Recent power outages in Ann Arbor have multiple causes, DTE Energy says
A variety of problems is to blame for recent power outages in the Ann Arbor area, a DTE Energy spokesman said Monday.
Power was out for thousands of customers in Ann Arbor on Sunday and again on Monday.
DTE spokesmen have attributed most of the outages to downed wires or mechanical failures, but summer outages can also be due to system overload during prolonged hot periods such as we’ve had lately.
“It’s like running your car at top speed for several days in a row,” said spokesman Scott Simons.
During periods of prolonged high heat, power lines, transformers and other electrical equipment can malfunction, Simons said.
He didn’t know whether any specific local outages were related to the heat but he said overall, DTE’s system has been holding up well. DTE has 2.1 million customers in southeast Michigan, and Simons said no more than 1 percent of those have been without power during the heat wave that began more than two weeks ago.
No rolling blackouts, in which the utility cuts off power to certain areas for a period of time, have been necessary, he said.
July was a particularly hot month, with temperatures in Ann Arbor in the 90s for 15 days. The month was the warmest July on record.
As for power outages that occurred Sunday and Monday, Simons was able to provide the cause for some of those.
A power outage that affected more than 4,000 customers on the east side of Ann Arbor Monday night was caused by a wire down at US-23 and Packard and a tree limb that came down on a wire at Packard and Platt. The outage began about 7:45 p.m. and power was restored to the last customer at 4:25 a.m., Simons said.A tree across a power line also caused an earlier outage Monday that had affected about 2,200 customers east of Ann Arbor, spokesman John Austerberry said.
A power outage on the northeast side of Ann Arbor that affected about 2,600 customers from about 9 a.m. to about 1:45 p.m. Sunday was caused by a mechanical problem at a substation, Simons said Tuesday. He could not say whether that problem might have been heat related. A number of problems can cause mechanical failures, he said.
Area residents have also reported that power was out Sunday on the northwest side of Ann Arbor. Simons did not immediately have any details about that outage.
Simons said residents can help minimize heat-related outages by conserving energy. He suggested dialing up air conditioners to 78 or 80 degrees, delaying running dishwashers, washing machines and swimming pool pumps until after 9 p.m. and turning off all lights when leaving a room.
Though he acknowledged one person’s effort wouldn’t have much of an impact, Simons said conservation does work. “If everybody does it, it makes a huge difference.”
Comments
15crown00
Thu, Aug 4, 2011 : 3:11 a.m.
DTE has a thousand excuses.maybe they need to shut up,turn off the PR machine, and get the job done.
eastsider2
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 11:39 p.m.
I would love to see a journalist do a story on DTE and how slowly they fix power outages. Many friends and relatives in other areas of the midwest are shocked that we often have outages that last more than a couple hours. For my part, I was surprised that for some of us in the southeast section of the city, Monday night's outage only lasted 5 hours. That's record speed for this area of the city - outages usually are measured in days, not hours. Is DTE exceptionally slow at fixing outages? Why? Do DTE customers have more outages than average?
Not a valid excuse for a newspaper
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 6:26 p.m.
I live on the North side near Plymouth and Hubbard and have had so many sustained outages recently that I've lost count. The most recent happened as I was leaving early Sunday evening, and power was not restored until 5:30am the following day - nearly 12 hours. I remember years when I've had no power outages and years when storms knocked out power, but this year I have had *at least* 20 outages. This was the second outage that week and is in addition to outages the previous week. To me, that is unacceptable. I understand that we have a relatively high standard of living and do appreciate that the occasional outage due to storm damage or the like can be a an excuse for a relaxing break. However, these frequent power outages can be dangerous. I witnessed two near collisions with pedestrians and bicyclists attempting to cross roads when the traffic signals were out. The temperature in my south-facing dwelling rose to over 115 while I was out as I couldn't keep the doors/windows open for ventilation, and that outage didn't even occur during the hottest portion of the day. Minor inconveniences can be annoying but minor; I worry when they compound as the frequency dramatically increases and complacency rather than action prevails.
K32
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 6:10 p.m.
