Michigan Public Service Commission hopes to cut down on power outages
MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) — DTE Energy is investing $9 billion in the energy grid over the next five years.
The Michigan Public Service Commission said that's a necessity to provide reliable power to consumers in the future.
DTE Energy owns and operates 676 substations.
The utility company said it is working on better reliability and affordability and building to the future so there are fewer issues during catastrophic storms like the ones the state had last week in the surrounding counties.
DTE is focusing on four pillars.
The pillars were presented at Thursday's Distribution Grid Plan, and include tree trimming, maintaining existing infrastructure, rebuilding the older grid, and accelerating to a smart grid with automation.
The MPSC is considering imposing fines for utility companies if they experience four or more sustained power outages yearly.
DTE also is trimming thousands of miles of tree line to help the grid.
Shannon Hartwick, the former director of DTE Energy's tree trimming program, said it's needed for the future of smart energy.
DTE Energy noted it is using new technology to measure what equipment has failed and how reliable the new equipment is.
This plan is several years in the making, but the goal is to make sure consumers have the power when they need it, no matter the elements.