DTE is excited to be the recipient of a U.S. Department of Energy $23 million matching grant for research and deployment of two projects designed to protect customers from storm-related and other outage events, while developing and testing innovative grid controls that use local solar and battery storage.
In the future, Adaptive Networked Microgrids (ANMs) could utilize technology that results in a stronger, more reliable grid for customers – one that that is also more resilient to extreme weather conditions.
If the concept of microgrids is not a familiar one to you, then you are not alone. But, these adaptive grids, or ANMs for short, may one day hold the key to our smarter and greener electric grid future.
Traditionally, power is generated by a utility and distributed to customers in one direction, but when the main power source is interrupted due to extreme weather events, some customers may lose power. With this grant, DTE will develop, build and operate a network of smaller, independent microgrids on the west side of Detroit and in Port Austin, Michigan. These microgrids will help keep the lights on for customers, with an expected reduction in outages for the microgrid areas of 50%-80% and decrease in outage durations of 15%-30%, when extreme weather events happen.
This Adaptive Networked Microgrid project aligns with DTE’s four-point plan to improve electric reliability, with one part of that plan being accelerating the transition to smart grid technology.
DTE’s project partners include the Electric Power and Research Institute, Open Energy Solutions, Open Systems International and the University of Michigan – Dearborn.
Visit the U.S. Department of Energy’s fact sheet for more details on DTE’s upcoming Adaptive Networked Microgrid project.