Detroit — the city that put the world on wheels — is rising back to the top and returning to its innovative roots. With leading companies growing, new businesses popping up and new people moving to the city each year, delivering reliable power to Detroit is more important than ever. That is why DTE Energy plans to invest $1.2 billion to rebuild the underground system that delivers power to the city. That includes more than $165 million to build a modern, more resilient grid system around the historic Corktown neighborhood. The project also includes the North Corktown, Woodbridge, Core City, Hubbard Richards and Jeffries neighborhoods.
“Over the next five years, we’re modernizing the overhead and underground distribution system in the area,” Michael Thompson, Distribution Operations project manager, said. “The work we’re doing will make the power we provide more dependable and will help us meet our customers’ growing energy needs.”
The work, which began October 2022 and is expected to be completed by December 2027, includes:
- Modernizing the underground and overhead distribution systems, which deliver power to homes and businesses.
- Upgrading 30.5 miles of overhead and underground infrastructure including new cables and conduit to protect those cables, along with other electrical equipment.
- Replacing many current power poles with taller, stronger poles that are better able to withstand extreme weather. Restoration of property will follow in areas where poles are removed.
- Trimming or removing trees that may interfere with power lines.
This type of work has proven to improve reliability for customers. Some of the other benefits include:
- Increased safety and power quality.
- Fewer outages during extreme weather.
- Increased grid capacity.
By modernizing and adding capacity to the system, we will be able to better support future growth in and around Corktown. Greater electric capacity will help power new residents and developments in the area like the Ford autonomous vehicle campus (opening in June 2024) and the Greater Corktown Mixed-Income Housing Initiative. It is also needed to support clean energy solutions, including more electric vehicles.
This project is part of the larger city of Detroit infrastructure investment DTE is making to modernize the grid and increase electric reliability.
To learn more about reliability improvement work happening in your community, visit empoweringmichigan.com/reliability-improvements.