As Ann Arbor continues its journey toward achieving 100% clean energy, the city is also experiencing significant growth. This progress brings with it an increased demand for electricity. To address these needs, DTE Energy is taking steps to modernize the city’s electric grid. We are on pace to invest $360 million from 2019 to 2029 to build a smarter, stronger and more resilient infrastructure that will support the city’s clean energy goals and its continued development.
As part of that investment, we’re executing a $50 million project to rebuild the infrastructure that delivers power to southwest Ann Arbor. The work, which began in 2025 and is expected to be completed in 2029, includes:
- Installing smart grid technology that can pinpoint the damage location that caused an outage and automatically reroute power to many customers. They also keep people safer by de-energizing downed wires.
- Building a new electric substation to add electric capacity to the grid to support the increased demand and improve overall system performance.
- Rebuilding 35 miles of electrical infrastructure. This includes replacing poles and power lines with stronger equipment.
- Trimming trees away from power lines and equipment to prevent outages caused by falling branches and trees.
Rebuilding is just one part of DTE’s plan to build the grid of the future, which also includes transitioning to a smart grid, upgrading existing infrastructure and trimming trees. You can learn more about work happening in your area by visiting empoweringmichigan.com/reliability-improvements or with the DTE Power Improvements Map.