Providing safe, reliable power is a priority for DTE Energy. That’s why we have a four-point plan to improve electric service for our customers, including trimming trees, upgrading existing infrastructure, accelerating our transition to a smart grid and rebuilding older sections of the grid.
In Detroit, we’re investing more than $80 million to rebuild the overhead and underground infrastructure that powers the Brewster Homes, Brush Park, Douglas and southern Midtown neighborhoods of the city.
Our crews were recently in Midtown by Cass Avenue and W. Canfield Street working on the underground system that delivers power to homes and businesses. The modernized system will include new underground wires, conduit (pipes that protect underground wires), transformers and other underground equipment.
To replace this equipment, journeymen go down into a manhole and cut back all the old, aging conduit and cables. Once the old cables and conduit are removed, they install PVC piping, which is stronger and lasts longer than the clay and fiber pipes currently in place. Crews then feed the new cables through the conduit. After the new cables are installed, they must connect the new wires to the existing or newly installed infrastructure through splicing. Splicing is the process of joining two cables together. On average, it takes around three hours to splice a set of new cables in a manhole. Finally, crews test the new cables to make sure they’re working properly.
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- Old and new cables in a Midtown manhole. Old cables are ready to be cut back and new cables are in place to be installed.
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- Midtown manhole following new cable installation.
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- Aging cables next to new, modern cables that are ready to be installed.
The process takes three to four days to rebuild a set of wires and equipment, depending on the extent of the rebuild.
In addition to the underground equipment, we have been replacing utility poles, overhead wires and electrical equipment that run above ground in the area.
Read more about the overhead and underground work on this project and how it benefits thousands in the area at empoweringmichigan.com/reliability-improvements.