Work is well underway to improve electric service for residents and businesses in Port Huron. Since 2023, we’ve been investing more than $100 million to rebuild the electric infrastructure that delivers power to many customers in the area.
Project progress
Spring/summer 2025: Crews finished installing the new poles, power lines and other electric equipment that deliver power to Port Huron. The final step in the rebuilding process is connecting customers to the new electric power system. To safely complete this work, short, planned outages are necessary. The map here illustrates which customers will experience planned outages as their electric load is shifted to the new substation. The first of these outages have taken place, and more are expected later in May and June. Please review letters that have been mailed to your home to see specific date and time logistics of when your outage will need to take place. During the outage, please unplug televisions, computers and other sensitive electronics to prevent damage while the power is being restored.
The project, which is expected to be completed in 2026, includes:
- Constructing a new electric substation, which is a critical part of the electric grid that helps deliver electricity safely and efficiently to homes.
- Upgrading 30 miles of electrical equipment like poles, transformers, overhead wires and underground conduit and cables.
- Installing smart grid technology that will allow us to locate damage so our crews can get to work on repairs faster. They also allow us to reroute power during an outage so we can restore power for many of our customers while crews make repairs. And, most important, these devices will automatically de-energize downed power lines to keep customers safe.
- Trimming trees and branches growing along the power lines that serve the city.
The work will help keep power on, especially during extreme weather. Customers served by the upgraded equipment and new substation are expected to experience a 90% improvement in reliability. The work will also improve the grid’s capacity to support growth in the area and an increase in demand for electric energy options like more electric vehicles and appliances.
Previous project updates
2024: Since summer 2023, crews have installed more than 20 miles of new poles and wires. Additionally, we built more than two miles of underground cables (conduit). Also, crews completed work on the new substation. All the underground infrastructure has been constructed and all the large, above-ground equipment, like transformers, that help control the delivery of power to customers has been installed.
Rebuilding work like this is just one part of our plan to build the grid of the future: transitioning to a smart grid, upgrading existing infrastructure, rebuilding significant portions of the grid and trimming trees. To read about additional reliability improvement work happening in your neighborhood, visit empoweringmichigan.com/reliability-improvements or view our Power Improvements Map.