Since 2020, DTE has been working to enhance power quality in Detroit’s Midtown area by completely rebuilding the infrastructure that delivers power to homes and businesses. This $200 million project will impact nine Detroit neighborhoods — Cultural Center, Eastern Market, Forest Park, McDougall-Hunt, northern Midtown, Medbury Park, Medical Center, Poletown East and Wayne State — and includes:
- Upgrading 60 miles of poles, power lines, transformers and electrical equipment with more durable equipment.
- Installing smart grid devices, which can reroute power to many customers during an outage. This technology can also help quickly pinpoint the damage location that caused and outage, so crews can make repairs faster. Lastly, smart devices de-energize downed power lines to help keep people safe.
- Trimming trees near power lines.
Upon completion in 2030, customers served by the upgraded equipment and substation will experience fewer and shorter outages, especially during storms. The work will also increase safety and the grid’s capacity to support growth and additional electric energy options, like more electric vehicles and appliances.
Progress
2020-2024: Crews have been installing new underground pipes (conduit) in the Midtown area. These pipes help protect the cables running under the city streets from damage.
2023-2024: Nearly 21 of 24 miles of new cable has been installed underground. Crews have also been installing new transformers, which allow us to lower power to a voltage that’s safe for homes and businesses.
Fall 2024: Crews began rebuilding the overhead infrastructure in the Forest Park and Poletown neighborhoods. This includes installing new poles, overhead wires, transformers and other electrical equipment that deliver power to the area.
This project is part of our commitment to reduce outages by 30% while cutting outage time in half by the end of 2029. To learn more about work happening in your area, visit empoweringmichigan.com/reliability-improvements or DTE’s Power Improvements Map.