As the heartbeat of our modern lives, electricity powers our homes, businesses, and communities. DTE Energy is committed to building the grid of the future, ensuring safe and dependable power for all.
In Detroit’s Islandview neighborhood on Saint Paul Street, crews are hard at work replacing aging poles with more sturdy, modern structures that can better withstand extreme weather conditions and reduce the risk of outages.
We are replacing dated equipment with new more durable pole top equipment, including fiberglass cross arms. Fiberglass is a more durable material than the previously used wooden cross arms, which are more susceptible to damage from wind and weather conditions. We are also removing and replacing overhead and underground wires and cables, transformers and other electrical equipment.
This work is a part of our commitment to build the grid of the future. This includes transitioning to a smart grid, updating existing infrastructure, rebuilding older sections of the grid and trimming trees. These projects will improve safety and increase the grid’s capacity. The added capacity will allow us to deliver reliable power to even more homes and businesses in the area. The company is investing $270 million to rebuild the overhead and underground infrastructure that deliver power to the area.
Once the work is completed and customers are switched over to the new power delivery system, customers will experience a 90% improvement in their electric reliability, which means less service interruptions for homes and businesses in the area.
Rebuilds like this will continue as we work to develop the grid of the future. You can see what we are working on next by using our electric reliability improvements map or by visiting empoweringmichigan.com/reliability-improvements.