Detroit was one of the first cities in the country — and even the world — to be fully electrified. Through our four-point plan, we’re working to modernize the city’s infrastructure to meet the growing energy needs of our customers now and far in the future.
Through 2030, we’re investing more than $200 million to rebuild the overhead and underground infrastructure that delivers power to Detroit’s Cultural Center, Eastern Market, Forest Park, McDougall-Hunt northern Midtown, Medbury Park, Medical Center, Poletown East and Wayne State neighborhoods.
Here’s what we’ve already done and what you can expect in the future:
- Over the past few years, we have been digging up old underground electrical equipment around the Midtown area of Detroit to repair and/or replace existing infrastructure. We have been installing new underground pipes and cables throughout the area, including more than seven miles of new cable so far.
- The rebuilding of grid in the coming years involves removing the aging infrastructure and installing 60 miles of new, modernized electrical equipment, including utility poles, wires and cables, conduit and more. It also involves incorporating smart grid technology into the system and trimming trees.
- This work is vital because it will strengthen our power delivery equipment, helping keep the lights on for more customers, especially during extreme weather. It also will increase safety and the grid’s capacity. The added capacity will allow us to deliver power to even more residents and businesses in addition to supporting clean energy solutions like electric vehicles and more electric appliances.
This work is just one part of our four-point plan to improve reliability. We’re also trimming trees, upgrading existing infrastructure and accelerating our transition to a smart grid. All this work will help improve electric service for our customers.
Stay informed about reliability improvement work in your neighborhood at empoweringmichigan.com/reliability-improvements.
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- Crews installing new cable in a manhole on 2nd Avenue and Hancock Street in Midtown.
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- Cable pullers installing cables in a Midtown manhole. On average, it takes crews around an hour or two to install new cables in a single manhole.
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- Cable pullers install around 1,000 feet of cable a day in manholes around Detroit.
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- Newly installed cable in a Midtown manhole. The new cable will help deliver more reliable power to residents and businesses in the area.
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- Cable pulling crews finish up at the manhole and prepare to head to their next location.
