Southern States LLC and SkySafe announced a partnership to integrate real time drone detection and airspace intelligence into Southern States’ Layered Airspace Protection Strategy for utilities. The collaboration brings SkySafe’s cloud based drone detection platform into Southern States’ existing Airspace Awareness product line, providing visibility into drone activity over critical grid assets.
Unauthorized drone activity around energy infrastructure is rising, forcing utilities to address a security gap that traditional perimeter defenses were never designed to handle. Fences, cameras, and access control systems protect the ground but they do little to address small aircraft operating above substations and transmission corridors.
“Drone activity and terrorist threats around critical infrastructure are no longer hypothetical; it is happening,” said Patrick James, Director of Grid Security Solutions at Southern States.
The system identifies drones in real time, tracks flight paths, and can determine the location of the operator. Utilities can distinguish authorized aircraft from unknown drones and document incidents.
Southern States, founded in 1916, manufactures switching and protection equipment for high voltage power systems. SkySafe develops drone detection and airspace intelligence software used by government and commercial operators.
The product is tied to the increasing regulatory oversight tied to NERC Critical Infrastructure Protection and supervision from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Further, the Safer Skies Act expands the legal framework for addressing drone activity near critical infrastructure and puts this partnership at the forefront of energy protection.
