DTE Energy crews recently completed rebuilding the overhead and underground infrastructure that powers both northwest and downtown Ann Arbor. This $18 million investment, included:
- 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 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. Additionally, this work will strengthen the grid to support the community’s growing use of electric vehicles and electric appliances, aligning with Ann Arbor’s aspirational A2Zero goals.
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.