Have you seen DTE crews working on the overhead lines in the Armada and Richmond areas? Since the start of the year, we’ve been upgrading the overhead infrastructure that delivers power to these communities. This work is part of our four-point plan to improve electric reliability for our customers, including trimming trees, upgrading existing infrastructure, rebuilding older portions of the grid and accelerating our transition to smart grid technology.
Over the next few years, we are investing more than $95 million to make these vital grid upgrades in Northern Macomb and Southern St. Clair Counties. The work includes:
- Constructing a new electrical station, which will help ensure reliable power travels all the way from our generation plants to Macomb and St. Clair Counties.
- Repairing and upgrading 27 miles of overhead infrastructure.
- Trimming or removing trees growing close to power lines. Trimming trees is necessary to clear the way for these vital upgrades. Trimming also will improve electric reliability for customers.
Why are you doing this work?
This work will make the infrastructure that powers Northern Macomb and Southern St. Clair Counties safer, stronger and more resilient against extreme weather. After the work is complete, the area should see significant improvements in power reliability.
What have we accomplished?
So far, our crews have upgraded around three miles of overhead electrical equipment, including reconfiguring power lines and installing new crossarms, transformers and other electrical equipment. We also have installed more than 140 new steel utility poles. These poles are stronger, which means they will better be able to withstand extreme weather conditions. Finally, our arborists have trimmed just over four miles of trees in the area.
What’s next?
We will continue to make upgrades to the system in Armada, Marysville and Richmond. We also will begin constructing the new station later this year. All of this work is expected to be completed by December 2026.
Stay up to date on the work in this area, as well as other projects in your community at empoweringmichigan.com/reliability-improvements.
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- Crews preparing to work on overhead lines.
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- Crews working on the overhead lines of a new steel pole.
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- Newly installed poles on 34 Mile Road.
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- New steel poles installed on 34 Mile Road. These new steel poles are stronger and more resilient to extreme weather conditions
