Utilities face growing pressure to be cost-efficient while maintaining electric system reliability, improving storm resilience, and modernizing capabilities. With competing priorities, utility leaders often struggle to compare potential investments and outcomes through retrospective analysis alone. That’s where condition-based models can help. 
 
Condition-based models use historical data to isolate which factors – such as infrastructure, operations, environmental conditions, and weather – have influenced reliability performance and by how much. By getting to the root-cause of past circuit performance, these models separate factors outside of a utilities’ control (like weather) from actionable ones like device health and tree encroachment. The result? A clearer understanding of where to invest and which programs will effectively improve system performance.  
 
DTE has implemented multiple programs to improve customer reliability – from pole top hardening to enhanced tree trimming. By partnering with E Source to deploy a conditional model, DTE gained new insights into the historical impact of these initiatives and assessed their long-term reliability benefits. DTE is now using an E Source-developed, AI-powered scenario planning tool to guide future programs and compare the cost-benefit of potential investment strategies. This session will explain how this approach has supported DTE’s understanding of network risk and guided future investment planning.