New substation will improve reliability in Pontiac
This summer, DTE began upgrading one of its Pontiac substations to improve reliability and to add capacity to support growth. Substations are critical parts of the electric grid that reduce voltage levels coming from power plants to distribute electricity safely and efficiently to homes and businesses.
When DTE builds a new substation, the company also adds or upgrades all of the supporting infrastructure. With the Pontiac project, DTE is installing new steel poles and overhead power lines as well as new cables and equipment underground. The substation will be equipped with smart grid technology that will reduce the number and duration of outages. This technology enables DTE to monitor the grid from its state-of-the-art System Operations Center located in the company’s downtown Detroit headquarters. The technology automatically adjusts power supply to meet demand or reroutes power so lights can stay on for more customers while crews make any needed repairs.
In addition to the Pontiac substation, DTE also began construction on new substations in Northville and Shelby Township during the summer of 2024. The new substations represent a major investment in DTE’s system that will improve reliability, while increasing capacity to support growth, economic development and a more electrified future, including electric vehicles. Together, these new substations represent an investment of $100 million. In addition, the company is rebuilding power delivery infrastructure across its service territory and has a dozen substations in various stages of being energized.
These system upgrades for Oakland County customers are part of DTE’s plan to build the grid of the future, which also includes transitioning to a smart grid, upgrading existing infrastructure, rebuilding existing significant portions of the grid and trimming trees. These improvements will help the company reach its goal of reducing outages by 30% while cutting outage times in half by 2029.
To learn more about work happening in your neighborhood, visit empoweringmichigan.com/reliability-improvements or DTE’s Power Improvements Map.