DTE Energy planning major 'smart grid' investment

The upgraded infrastructure will allow users to save money by digitally monitoring and managing their own electricity usage. It will also allow DTE to remotely read meters and determine power outages. Right now, most utilities have to rely on customers calling to report outages.

"We'll know before they do" with the new infrastructure, DTE spokesman Scott Simons said.

The U.S. Department of Energy grant, delivered through the $787 billion economic stimulus package, comes as President Barack Obama is placing increased emphasis on the importance of investment in the electrical grid. The DOE today is announcing the distribution of $3.4 billion in stimulus grants, to be matched by industry funds, for electrical grid improvements.

The term "smart grid" is often used to refer a range of technologies, including metering infrastructure and high-powered, long-range transmission lines to transport electricity from renewable energy sources to major population centers.

The DTE grant, which the utility will match, will allow it to install 660,000 smart electricity meters over the next two years as the program begins. 

Customers in Washtenaw will have to wait longer. Their meters will be upgraded within five years.

"We're going to roll out this program to all our customers, but what the DOE grant does is allows us to accelerate the program next year and in 2011," Simons said. "It allows meters to be read remotely and provides a wide range of benefits to customers as well as operational savings through increased efficiencies for us."

The SmartCurrents program, to be managed out of DTE's Detroit headquarters, is not related to the ongoing GreenCurrents program, which gives customers the option of spending extra money to fund renewable energy investments.

Political officials, utilities and renewable energy proponents generally agree the nation's outdated electrical infrastructure needs substantial improvements.

"This is a significant investment that will help improve energy efficiency throughout the state," U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, said in a statement. "In addition, the investment will be used to provide training for new clean energy technologies, and will empower consumers to save energy and money on utility bills."

Contact AnnArbor.com's Nathan Bomey at (734) 623-2587 or nathanbomey@annarbor.com. You can also follow him on Twitter.