Having safe, reliable energy is critical for our customers. Recently, crews were in Gross Pointe restoring power to a circuit of customers that experienced an outage from extreme weather. A circuit is a network of interconnected power lines and equipment that delivers power to a set of customers.
To begin the restoration process, the crew tied two separate circuits together at a designated A/B point. An “A/B point” is a point in an electrical circuit where two separate circuits can be connected or disconnected. This allows for flexible power distribution and helps crews manage our electrical system.
This temporary connection ensured power could flow from both circuits, helping to provide electricity to the affected area during the repair process. Crews made sure the circuit was properly “phased,”– meaning, the currents in the circuits were aligned to have safe power distribution.
The crew then separated the back half of the circuit and ensured it could function independently. After, the crew used poles with disconnects and switches to route power back to each circuit.
To prevent future outages, DTE has a four-point plan to improve reliability: Trimming trees, upgrading existing infrastructure, rebuilding older sections of the grid and accelerating our transition to a smart grid. Through this work, we are strengthening our infrastructure to ensure our customers continue to have safe, reliable power when they need it the most.