Power restored in Ann Arbor area after outage caused by equipment problem, hot weather
Power has been restored in the Ann Arbor area following equipment problems that were exacerbated by hot weather Tuesday, DTE Energy said this morning.
Spokesman Len Singer said all power was restored late Tuesday night. About 3,000 customers in the Ann Arbor area were without power Tuesday evening because of the outage.
The utility was having problems with a transformer for which it could have normally compensated by transferring customers to other facilities, Singer said. The heavy load on the system due to air conditioning needs in 90-degree temperatures prevented that Tuesday and caused the outage, Singer said.
The company expects to have the transformer repaired today, hopefully before the hottest part of the day, preventing further outages, Singer said. The forecast today calls for temperatures in the mid-90s.
Comments
AAbob43
Wed, Jun 8, 2011 : 2:26 p.m.
I agree with the two commenters. Our neighborhood (north of Dexter near the Huron/Jackson split) is like a third-world country relative to electrical service. I believe that every time a butterfly farts in the Amazon rain forest, we lose power. Who knows, specifically, what can be done to motivate DTE to address this sorry situation? Hot? It was late spring in Michigan and it was warmer than usual. Are we supposed to lose a fridge full of food every time the temperature climbs a few degrees above normal? We've been hearing about this transformer forever. Something is simply wrong here, and we captive ratepayers are getting shafted.
a2cents
Wed, Jun 8, 2011 : 2:08 p.m.
Outages used to be an inconvenience, but since mandated footing-drain disconnect and the installation of a sump pump, the situation for me is more troublesome. DTE needs motivation to address the problem. Rates dependent on service reliability would provide that impetus.
MrBeasley
Wed, Jun 8, 2011 : 12:22 p.m.
I live off Miller Rd near Newport and we have had this problem every time it gets hot. Get with it DTE! It's been like this every summer for seven years, there are 4 -5 brown outs that last hours or full power outages every summer. It's gotten more than ridiculous.