Golden autumn brings magnificent landscapes. During the National Day holiday, officials and employees of State Grid Corporation are staying at their posts, using technology to improve power supply efficiency, advancing key projects through hard work, and providing thoughtful services to ensure convenient travel, safeguarding the lights of millions of homes with a sense of responsibility.
During the holiday period, State Grid Corporation will deploy 12,100 emergency repair teams, 3,561 emergency power generation vehicles, 83,600 support personnel, and 25,300 support vehicles to strengthen power supply duty at key locations, making every effort to ensure the safe and stable operation of the power grid and high-quality, reliable power supply during the National Day holiday.
Technology Empowers Power Supply, Improving Grid Operation Quality and Efficiency
Facing fluctuations in electricity load during the holiday, State Grid Corporation will deepen the "centralized monitoring plus three-dimensional inspection" operation and maintenance model, applying intelligent methods such as drones, robot dogs, and AI-powered smart analysis on a large scale, so that grid hazards are discovered early and addressed promptly, building a solid defense line for grid safety.
Among the mountains of the southwest, major power arteries including the Sichuan-Chongqing 1,000 kV ultra-high voltage project and the Jinshang-Hubei ±800 kV ultra-high voltage project traverse the Hengduan Mountains along mountain ridges, delivering clean energy to the Chengdu-Chongqing and Central China load centers. Before the National Day holiday, the Jinshang-Hubei ±800 kV ultra-high voltage project completed its first annual inspection after being put into operation. Maintenance personnel from State Grid Sichuan Electric Power applied "drones plus X-ray flaw detection robots" on a large scale to conduct non-destructive testing at 450 key fitting points, precisely identifying internal crimping defects. During the holiday, inspection personnel carried out special inspections of important line equipment and corridors. Online monitoring and visualization devices transmitted real-time status data of lines and corridors, while the system simultaneously conducted intelligent analysis and assessment, timely warning of equipment defects and corridor hazards, making every effort to ensure the reliable operation of important transmission corridors.
The crisscrossing power grid across the Jingchu region is also guarded by artificial intelligence "sentinels." Recently, a warning popped up at the transmission monitoring center of State Grid Hubei Electric Power: crane operations appeared below Tower No. 38 of the 220 kV Paiyun Line. Staff retrieved high-definition footage, confirmed the risk of external damage, and generated a work order with one click to dispatch to the local inspection station. Maintenance personnel immediately rushed to the scene to carry out safety warnings and monitoring. The core of this efficient response system is "Xiaowei Saolei," a transmission corridor AI intelligent analysis tool innovatively developed by State Grid Hubei Electric Power. The tool was trained on a sample of 300,000 monitoring images, connected to more than 70,000 monitoring devices across the province, and can automatically identify eight categories of risks around the clock, including monitoring angle deviation and newly added floating objects. Before the National Day holiday, maintenance personnel used the tool to complete hazard inspections of more than 3,460 important sections, effectively ensuring the safe operation of the power grid during the holiday.
From transmission corridors to hub substations and microgrids, the reach of smart operation and maintenance continues to extend. The ±800 kV Shaoxing Converter Station relies on a 1:1 digital twin model and three types of AI agents—intelligent inspection, equipment status analysis, and intelligent monitoring—to transform on-site operations from manual periodic inspections to human-machine collaboration and proactive early warning. State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power uses drones, robot dogs, and more than 4,000 high-definition cameras to build an all-weather "air-space-ground" three-dimensional monitoring network, achieving a defect identification accuracy rate of 98% and improving inspection efficiency by nearly four times. On Dongji Island in Zhoushan, relying on the microgrid energy management system, the country's first self-healing island smart microgrid has achieved automatic fault location, isolation, and second-level power restoration under islanded operation, adding protection for electricity use at island homestays and for tourists.
