Last summer, DTE started construction on a new substation in Shelby Township, representing an investment of nearly $43 million. The new substation will improve reliability for existing customers and add capacity to support the growing industrial and commercial demand along 23 and 24 Mile Roads.
Substations are critical parts of the electric grid that reduce voltage levels coming from power plants to distribute electricity safely and efficiently to homes and businesses. The substation will be equipped with smart grid technology that will reduce the number and duration of outages. This technology enables DTE to monitor the grid from its state-of-the-art System Operations Center located in the company’s downtown Detroit headquarters. The technology automatically adjusts power supply to meet demand or reroutes power so lights can stay on for more customers while crews make any needed repairs.
When DTE builds a new substation, the company also adds or upgrades all of the supporting infrastructure. With the Shelby Township project, DTE is building out nearly nine miles of new infrastructure, installing new poles and overhead power lines as well as new cables and equipment underground. Construction on this project has been proceeding according to schedule, and we are happy to provide you with the following status updates:
- Completed the installation of all substation equipment
- Completed all conduit work (underground infrastructure)
- Completed restoration work (repaired sidewalks, customer driveways, etc.)
- Rebuilding 3 miles of power poles and wires with more durable materials
- Installing 5.8 miles of new underground cable.
The team plans to energize the new substation this summer, and it will begin operating to serve customers by the end of the year.
This system upgrade is part of DTE’s plan to build the grid of the future, which also includes transitioning to a smart grid, upgrading existing infrastructure, rebuilding existing significant portions of the grid and trimming trees. These improvements will help the company reach its goal of reducing outages by 30% while cutting outage times in half by 2029.
To learn more about work happening in your neighborhood, visit empoweringmichigan.com/reliability-improvements or DTE’s Power Improvements Map.