DTE Energy is dedicated to constructing a smarter, stronger and more resilient grid to improve reliability. Our commitment to customers is to reduce power outages by 30% and to cut outage durations in half by 2029.
DTE has made it a priority to continue upgrading our infrastructure. Our front-line crews have been inspecting our current infrastructure to determine where these upgrades need to happen next. In 2023, DTE inspected and upgraded over 1,400 miles of pole top equipment across the communities we serve. These upgrades improve reliability, especially during extreme weather situations.
Recently in Detroit’s Barton-McFarland neighborhood, off Plymouth Road between Ilene and Birwood, crews were upgrading the pole top equipment that services the area. Crews sawed off old pole tops and installed new durable, fiberglass crossarms in two different areas of the circuit. The crews then moved the overhead lines onto the new crossarms. This work helps us to harden the grid to become more resilient against strong wind and extreme weather.
This kind of upgrading work is part of DTE’s ongoing plan to build the grid of the future. That plan includes transitioning to a smart grid, upgrading existing infrastructure, rebuilding significant portions of the grid and trimming trees. These are at the core of our plan as we work to increase reliability in Detroit.
Interested in seeing the work being done in your community? Visit our power improvements map.