As we continue our four-point plan to improve the DTE grid, you will see more equipment upgrades happening in your area, including crossarm replacements. Our crews were recently in Clinton Township performing such work and were faced with multiple ways to replace a weathered crossarm.
The pole this crossarm was attached to was weathered and damaged by intrusion from an animal. Underground crews first provided protection from the still live underground cables, so overhead crews could continue with their job. In a situation like this, crews could have initiated an intentional outage while the maintenance was done, but it is our goal to keep our customers with power if we can safely do so.
So, our crews used something called “hot sticks.” Hot sticks consist of a long, insulated pole made of fiberglass. The end of the hot stick is attached to clamps or hooks to provide insulation and distance between our workers and electrical components. This minimized the risk of any potential injuries and allowed for customers’ power to remain on. This equipment upgrade was completed, and power was not disrupted during the work. As you continue to see upgrades like this in your neighborhood, please stay at least 25 feet away from the crews.
Last fall, DTE Energy completed more than 17.5 miles of tree trimming along circuits in Clinton Township. You may see more of our crews in the coming months as part of our accelerated electric reliability projects in your area, including more tree trimming, maintenance and infrastructure updates. All these projects are underway to improve your service and reliability in the short and long term.
Make sure to regularly check the Macomb County community page to learn more about what is going on in your neighborhood. You can also follow DTE on Facebook and Twitter for even more updates and information.