DTE is horrible! I don't blame the guys who do the actual work fixing the wires, but something is bad wrong with the company. I've never experienced so many outages as in the last few years. I dread thunderstorms and sometimes even when it just rains the power goes out. They need to improve the infrastructure, or hire more people or do something. It's like some third world power company.
John Campbell
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 5:40 p.m.
It seems unreasonable to have 4-5 sustained (> 1/2 hour) power outages in one month, as some of us have had in Saline. This monopoly has to somehow be held accountable. It does not make sense for so many people to have to purchase back-up electricity systems because the DTE electrical grid has become so unreliable. What are families with elderly or sick who require electricity supposed to do? At minimum DTE should be required to delineate ALL the outages, their length, and the cause. If it is mechanical, there should be detail as to the problem and what will be done to mitigate problems int he future. We all understand weather related difficulties, but to lose power for 4 hours on Saturday night when there was not a cloud in the sky seems unreasonable. I have lived many places before, but in the entire country I doubt that many utilities can match DTE's lack of reliability, with no accountability.
Greggy_D
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 4:31 p.m.
Amazing. The power companies in the hotter Southern states do not seem to have this problem.
WalkingJoe
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 4:05 p.m.
I have read all of these comments and while I agree somewhat that DTE could do better in some areas I think the recent hot weather really strained the system. And for those of you who think it was bad around here think of the people in Ferndale and Redford recently. When the heatwave was at it's peak some of those folks lost power from between 3-5 days. I just think we need to thank the people in the work crews who during the times of big outages work long hours to get the power back on. And before someone points out how much overtime they get paid it's still a lot of time away from home and I can only imagine how hard and hot their work was recently.
WalkingJoe
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 6:56 p.m.
@Not a valid.... I said I thought the heat had something to do with it, but I too believe that DTE needs to do more preventative maintenance on their equipment so that it's ready for some of these extreme conditions. Storms you can't help sometimes but trimming trees and updating equipment is some of the things we pay for.
Not a valid excuse for a newspaper
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 6:35 p.m.
Just to reiterate the reporting "DTE spokesmen have attributed most of the outages to downed wires or mechanical failures..." They have not claimed that the heat wave has resulted in any of these power outages, whereas relatives in the Ferndale area, which is not serviced by DTE, may have a different cause. I work outside in this heat too, so I appreciate the hard work of others keeping our electricity on. However, as I do work in this heat, I rely on ice and AC to keep from getting heat-stroke, both of which require a functioning electrical grid.
Carolyn
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 2:14 p.m.
Just to correct the record...........I live in the northeast neighborhood that lost power on Sunday. The power may have come back on for some in the at 1 p.m., owever, mine did not come back on until around 7:30 p.m. For my friend who lives in a slightly different area of the neighborhood, it was much later.
kittybkahn
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 2:07 p.m.
I have to put in a good word for DTE. I live on the Old West Side and several years ago, when they were building the new Y down the street, we had lots of dimming of lights in the summer months when it was very hot. I called DTE and, within a day or two, a nice man came out and walked around the neighborhood with me to look at the transformers. He was surprised to see there was only one for the area around my house and surrounding streets. It wasn't long before workmen were out to install more and we have not had any problems at all since then. Sometimes all it takes is a phone call. -Peace, Kitty
kittylady
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 1:57 p.m.
Am I the only personin Michigan that has heard of a contraption called a "generator"? -power outages not a problem for me! If you have $500 of gorceries inyour fridge, wouldnt; a $500 investments in at least a portable gas generator be worthwhile? Why do people always blame others for their failure to anticipate, take responsibility, or act proactively?
Cash
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 8:40 p.m.
I am GUESSING yo udidn't read hte article I posted regarding generators.......and where that self-first attitude will get us? Hint: Many people cannot afford a generator. Get that?
leaguebus
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 3:55 p.m.
I pay $130 a month for gas and electricity, I am a little fuzzy why I would need a generator. DTE needs to stop worrying about dividends and stock prices and worry more about all the power outages we are having.
John Hritz
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 2:42 p.m.
