DTE Energy has released 100 contract linemen to potentially be sent to the East Coast to help regional energy carriers regain power in the aftermath of hurricane Sandy this week, a company spokesman said.
The move comes as Sandy is moving toward land and could impact Southeast Michigan as well. A National Weather Service issued a wind advisory Monday that warning area residents that gusts could reach up to 50 mph Monday afternoon, strong enough to cause power outages.
Melanie Maxwell I AnnArbor.com
In 2003, problems in the power grid caused outages across the East Coast that included Southeast Michigan, but Bodipo-Memba said that while Michigan’s own weather might affect its residents’ access to electricity, downed generators or power lines on the East Coast will have no direct effect on Michigan power.
While the entire United States grid is connected, Bodipo-Memba said that outages in one part of the country do not generally lead to power failures or price hikes in other regions, but it is common for utilities to share resources, especially linemen to help restore power to users as quickly as possible.
As of 4:30 on Monday afternoon, CNN is reporting that there are already over 750,000 without power in seven states as Sandy prepares to make landfall.
Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Reach out to Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2