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Overstory and Fulcrum Collaborate for Enhanced Risk Mitigation in Utilities

In a significant stride towards improving safety and operational efficiency, Overstory, a risk intelligence platform dedicated to preventing power outages and wildfires, has announced a partnership with Fulcrum, a leading field operations management platform. This novel collaboration aims to provide utility companies with better tools for risk documentation, helping them prove the effectiveness of their risk mitigation measures.

The integration of these two platforms bridges the gap between risk-based planning and on-the-ground verified actions. Utility companies will be able to quantify the benefits of their investments in risk reduction and make more informed decisions about future expenditures. The combination of Overstory's risk prioritization intelligence and Fulcrum's field data will streamline workflows by consolidating risk assessments and operational reports into a cohesive system.

Understanding the Risk Landscape

Vegetation is often cited as one of the leading causes of power outages in North America, particularly in areas susceptible to wildfires. According to industry estimates, utilities spend around $8 billion annually on vegetation management alone. Furthermore, recent litigation costs associated with wildfires have surged into the billions, pressuring regulators to ensure that energy companies can demonstrate the effectiveness of their safety initiatives.

Historically, while utility firms have been able to log their operational efforts, they have struggled to establish how much risk those measures successfully eliminate. The partnership between Overstory and Fulcrum directly addresses this challenge. Overstory identifies vegetation-related risks as well as fire hazards across utility networks, guiding companies in striking a balance between these risks and their operational constraints.

Fulcrum facilitates the on-site work initiated from these risk assessments, offering tools for task scheduling, safety management, and quality control that are crucial in environments where safety is paramount. By merging the risk modeling from Overstory with Fulcrum's data collection on completed fieldwork, utilities can answer critical operational questions: What risks currently exist? How have they been reduced through our interventions? Where should we focus our next efforts?

A Streamlined Workflow for Enhanced Decision Making

For utility companies, implementing new risk mitigation strategies begins with Overstory's assessment. Once a high-risk area is pinpointed, it is evaluated against other operational priorities. Following this, an appropriate risk reduction measure is set in motion, with Fulcrum managing the on-ground execution. Field teams will execute the necessary actions while documenting conditions before and after their work, feeding this data back to Overstory.

This live data exchange allows for a continually updated overview of which risks persist and where future actions are required. Fiona Spruill, CEO of Overstory, emphasized the significance of this integration: “Utility companies face enormous pressure to justify the impacts of their efforts, yet isolated systems make this nearly impossible. With the integration of Overstory and Fulcrum, utilities possess a transparent record of both ongoing and completed work, further solidifying community trust and regulatory confidence.”

Future-Forward Risk Prediction

Moreover, this integration enhances predictive capabilities over time. The data collected from field observations will be relayed back to Overstory, improving future risk forecasts and the overall accuracy of the models used by utilities to manage their infrastructure.

Jim Grady, CEO of Fulcrum, described the implications of the partnership: “The fusion of Fulcrum and Overstory's platforms offers field teams clear direction on their tasks. Simultaneously, our integrated safety and operational functionalities collect verifiable data that demonstrate lowered risks, which is then synchronized with Overstory to refresh the risk management landscape.”

As of now, this new integrated solution is readily available to all utilities working with either Overstory or Fulcrum, ushering in a new era of operational excellence for the utility sector.

About Overstory and Fulcrum

Overstory uses a blend of satellite imagery, sensor technology, and artificial intelligence to analyze vegetation and combustible materials within utility networks, transforming risks into clear decisions and actionable strategies. Supported by prominent investors, Overstory enjoys the trust of 6 out of the 10 largest utilities in North America.

Fulcrum, developed by Spatial Networks, Inc., facilitates field operations for nearly 3,000 organizations, assisting utilities in managing asset care and performing tasks related to vegetation maintenance, construction, emergency responses, and disaster recovery. It integrates data collection suitable for AI applications into every project.

Overall, this collaboration between Overstory and Fulcrum represents a momentous advancement in ensuring the reliability and safety of power delivery, particularly amid increasing pressure from environmental challenges and regulatory scrutiny.