DTE Energy crews are in the final phases of rebuilding the overhead and underground infrastructure that powers both northwest and downtown Ann Arbor. This is an $18 million investment, includes:
- Installing smart devices to reduce outages and restore power faster when outages do occur.
- Rebuilding eight miles of infrastructure with stronger poles and equipment that can better withstand extreme weather.
- Connecting your power to an upgraded substation to ensure power continues to be delivered safely and reliably.
- Trimming trees away from power lines since half of all outages are caused by trees damaging electric equipment.
Customers served by the upgraded substation and equipment are expected to experience up to a 90% improvement in reliability when the work is completed later this year. Additionally, the work will help support the growing energy needs in your community.
Crews are currently working along the streets and in customers’ back yards to replace overhead poles, wires, transformers and electrical equipment that deliver power from the local substation in downtown Ann Arbor to homes and businesses in the area. This new equipment is stronger and more resistant to damage during storms. It is also safer, can distribute power to more customers and support more electric vehicles and electric appliances, aligning with Ann Arbor’s aspirational A2Zero goals.
Connecting customers to the new system
Once crews finish rebuilding the infrastructure in this area, they will connect customers to the new electric power system. To safely complete this work, a short, planned outage is necessary. We will notify impacted customers in advance of the outage.
Customers will begin seeing improvements in their electric service, especially during extreme weather, following the switch to the new system later this year.
All this work is part of DTE’s plan to build the grid of the future: transitioning to a smart grid, upgrading existing infrastructure, rebuilding significant portions of the grid and trimming trees. Learn more about work happening in your community at empoweringmichigan.com/reliability-improvements. or by visiting our Power Improvements Map.