Reliable electricity is essential and DTE Energy is committed to providing it to customers 24/7. With a plan to spend nearly $1 billion per year in infrastructure upgrades, we’re improving electric reliability community by community. Many customers are already reaping powerful benefits.
In 2019, customers in Plymouth experienced one of the best years in electric reliability – the number of power outages decreased by 87%. Electric infrastructure upgrades, tree trim and dedicated crews combined to improve the reliability.
“Since the tree trim program, our reliability has turned around and we have seen significant improvement,” said Paul Sincock, city manager, Plymouth.
Plymouth Substation
After one of the substations in Plymouth caught fire in the summer of 2017, major upgrades were done in the city, which included:
- Rebuilt one of the substations – making the infrastructure stronger to reduce power outages and voltage fluctuations.
- Reconductored and rebuilt our overhead facilities in multiple areas throughout the city – the system is now more resilient to damage caused by strong winds, ice, heat and accidents.
- Trimmed all trees on one of the circuits. Fallen trees and branches are responsible for two-thirds of the time our customers spend without power.
“Overall, the reliability for the city has greatly improved from all the work that has been completed,” explained Tony Ignasiak, electric engineering supervisor.
“The whole community is in a better place,” Sincock said.
We’re committed to providing safe, dependable, efficient and caring service to all our electric customers. For more information on how we are improving our electric grid in other communities, visit dteenergy.com/reliability.