DTE Energy is laser focused on building the grid of the future. That means accelerating our transition to a smart grid, upgrading existing infrastructure, rebuilding significant portions of the grid and trimming trees.
Recently, along East McNichols Road and Girardin Street in Detroit, DTE overhead crews focused on combining reliability and better safety with modern technology. Here, weathered poles had stood tall for decades, carrying the power lines that service homes and businesses in the surrounding neighborhoods. But extreme weather over time had taken its toll on the infrastructure. It was time for upgrades, which included:
- Replacing the older, weathered poles with new sturdier counterparts.
- Exchanging the wooden cross arms for fiberglass, which are more resilient and weather resistant.
- Installing new pole top equipment on those cross arms to further increase reliability.
- Removing vines where they had entangled lines, getting in the way of delivering more reliable power.
- Moving streetlights to improve visibility for pedestrians and vehicle traffic.
This work will result in safer and more reliable electric service for DTE customers in this area.
Find out more about the work in Detroit and in surrounding areas by exploring the electric reliability map and visit Empowering Michigan’s reliability improvements webpage to stay informed about the many ongoing electric reliability projects.