish a central, shared, reliable foundation for data-driven planning and predictive maintenance.
Beyond modernizing inspection workflows, the program also aimed to build a detailed, asset-level view of the grid, enriched with inspection history, geolocation, and visual condition data down to component level.
The solution
Phase one of the initiative focused on strengthening inspection processes and closing data gaps, making sure that asset imagery and insights were collected and recorded in a structured way. While inspections were already routine, much of the data remained siloed or difficult to scale across teams. The goal was to create a stronger digital foundation that could support decision-making in asset management, investment planning, and operations. This groundwork is establishing a new layer of grid intelligence, powered by AI, giving teams across operations, planning, and engineering access to consistent, image-based insights in a centralized platform.
The program is helping reduce the need for field visits and is providing asset management teams with accurate visual context before dispatch. While the broader rollout continues, this foundation is already preparing Hydro One for a future of data-driven planning with a unified, intelligent view of their grid.
Significant reduction in truck rolls
supporting safer, lower-emission operations.
Smarter investment planning
The centralized asset repository helps prioritize work based on risk, age, and condition.
Cross-departmental access
to trusted asset data and insights that support decision-making .
Data quality uplift
New inspection workflow cleaned legacy records and filled critical data gaps.
We needed more than an inspection tool, we wanted a solution that could deliver long-term value and help us plan for the future. Grid Vision gives us clearer visibility, cleaner data, and a shared platform we can trust. It’s helping us prioritize smarter, improve collaboration, and lay the groundwork for more efficient, risk-based operations across the company.
About Hydro One
Hydro One is Ontario’s largest electricity transmission and distribution service provider, delivering power to nearly 1.5 million predominantly rural customers, representing about 26% of all customers in the province. Since becoming a publicly traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange in November 2015, Hydro One has continued to invest in building and maintaining a safe, reliable electricity system that supports strong and thriving communities.
With a workforce of approximately 9,700 skilled and dedicated employees, the company is deeply committed to the communities where it operates, actively supporting initiatives in community investment, sustainability, and diversity.
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