Bookmark this page to stay updated on the project progress.
At DTE, we’re committed to reducing outages by 30% and cutting outage times in half by the end of 2029. As part of this commitment, we’re investing $83 million to modernize the infrastructure that powers the northern area of Sanilac County.
The work, which began in 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2030, will reduce the number and length of outages for customers in Sanilac County and includes:
- Rebuilding 32 miles of electric equipment, including installing new power lines; steel power poles and pole-top equipment; transformers and more. The new equipment is also stronger and can better stand strong winds and extreme weather.
- Relocating equipment to the road right-of-way, so it’s easier for crews to get to and make repairs during outages. This will help reduce the duration of outages when they do happen.
- Trimming trees growing along the power lines to reduce the chance of limbs and branches damaging our equipment and disrupting power.
Spring/Summer 2026 Update
2025 Work Completed
In 2025, crews trimmed more than 60 miles of trees from Minden City to Yale. Keeping trees clear of power lines helps reduce outages caused by limbs and branches coming into contact with electric equipment and also creates space for new poles and wiring. Additionally, we installed 200 steel poles and related equipment along M-46 from Sandusky to Carsonville, totaling more than seven miles.
Project Timeline
- 2022-2023: Invested $17 million to rebuild 6.7 miles of electrical equipment and install over 200 steel poles in Applegate and Carsonville
- 2023-2024: Invested $19 million to rebuild 6.7 miles of electrical equipment and install 225 steel poles in Applegate and Crosswell
- 2024-2025: Invested nearly $26 million to rebuild 7.5 miles of electrical equipment and install more than 200 steel poles along M-46 from Sandusky to Carsonville
- 2025-2026: Plan to invest $5-$6 million to rebuild 2.5 miles of electrical equipment and install steel poles southeast of Carsonville towards Port Sanilac.
- 2027-2030: Plan to invest $10-$15 million to rebuild 8 miles of electrical equipment along M-46 towards Port Sanilac.
Throughout the project, short, planned power outages and lane closures will be required to safely complete the work. We will update customers when work impacts them.
Learn more about work happening in your community by visiting empoweringmichigan.com/reliability-improvements or the DTE Power Improvements Map.
