DTE Electric to continue multi-year effort to improve reliability of electric distribution system
Rate adjustment required to modernize infrastructure for 21st century; average residential customer bills will be at 2012 levels
Rate adjustment required to modernize infrastructure for 21st century; average residential customer bills will be at 2012 levels
DETROIT, Feb. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- DTE Electric has filed a request with the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) to continue a multi-year modernization of southeast Michigan's electric distribution infrastructure. Average residential customer bills are expected to remain at 2012 levels or lower. The request was filed Monday.
"Our customers want us to provide more reliable service while keeping the cost of energy affordable and competitive. We are making progress on both fronts," said Jerry Norcia, president and chief operating officer, DTE Electric.
"As a result of a variety of initiatives we've undertaken, our customers have experienced fewer outages, and reliability has improved by 20 percent. We've been able to do all of this while keeping our operations and maintenance costs flat, and keeping the average residential bill and commercial and industrial rates below the national average," Norcia said. "It's important to continue the work needed to modernize and automate our aging infrastructure to meet the demands of the 21st century."
The requested rate adjustment of $344 million will enable the company to make significant improvements to the electric system's aging infrastructure and equipment. This aging equipment causes more frequent and longer power outages.
Aging infrastructure is a national concern. Like all critical infrastructure systems across the country, DTE's electric system needs to be upgraded and modernized. In southeast Michigan, some of the key components on DTE's distribution system are roughly twice the ideal age for this equipment.
Recently, DTE Electric championed a variety of initiatives, including:
It's critical for DTE customers that the company continues its reliability work over the next decade, including replacing aging underground cables and substations, and trimming trees near critical circuits.
"While we've made progress in our efforts to upgrade our system and improve reliability, we will continue to work to ensure we have the ability to power our Michigan families and businesses now and in the future," Norcia added.
About DTE Energy
DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan. The DTE Energy portfolio includes non-utility energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy marketing and trading. As one of Michigan's leading corporate citizens, DTE Energy is a force for growth and prosperity in the 450 Michigan communities it serves in a variety of ways, including philanthropy, volunteerism and economic progress. Information about DTE Energy is available at dteenergy.com, twitter.com/dte_energy and facebook.com/dteenergy.
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SOURCE DTE Energy
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