Greater electric power quality is just around the corner for residents and businesses in Port Hope. Over the past few years, DTE has been investing more than $10 million to modernize and enhance the infrastructure that powers the city. And that work is nearly completed.
Project details
This project, which began in 2022 and is expected to wrap up by the end of 2024, includes:
- Constructing a new electric substation, which is a critical part of the electric grid that helps deliver electricity safely and efficiently to homes and businesses
- Rebuilding six miles of power delivery infrastructure, including new power lines, transformers and poles that can better withstand extreme weather
Benefits
The work will help keep power on for people in the area by replacing aging infrastructure with stronger, upgraded equipment. Customers served by the new infrastructure and substation are expected to experience a 90% improvement in reliability once work is finished. It will also improve capacity to support future growth and electric demand along Lake Huron.
This project is part of the company’s commitment to reducing power outages by 30% while cutting outage time in half by the end of 2029.
Project progress
The infrastructure in the area has been fully rebuilt and the new substation was energized in early November. The final step in the project involves connecting customers to the new substation, which will take place in mid-November.
To safely make the switch, a short, planned power outage will be required. DTE will notify impacted customers of the outage date and time via mail, email and phone.
Rebuilding work like this is just one part of DTE’s plan to build the grid of the future. The plan also includes transitioning to a smart grid, upgrading existing infrastructure and trimming trees. To learn more about work happening in your community, visit empoweringmichigan.com/reliability-improvements or DTE’s Power Improvements Map.
