During DTE’s recent storm restoration efforts, our support in the community went well beyond the work happening on poles, wires and in the field. In some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods, DTE’s Community Engagement team worked with local food trucks, restaurants and small businesses to provide meals, refreshments and a moment of relief for customers experiencing extended outages.
Food truck partners served 7,500 meals in communities where restoration crews were deployed. Vendors including Hashi Hibachi, Los Dos Amigos Taco Truck, Shawarma Chef, Tacos El Panda and Taqueria Nena’s helped make sure DTE customers had access to fresh meals while our crews continued working safely to bring power back.
In order to create a welcoming space for the community to gather during the outages, the Community Engagement team reached out with family-focused activities. Detroit Metro Ice Cream & Party Rentals LLC, Prime BBQ, Kona Ice of Ypsilanti and Amyzing Faces & Fun joined the effort, bringing additional food and refreshment options plus activities to keep kids entertained in impacted neighborhoods.
Community Engagement’s effort also supported local businesses in heavily affected communities like Monroe and Dearborn. In Monroe, the team partnered with Slice of Italy to provide approximately 200 meals to customers. In Dearborn, 750 food vouchers were purchased through The Canteen at Midtown, giving customers the option to choose a meal and drink from food trucks and vendors throughout a food hall.
For customers navigating the stress of an outage, the meals were a reminder that DTE teams were not only working to restore service but also looking for meaningful ways to care for people during a difficult time.
“Some of the longest days ended up being some of the most meaningful,” said Issra Mehdi, Senior Strategist, Community Engagement. “Being out in our communities during the storms, hearing people’s stories, listening to their frustrations and providing resources and relief to families who needed it put so much into perspective. Seeing the gratitude on people’s faces and knowing I could bring their voices and experiences back into the conversations at our company is something I’ll always be proud of.”
While DTE is proud to support its customers after storms, the company’s ultimate goal is to prevent outages before they happen. That is why DTE is working to build a smarter, stronger and more resilient electric grid, with a commitment to reducing power outages by 30% while cutting outage time in half by 2029. The plan includes transitioning to a smart grid, upgrading existing infrastructure, rebuilding significant portions of the grid and trimming trees.
This prevention work is designed to make a difference before severe weather arrives. Smart technology can help pinpoint damage, reroute power and restore many customers within minutes while crews make repairs. Stronger poles, wires and equipment are being installed to better withstand extreme weather, and tree trimming helps prevent outages caused by limbs and branches contacting electric equipment.
Storm response takes many forms, and this effort showed the impact of pairing safe restoration work with the strength of community partnerships. By working alongside local businesses, DTE helped support customers, uplift small business owners and show what it means to be there for the neighborhoods we serve. At the same time, DTE is continuing the reliability improvement work that will help customers experience fewer interruptions and faster restoration when severe weather strikes.