I agree with the principle, but generally with insurance you're paying a percentage of the loss to protect against the loss. For persistent power problems, you're better off buying a cross-over switch and a generator than can run your furnace blower as well as your fridge. For that, you're closer to $1500. I'd need to have a life-threatening health problem or $7,500 worth of perishables to protect to consider that purchase. I've found it more economical to contact the Public Services Commission when its a systemic problem. <a href="http://www.michigan.gov/mpsc/0,1607,7-159-16377---,00.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.michigan.gov/mpsc/0,1607,7-159-16377---,00.html</a>
katie
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 2:12 p.m.
Many of us live in condos where we cannot have gas generators, or apartment buildings. Perhaps we should make sure that only individual houses have these outages since they are protected by having generators but we have rules against them.
justwondering
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 2:09 p.m.
Not that we haven't heard of generators, but if you're paying for a service you should expect to receive the service. Also, I live in the Old West Side. The housing density is fairly high. I'm sure my neighbors would be a bit peeved at me if I'm running a generator that sounds like a lawn mower all through the night - don't forget they'll have their windows open if it's a hot summer evening.
Diego Amor
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 1:52 p.m.
I have to say something positive here. I live in an area with frequent outages and we had a short one last week (under 5 minutes). Of course at the time that I reported it, I couldn't know it would only be 5 minutes. The power returned and I forgot about it. But about two hours later two trucks and a crew arrived and I had to sheepishly admit that I probably should have called to cancel the report. Having admitted this, I should also say that the DTE outage report Web page was down when I tried to use it which meant I had to navigate their voice-mail phone system. If those systems worked better customers might act more responsibly (and with less heat, so to speak).
Cash
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 1:19 p.m.
DTE has not done ANYTHING to upgrade it's power grid here. The profits go to stockholders. Service continues to weaken....and trees falling on power lines? Why are power lines still standing alongside rows of trees? Why has nothing been done to bury these lines? DTE has suddenly been hitting the PR trail saying how they MUST have coal burning units and how they are handling thigs SO well. Let them take some of their profits and put them into clean energy and a more dependable grid. Good commentary on where we could be headed: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/05/opinion/05kristof.html?_r=1&ref=nicholasdkristof" rel='nofollow'>http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/05/opinion/05kristof.html?_r=1&ref=nicholasdkristof</a>
L. C. Burgundy
Thu, Aug 4, 2011 : 5:25 p.m.
clown, only if you agree to have the rolling blackouts from the inevitable shortage of electricity at your home and place of business. I think it's hilarious how people complain about DTE on this thread but when production is so curtailed in the future, intentional blackouts a la third world nations will be the norm and not the exception. Just remember, it's for the environment. Pop quiz: How many people have died in Japan from radiation this year?
clownfish
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 5:17 p.m.
LC, can we store the spent nuclear rods in your basement?
L. C. Burgundy
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 3:48 p.m.
This past power outage was the first of any notable length of over 3 years at my present address. And yes, the EPA regulations regarding power production with coal will make a more expensive and less reliable. The reality of the "green" future is one where you make do with less - less power, less money, less wealth. Rolling blackouts and rationed power with expensive electricity is the reality we will live in minus the fossil fuel production the present administration is pressing us towards. I'd love to see more nuclear, but you know, mutant zombie overlords scary nuclear OMG and all that, so we can't do that.
katie
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 2:10 p.m.
Is this talk of rolling blackouts some kind of threat because the of the coal burning units? Privatizing utilities was a very bad idea.
Bogie
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 1:06 p.m.
You think it's bad now. There was an article in the Detroit news concerning DTE. The newly proposed EPA regulations are going to force DTE to idle some of there coal burning units. The article stated that DTE (due to the industrial plant closures from the recession) has a 20 pct capacity reserve, but after these new regulations take effect; I will be dwindled down to 3pct. Don't worry though, will call it the new era of "forced conservation." LOL!
clownfish
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 5:16 p.m.
Bright side? Fewer asthmatics and health problems for our populace. Personally I can exchange some discomfort for other peoples well being.
justwondering
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 12:30 p.m.
