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 $90 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 2027, will reduce the number and length of outages for customers in Sanilac County and includes:
- Rebuilding 35 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.
3/7/2025
We are nearly finished with the installation of 200 steel poles and equipment along M-46 from Sandusky to Carsonville, totaling more than seven miles. Once crews finish installing the poles and power lines, they will focus on cleanup and restoration through the spring.
We expect to begin the next portion of the project in the fall, which will involve rebuilding another seven miles of infrastructure along M-46 from Carsonville to Port Sanilac.
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 $10-$15 million to rebuild seven miles of electrical equipment and install steel poles along M-46 from Carsonville to Port Sanilac
- 2026-2027: Plan to invest $10-$15 million rebuild 7.3 miles of electrical equipment 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 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.
