Legislators from twelve of the nation’s energy producing states met in Jackson, Wyo. last week at the Global Energy and Environmental Issues Conference hosted by the Energy Council. David Swank, CEO of the National Energy Solutions Institute and Smart Energy Source (NESI-SES) Association, addressed legislators on the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, often referred to as UAVs or drones, in the energy sector.

The NESI-SES Association, a partnership among corporations and OSU is researching and developing rules and guidelines that will control, monitor and track the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in local communities. The results of these efforts will create a Community UAV Plan to help shape policy and advance the technology to open new opportunities within our communities for increased safety on multiple fronts and benefit emergency management as they respond to emergency situations.

The NESI-SES Association recently approved $200,000 toward the funding of Urban Development research. The Smart Urban Development research project is focused on developing a new model for community planning. Urban development is becoming very complex, will require a long-term commitment and includes multiple individual actors and organizations with their interests and claims.