I don't understand this repeated reference to rolling blackouts from DTE. For an extended period of time it was all the rage to have a separate (interruptible) meter installed on your air conditioner. This meter could be turned off by DTE for short periods of time during periods of high electricity demand. That was supposed to help during periods of extremely hot weather. By doing this, rolling blackouts would never be necessary. The upside was that customers who chose this option would pay a significantly reduced rate for the electricity to run their A/C; the downside was that you would lose your A/C for 15-30 minutes during the hottest periods of the summer. A rolling blackout implies that everyone gets whacked. So what's up here? The rolling blackout concept implies that whether I had one meter, or two, my power still gets turned off. All the while, I could have been paying a lot less for my electricity by getting the separate, interruptible, meter for my A/C that is never going to get turned off during these periods of high demand? I hope this comment makes sense. Cindy Heflin - perhaps this could be investigated with DTE? Bottom line, if I chose to pay more for my electricity, so that my A/C would not be turned off when I need it most, a rolling blackout is totally unacceptable.
justwondering
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 1:29 p.m.
BB - I agree with your comment. My point, perhaps poorly stated, is that those customers with separate meters have already agreed to accept a rolling blackout on their A/C units. DTE doesn't seem to be taking advantage of this. The A/C units are huge consumers of electricity in the summer, so it seems like there's a big missed opportunity here.
Bob Bethune
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 1:12 p.m.
The total unacceptability of rolling blackouts to you and others may be part of the reason why there haven't been any. DTE does have some political awareness.
Enso
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 12:19 p.m.
Another example of how inefficient the private sector is. The public sector could do a lot better. At least the government can provide non stop air conditioning and electricity to soldiers in multiple war zones. DTE can't even keep their equipment up to par after a thunderstorm in Michigan.
L. C. Burgundy
Thu, Aug 4, 2011 : 5:15 p.m.
So, Enso, your theory is that state-enforced non-competition and monopolies leads to cheaper prices? Yeah, right. That's call subsidies with taxes. I'm sorry, but we have hundreds of years of history now that prove you are categorically wrong. Your comparison between bottled water and municipal water is completely nonsensical, by the way. Completely different products. Strangely enough, people are willing to pay for bottled water regardless. You may be surprised to learn that many municipalities have private water systems too. There are no free lunches. Government only seems efficient at times because it can print money and take wealth by force, legally. And our defense spending is *so* ridiculously high, they'd better be able to provide power the world around.
Enso
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 5:41 p.m.
Shareholders should not be in charge of our electricity. The people of this country should have that power.
Enso
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 5:40 p.m.
Hey.. all I'm saying is that the government does things better than the private sector in most cases, and cheaper. Water is a good example. Think of how much you pay for privatized water (in a bottle, at the store) vs. the water you drink/shower with at home. Government is always cheaper and they run the largest organizations in the world, efficiently.
L. C. Burgundy
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 3:43 p.m.
DTE, like most power utilities, is extremely heavily regulated. Throwing on another layer of unresponsive bureaucracy on top is unlikely to help.
leaguebus
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 3:28 p.m.
DTE needs to keep their dividends and stock price up, so what if a little preventative maintenance goes undone.
grye
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 1:56 p.m.
Yes, but it would cost 10 times as much. I'd rather pay less and deal with a little discomfort once in a blue moon.
Adam Jaskiewicz
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 11:36 a.m.
Mine hasn't been totally interrupted, but I've had some blips near Miller and Newport. I don't have an air conditioner, dishwasher, or swimming pool, so not much I can do to conserve there.
JanLyne
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 11:01 a.m.
The power outage on the northeast side of Ann Arbor on Sunday did not come back on until almost 8:00 PM for most NE residents east of Nixon Rd.
A2taxpro
Wed, Aug 3, 2011 : 10:35 a.m.
In the past 2 weeks my power has interrupted more times then ever...I can tell by the blinking lights in my home (microwave, etc). Sunday night at 4AM the power went out for a short time and during last weekend the power went on an off a few times....Branches across a wire ???? I still think the problem is with the substation on Packard...we've had problems before. I conserve energy use and even unplug items not used. So much for conservation...DTE do something to improve the situation!!!!