At DTE, we are always working to deliver more reliable energy to our customers. That’s why we’ve committed to reducing outages by 30% and cutting outage times in half by 2029.
As part of this commitment, we’re investing $90 million to modernize the infrastructure that powers the northern Thumb area of Sanilac County.
The work, which began in 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2027, includes:
- Rebuilding 35 miles of electrical equipment, including installing new power lines; taller, stronger steel power poles and pole-top equipment; transformers and more.
- Relocating equipment, 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 that serve the area.
This work will improve the number and length of outages for customers in Sanilac County. The new equipment is also stronger and can better stand strong winds and extreme weather.
Project Timeline:
The project is comprised of five segments of rebuilding work:
- 2022-2023: Invested $17 million to rebuild 6.7 miles of electrical equipment and install steel poles in Applegate and Carsonville
- 2023-2024: Investing $19 million to rebuild 6.7 miles and install steel poles in Applegate and Crosswell
- 2024-2025: Plan to invest nearly $26 million to rebuild 7.5 miles and install steel poles along M-46 from Sandusky to Carsonville
- 2025-2026: Plan to invest $10-$15 million to rebuild seven miles and install steel poles along M-46 from Carsonville to Port Sanilac
- 2025-2026: Plan to invest $10-$15 million rebuild 7.3 miles and install steel poles in communities between Forestville and Port Sanilac
Throughout the project, short, planned power outages and lane closures will be required to safely complete the work. We will continue to update customers via letters, emails and phone calls when work impacts them.
Read more about work happening in your community at empoweringmichigan.com/reliability-improvements or visit our Power Improvements Map.