At the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, the 5A-level Tianshan Tianchi Scenic Area in Fukang, Changji Prefecture, is welcoming a peak in visitor flow, with electricity load continuing to rise. As Xinjiang's first 5A-level all-electric scenic area, two 35 kV substations in the core area of Tianchi operate steadily, laying a solid power supply foundation for the scenic area. In response to the complex mountainous terrain and the difficulty of reaching some lines on foot, State Grid Xinjiang Electric Power has built a full-chain support model of "drone three-dimensional inspection plus intelligent diagnosis plus rapid defect elimination," relying on power big data to carry out full ledger marking and real-time monitoring of distribution transformers and lines in the scenic area, and using drone infrared temperature measurement to precisely identify equipment hazards. During the holiday, maintenance personnel adopted a combination of remote monitoring and on-site stationed special inspections, standing by 24 hours a day, dynamically assessing load changes, and safeguarding reliable electricity use in the scenic area.
Technology not only guards the operating power grid but also reaches the front lines of engineering construction. At the construction site of the Datong-Huailai-Tianjin South 1,000 kV ultra-high voltage AC project in the State Grid Jibei Electric Power construction section, a digital control platform acts as a "smart steward." Through tools such as intelligent digital display torque wrenches, it automatically collects and uploads process data including equipment installation torque, clearance, and flatness. Once parameters exceed the standard range, real-time warnings are immediately issued. When standards are met, the tools automatically prompt the stop of operations and record information such as tightening torque, operation time, and operators, forming a full-process quality ledger and driving key processes from post-inspection to process control. The project is scheduled to be completed and put into operation in June 2027. After commissioning, it can transmit more than 14.6 billion kWh of clean electricity to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region each year, equivalent to replacing 4.45 million tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 11.81 million tons.
Seizing Construction Windows to Accelerate Key Project Construction
Autumn is the golden period for power grid construction. During the National Day holiday, builders from State Grid Corporation are staying on the front lines, strictly implementing on-site safety supervision and project quality control, safely, efficiently, and with high quality advancing various construction tasks, and continuously densifying the energy network.
State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power's 119 projects under construction are not stopping work during the holiday, with a cumulative arrangement of 561 on-site duty personnel and 3,343 participating construction personnel, focusing on key nodes such as ultra-high voltage, main grid, and distribution network renovation to ensure steady progress of projects according to plan. In Kunshan, Suzhou, about 90 employees are staying at the site of the No. 2 main transformer replacement project at the 500 kV Shipai Substation, concentrating on more than 40 tasks including removal of the old main transformer, installation of the new main transformer, and electrical testing. Shipai Substation is the first 500 kV substation in Suzhou's power grid and an important power source and load exchange node for the East China power grid, receiving clean hydropower delivered by the Jinsu and Jiansu ultra-high voltage projects. The new main transformer has a capacity of 1 million kVA. After being put into operation, its annual power supply capacity will increase by about 5.75 billion kWh, enough to meet the annual electricity demand of nearly 1.9 million households.
Along the southeast coast, the Ming-Gan back-to-back converter station to Tingzhou 500 kV line project has entered the critical stage of tower assembly and conductor stringing, with more than 800 builders staying on the construction front lines. During the holiday, construction personnel from State Grid Fujian Electric Power worked closely together to complete procedures such as tower component hoisting, alignment, and bolt tightening, with each work face advancing in an orderly manner. The project involves about 99.4 kilometers of new lines and 239 towers, and is an important power channel for the Fujian-Jiangxi interconnection. In view of the characteristics of mountainous construction such as numerous and widely distributed work points, concentrated high-altitude and lifting operations, and multiple cross-processes, State Grid Fujian Electric Power implemented stationed closed-loop management and personnel rotation and rest, carried out "dual supervision" requirements for high-altitude operation protection and lifting and hoisting, and strengthened whole-process risk identification and on-site supervision. After the project is put into operation, it will enhance the interconnection and mutual support capacity of the power grids of Fujian and Jiangxi provinces and help consume clean energy.
The Loess Plateau is also surging with construction activity. At the site of the 330 kV Yulin West Substation project, machinery roars as construction personnel from State Grid Shaanxi Electric Power carry out key processes in an orderly manner, including installation of the main transformer body and assembly and inflation of gas-insulated metal-enclosed switchgear. Project managers verify equipment parameters, coordinate construction processes, and inspect installation quality at each work point. The project plans to build two 500 MVA main transformers, with supporting construction of four 330 kV outgoing lines and 20 110 kV outgoing lines. After production, it will strengthen the main power grid framework in northern Shaanxi and ease regional power supply pressure. During the National Day period, nearly 100 power grid construction projects of State Grid Shaanxi Electric Power are not stopping work, with more than 5,000 builders fighting on the front lines. Each project strictly implements requirements for shift leadership, risk identification, and hazard inspection, pressing down safety and quality responsibilities layer by layer.
