DTE Energy is committed to reducing outages by 30% while cutting outage times in half by 2029. To help achieve this, our team works year-round to modernize our infrastructure to better withstand extreme weather by installing smart devices, upgrading existing infrastructure, rebuilding significant portions of the grid and trimming trees. This work helps reduce the number of outages and enables us to get your power back on quicker when outages do happen. We understand how difficult it is to have your power interrupted and know you have important questions that need answers during an outage. We hear you. Here are the answers to common questions that come up during a power outage:
Where can I get my restoration estimate?
You can get a restoration estimate on the DTE website, DTE Energy Mobile App or by calling 800.477.4747 and using our automated system. Remember estimates may be revised if damage is more severe than anticipated or if severe weather makes it unsafe for crews to work on electrical equipment.
Why is it taking so long to get a restoration estimate?
- Safety First: Our crews secure the areas around downed power lines before assessing storm damage. For the safety of our customers and our employees, it is crucial that our Storm Response Teams prioritize taping off and deenergizing these lines first before moving into other phases of restoration.
- Continued severe weather: It’s not always safe for our teams to assess damage if bad weather lingers or additional storms come through. Once it’s safe, crews will quickly begin damage assessment and restoration.
- There’s not enough daylight: Not only is it difficult to properly assess damage in the dark, but it is also dangerous. A downed power line is difficult to identify in the dark and can cause fatal injuries.
- Crews cannot reach electrical equipment: It’s not uncommon for storms to knock down trees. In some cases, trees or other objects block access to electrical equipment. In other instances, equipment is located in areas that aren’t accessible by bucket trucks. When those situations occur, crews have to climb the poles to assess the equipment, which takes more time.
- Large number of outages: Storms that cause a lot of damage and outages may result in longer restoration times. We will deploy as many crews as needed to get the job done — in some cases, we recruit the help of line workers from out of state to help restore power quicker.
How do you decide whose power to restore first?
Our team works to restore power as quickly and as safely as possible. This means our crews make temporary repairs to restore power to a certain area so they can move quickly to the next pocket of outages. Crews will return later to permanently repair the infrastructure. This greatly reduces the time our customers spend without power.
Our goal is to always restore power to as many customers possible in the shortest amount of time. With many customers experiencing outages at the same time, it is vital we follow a prioritized restoration process:
- First, we secure the areas around downed power lines to keep the community safe.
- Next, we restore health and safety facilities like hospitals and police stations.
- Then, we repair the equipment that delivers power to homes and businesses. We start by repairing the equipment that serves areas with the largest number of customers. From there, we work our way down the list from largest to least number of customers until all restorations are complete.
You said you were prepared for this storm. Why is it taking so long to restore my power?
Our teams constantly monitor weather conditions, and when extreme weather threatens, we mobilize our crews. By the time a severe storm arrives, our Storm Response Teams are already at work implementing a plan. Safety is our top priority, so restoration may take longer if:
- There is continued inclement weather that prevents crews from working on electrical equipment. As soon as weather conditions permit us to safely begin restoration work, such as when the storm subsides, our crews assess the extent of damage and begin restoration.
- There is trouble behind trouble. This is when there is one factor that originated the outage and another that’s preventing us from re-energizing the line.
- Outages require more complex and time-consuming repairs.
- There are many outages.
- Your electrical equipment is difficult to reach.
DTE told me my power is back on. It is not. So… What do I do now?
As customers receive notifications that their power has been restored, we encourage them to verify that the power is actually back on. While most homes in their area have likely had their power restored, there may be unexpected issues or damage causing a continued outage for one or just a few customers. We will continue working around the clock until they are all restored.
To find more answers to your storm questions, visit empoweringmichigan.com. Get real-time updates and information about outages at our outage center or by following us on Nextdoor, Facebook and Twitter.