DTE Investing $70 Million To Reduce Power Outages

MICHIGAN — DTE Energy announced on Wednesday a $70 million investment to reduce power outages from extreme weather events.

The funds will be directed toward removing trees and tree branches away from power lines, which DTE claims are responsible for almost all power outages during severe weather events, the company said in a news release.

The move comes shortly after DTE said its crews had to replace 450 broken poles that led to more than 500,000 customers to lose power from severe storms on Aug. 11.

Furthermore, the company also said its service area experienced five tornadoes this summer and eight storms with tropical force wind gusts of 39 to 74 miles per hour.

"We tripled our tree trimming effort and doubled our infrastructure upgrades several years ago when we began to see more severe weather patterns. But the extreme weather we experienced this summer – nine hard hitting, severe storms in nine weeks – is something we have never experienced," DTE President and CEO Jerry Norcia said.

"That’s why we made the decision to invest even more now, directing an additional $70 million into tree trimming to combat the large and recurring outages that have been so challenging for our customers," they added. "We will do what it takes to protect Michiganders from power outages caused by catastrophic storms and extreme weather patterns."

DTE said tree trimming is effective, and in communities where it has been completed have reported an average of 60% less power outages.

DTE also said the $70 million will be added to the utility's annual $190 million tree trimming program and will not impact a customers' bill.