DTE Energy says fallen trees biggest cause of power outages

DETROIT – DTE Energy customers were hit with a rate increase earlier this year and now hundreds of thousands are entering their fourth day without power after severe storms moved through Metro Detroit.

At the time DTE Energy said the rate increase would help fund tree trimming maintenance. Following the storms on Friday and Saturday DTE Energy said fallen trees were the biggest reason for power outages.

Since 2016 DTE Energy said it has been spending up to $200 million a year on trimming trees.

Watch the video above for the full report.

• DTE Energy power outage update: Restoration timeline, specifics about what happened
• Lost power in Michigan? You may be eligible for credit on next bill
• DTE Energy: 200,000 remain without power Monday in SE Michigan