DTE crews worked with tree trimmers to improve service for a Westland neighborhood last week. The work was done at the corner of Van Born and Middlebelt. Brian, a DTE crew leader, discussed the work as “isolating a lateral.” This expression simply means our team cleared off overgrown tree branches from lines and the utility pole at which they intersect. This work will improve reliability for hundreds of customers in this neighborhood, helping to make sure you have the power you need, when you need it.
In late 2021, DTE made a $90 million investment to accelerate its tree trimming efforts across the communities it serves to help prevent outages during heavy storms. Fallen trees and limbs are responsible for a significant amount of time our customers spend without power. You can read more about the initiative here. Highlights include:
- Accelerating tree trimming work for the communities hardest hit by storms last fall
- Last year alone, we trimmed 5,700 miles of trees near power lines – the same number of miles it would take to reach northern British Columbia from Detroit.
- Increasing our tree trim workforce by 30%
You may see more of our crews in the coming months as part of our accelerated electric reliability projects in your area, including more tree trimming and infrastructure updates. All these projects are underway to improve your service and reliability for the short- and long-term.
Make sure to regularly check the Westland community page to learn more about what’s going on in your neighborhood. You can also follow DTE on Facebook and Twitter for even more updates and information.
