About me
Ben Delyea is the UAV Coordinator and GIS Analyst for Cowlitz PUD No. 1 in Southwest Washington. With six years in the public utilities sector, he specializes in integrating spatial analytics, remote sensing, and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into utility operations. Ben launched Cowlitz PUD's UAV program in 2023, establishing standards for flight operations, data management, and geospatial products. Holding an FAA Part 107 certification, he has expanded the program's capabilities by deploying LiDAR and photogrammetric methods to support change detection and monitoring for the district's hydroelectric project. His current focus includes UAS-based asset inspection, terrain modeling, point-cloud analysis, and integrating drone-derived datasets into enterprise GIS environments. Ben continues to explore how remotely sensed data can enhance reliability planning, infrastructure management, and environmental monitoring within the public power sector.
