We recognize that half of the time customers spend without power is caused by downed trees and branches on our wires and equipment. That is why we are prioritizing our tree trimming efforts as a part of our four-point plan to improve reliability for our customers. The four parts of this plan include: tree trimming, rebuilding portions of the grid, updating our existing infrastructure, and implementing ‘smart grid’ technology. Some of this work has been taking place in Dearborn with various upgrades being made to essential equipment like poles and regulators. We are also equipping our substations to handle a higher electrical capacity to handle the increasing demand from our customers.
Crews were in Dearborn performing a tree trimming job in an area where a tree had gotten overgrown and began to encroach on power lines. Contract crews were sent out to the site to trim the tree branches along with overhead crews that temporarily shut off power to make sure the job could be done safely.
As you continue to see jobs such as tree trim take place, it is important to note how crews determine where tree trimming will happen. DTE considers outages and time since last trimmed when determining which areas to trim each year. This strategy helps improve the safety and reliability of the electrical system. We actively monitor our electrical system to know what areas need trimming. We also watch to see if we need to increase the number of tree trim crews to provide the best electric service possible. You can click here to read more information about our tree trimming process.
Make sure to regularly check out the 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.