DTE is accelerating its work to create a resilient, world-class grid through our four-point plan: trimming trees, upgrading existing infrastructure, accelerating our transition to a smart grid and rebuilding older sections of the grid. In the Corktown and West Riverfront areas of Detroit we’re investing more than $165 million to rebuild the overhead and underground infrastructure that delivers power to homes and businesses.
Modernizing the infrastructure will improve safety and reliability for thousands of customers in the area. It also will allow us to increase the grid’s capacity to reliably handle additional demand and support a more electric future, including electric vehicles.
In the historic Corktown neighborhood, underground and overhead crews have been working over the past nine months to replace poles, wires, transformers and other equipment that helps deliver power. These crews recently worked together to provide power to a new development on Michigan Avenue. Crews used a commercial feeder cable pole to provide temporary power to a distribution transformer — the transformer feed power to the apartment building so the construction crew has the electricity they need to construct the new building. When construction is completed, the transformer will remain in place to provide energy to the residents of the complex. Work such as this helps keep power safe and reliable and accelerates our transition to a smart grid.
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 our Wayne 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.