Michigan is going through a pivotal moment right now. The power grid is experiencing unprecedented transformation and challenge as a result of the widespread use of electric vehicles and the prevalence of extreme weather.
DTE Energy has a strategy for overcoming this obstacle by investing in and constructing the future grid.
Over the past five years alone, DTE has invested more than $5 billion in upgrading its grid. In order to provide customers with the power they require and the dependability they deserve, the company maintains that investment.
There are four main areas of focus in DTE’s plan:
- Managing trees
Brought down trees and branches on the wires and gear represent 66% of the time individuals are without power. DTE enhanced its tree trimming program as a result. The business has put more than $586 million into tree trimming since 2020, and it is on track to put in another $175 million this year. Over the past five years, DTE has trimmed more than 25,000 miles of trees and will trim another 5,000 miles in 2023. DTE will have aggressively reduced every grid mile by the end of 2024 and will continue to reduce every five years.
- DTE keeps investing in the upkeep of existing equipment as it updates existing infrastructure. Customers saw a 40-70% increase in reliability as a result of the company’s ongoing maintenance efforts in 2022 on some of the circuits that were experiencing the most difficulty.
- Detroit was one of the first American cities to fully electrify, rebuilding significant grid sections. However, that was more than a century ago, and it is now one of the oldest grids in the nation. It is now time to make an investment in rebuilding a portion of the city’s grid in order to significantly increase its resilience and dependability. There may be strategic opportunities to move wires underground during this rebuild.
- DTE has laid the groundwork for investing in smart grid technology with the recent launch of its cutting-edge grid management system and its brand-new Systems Operations Center, accelerating the transition to a smart grid. Generally speaking, this innovation will assist experts with rapidly pinpointing harmed regions on the framework and detach blackouts to reestablish numerous clients in minutes.
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