How one climate startup aims to use AI to protect the power grid [Video]

As fires intensify in the western U.S., utility companies are on the front lines, working to protect the power lines that serve millions of customers. As the frequency of fires and severe storms increases, so does the amount of technology that utility companies use to keep things running.

The U.S. has roughly 5.5 million miles of power lines on more than a quarter billion poles surrounded by even more trees, and keeping a human eye on all of it is impossible.

That’s why artificial intelligence is taking the lead.

Enter new software companies such as Pano AI, Satelytics and California-based AiDash, which are tapping high tech to lower risk.

“Using satellites, we can monitor each and every tree, each and every pole, as frequently as we want, identify the challenges and fix them before they cause an accident,” Abhishek Singh, CEO and co-founder of AiDash, told CNBC.

Utility companies are often required by local governments to scan 100% …