DTE addresses reliability concerns in SE Michigan following Monday's severe weather

With summer storm season arriving and after severe weather moving through Metro Detroit on Monday, many customers are wondering whether years of grid upgrades are actually making a difference. 

DTE says that compared to 2023 – the most recent year the company is using for a full comparison – Detroit customers have seen 49% fewer outages and 83% shorter outage times, crediting tree trimming, grid upgrades and improved storm response.

"First, we're trimming trees. Second is our commitment to investing in the grid to rebuild where necessary, or to upgrade or modernize our technology that's out in the field," said Morgan Elliott Andahazy, director of Project Management Office at DTE Energy. 

DTE says trees remain the leading cause of outages, accounting for about half of them. The company says it trimmed 350 miles of trees in Detroit in 2025, and another 150 miles so far in 2026.

DTE also says it invested $1.7 billion in 2025 alone to upgrade equipment, rebuild parts of the grid and modernize substations.

However, the big question for many customers is what happens when severe weather hits, something DTE acknowledges is becoming more common.

"We know that severe weather is becoming more prominent in our area. It's happening more often, and when it does happen, it's more extreme than it has been historically," said Andahazy. 

DTE says its system is better prepared than in years past, pointing to a major windstorm earlier this year as evidence that improvements are starting to work.

"We experienced 60% fewer outages overall, and we were able to restore 99% of our customers within 48 hours," said Andahazy.

But for customers who still lose power this summer, DTE says some people may qualify for automatic bill credits depending on outage length and storm conditions.

The company says customers do not have to apply because credits are automatic, and people can also use the Outage Center, Power Improvements Map and Damages & Reliability Credits page to report issues, track restoration times and learn about available help.

After years of customer frustration, DTE says it knows some people are still skeptical.

"We understand that being without power is really frustrating, and it's disruptive to life, which is why we are committed to our investment strategy," said Andahazy. 

DTE says circuits and neighborhoods with repeated outages are prioritized for improvements, but acknowledges there is still more work to do.