DETROIT – Consumers Energy plans to spend $100 million to upgrade “the backbone” of its electricity distribution system. High voltage lines move electricity to transformers, which then “step down” the power to lower voltages for customers.
The move comes as climate change makes storms become more fierce and frequent.
“As we are facing more severe weather in the years to come, we’re going to need to make sure our grid is more resilient in the face of higher wind gusts and more frequent storms,” said spokesman Josh Paciorek.
DTE will survey its entire high voltage distribution system (HVD) in the weeks ahead, looking for tree limbs that are overhanging the lines, as well as broken parts at the tops of poles that might have been damaged in previous storms, as well as leaning poles.
Paciorek said a downed high voltage wire can cut power to hundreds of homes.
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