Built on eSmart Systems’ patent-pending Adaptive AI, the new platform lets utilities and technology companies build,
Municipal Utility CBPU Reduces Risk and Strengthens Resiliency Through AI-Enabled Asset Visibility
More proactive maintenance and fewer unplanned outages
enabled by earlier issue detection and image-based verification.
Clearer and more consistent visibility of grid condition
delivered through structured visual records across feeders and ground assets.
Smaller utilities can confidently adopt IOU-level AI inspections
with a guided approach that supports smooth change at a practical investment level.
Small to mid-sized city utilities, such as CBPU in Michigan, face a unique challenge: delivering reliable, affordable energy while operating with lean teams and aging distribution assets. Even brief outages can disrupt essential services and impact the community. With rising operational demands and limited resources, CBPU saw a strategic opportunity to modernize inspection practices and build a stronger digital foundation for grid planning.
The Challenge
CBPU faced familiar challenges seen across municipal utilities and electric co-ops: limited resources and manual processes, making it harder to stay ahead of maintenance and invest in new technologies. Traditional processes and limited digital records made it difficult to monitor asset conditions consistently, prioritize maintenance, and plan proactively.
Smaller utilities also face added pressure when adopting new technologies, balancing affordability, staff bandwidth, and the need for training support. New digital tools can feel complex or resource-intensive without the right guidance. CBPU needed a practical way to modernize inspections without increasing field workload or requiring large-scale investment.
The Solution
CBPU deployed Grid Vision® to conduct a proof-of-concept inspection program across two distribution feeders, combining drone imagery captured by both internal staff and partner resources. The utility used AI-supported defect detection and human-in-the-loop validation to build a structured visual asset repository, enabling clearer insight into the condition of poles, components, and ground assets.
Inspection results and recommended actions are linked to CBPU’s workforce management tools, allowing staff to move from imagery to decision to field response more efficiently. This image-based structured delivered immediate operational value that helps to better manage the cities resources and improve the health of the electrical distribution system.
To support CBPU’s small team and reduce anxiety around new technology, the program used a practical train-the-trainer model. eSmart Systems guided staff through each step, building confidence and making the shift to image-based inspections straightforward and manageable.
This growing foundation of centralized, image-based data will form the basis for proactive maintenance and future predictive insights in Grid Vision®, giving CBPU the forward-looking intelligence needed to maintain operational excellence and strengthen resiliency.
As the project scales now to a 5 year SaaS program, the utility is positioning itself for smarter, data-supported operations, enabling more efficient planning while operating with the same high commitment to service and community reliability. The multi-year SaaS model ensures CBPU can continue building on this momentum as it scales from a small POC to a full-system digital program.
Scalable model validated
demonstrating readiness to expand from 100 assets to ~16,000 without adding staff.
Improved feeder resiliency
with a guided approach that supports smooth change at a practical investment level.
Strengthened operational excellence
with clearer, more consistent asset visibility.
Supporting continued scalability
a successful pilot has now progressed into a multi-year program
Grid Vision® gave us a clearer picture of our system and a practical path to modernizing inspections. The combination of image-based data and structured workflows is helping us plan more effectively and strengthen the resiliency of our distribution network. For a small utility, adopting the same best practices that large utilities are moving toward ensures we can manage our assets efficiently from the start and scale quickly as our needs grow.
About CBPU
The Coldwater Board of Public Utilities (CBPU) is a municipally owned utility in Coldwater, Michigan, providing comprehensive services including electric, water, wastewater, garbage/recycling, and telecommunications. It serves the local community, operating facilities to deliver essential utility services while engaging in community development.
Since 1891, the Coldwater Board of Public Utilities (CBPU) has provided reliable, competitive, and efficient utility products and services to the City of Coldwater.
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