On the Jianghuai land, multiple inter-provincial energy channels and regional mutual-support projects are advancing simultaneously. In the Anhui section of the Gansu-Zhejiang ±800 kV ultra-high voltage DC transmission project, State Grid Anhui Electric Power has invested more than 700 builders and 46 pieces of mechanical equipment to advance conductor and ground wire stringing, crossing frame erection and dismantling, tensioning, and accessory installation, completing crossings over the 1,000 kV Huaiwu Line, S330 provincial road, and others, sprinting toward the goal of full-line completion in October. The project line has a total length of 2,370 kilometers. After commissioning, annual electricity transmission can reach 36 billion kWh, of which the proportion of green electricity will exceed 50%. As a supporting project, the shield tunneling of the Wuhu gas-insulated metal-enclosed transmission line pipe gallery project has exceeded 2,500 meters, completing 70% of the total mileage. This 3,600-meter-long tunnel beneath the Yangtze River with an excavation diameter of 12.13 meters is expected to be basically completed by the end of the year.
Optimizing Charging Services to Support Green Holiday Travel
During the National Day period, travel peaks have successively appeared across the country. State Grid Corporation has organized its units to carry out special inspections of charging facilities at key locations such as highway service areas, transportation hubs, and areas around popular scenic spots, and to deploy emergency charging devices to improve support capacity.
State Grid Beijing Electric Power started preparations for charging service support one month in advance, conducting two rounds of special inspections on 1,614 charging piles at 105 charging stations in six categories of key locations, including highway service areas, transportation hubs, scenic areas, and self-built supercharging stations, checking equipment hazards item by item. During the holiday, the company added temporary charging piles at service areas with high charging demand, such as Yongledian on the Beijing-Tianjin Expressway, Baige on the Beijing-Tibet Expressway, and Douidian on the Beijing-Hong Kong-Macau Expressway, to flexibly improve charging capacity during peak hours. Fifty operation and maintenance vehicles and 105 frontline operation and maintenance personnel carried out on-site inspection support, and relying on the digital intelligent operation and maintenance key support module, monitored station operation data in real time. Through a combination of on-site patrols and back-end monitoring, abnormal situations were discovered and handled promptly, providing reliable charging services for citizens and tourists traveling green.
State Grid Hebei Electric Power organized upgrades and optimization of charging stations in areas with dense traffic within its territory, equipping them with high-power supercharging equipment that can intelligently allocate power based on vehicle status, effectively shortening charging time and improving charging efficiency per parking space. During the holiday, the company will rely on intelligent inspection robot dogs to carry out special inspections, precisely identifying hidden hazards in the operation of highway charging piles. It will also coordinate with Hebei Traffic Radio to broadcast in real time the busyness, congestion, and available parking space dynamics of charging piles at various highway stations, scientifically guiding vehicle owners to charge during off-peak times, replenish energy nearby, and divert in an orderly manner, precisely ensuring the electricity safety of green travel on the highway network and making every effort to support the public's comfortable travel during the National Day holiday.
State Grid Hunan Electric Power released a National Day highway charging guide through the "e Charging" app and WeChat public account, allowing vehicle owners to check the distribution of charging stations along routes and around scenic areas and peak hours at any time, and plan energy replenishment routes in advance. Nineteen charging stations around scenic areas such as Zhangjiajie Tianmen Mountain, Wulingyuan, Xiangtan Shaoshan, and Chenzhou Gaoyiling were included in the key support list. Maintenance personnel inspected each station's pile body, gun line insulation, heat dissipation vents, display screens, and scan-code payment functions, and confirmed equipment status through trial charging. A total of 136 key support stations across the province completed pre-holiday special inspections. All 14 cities and prefectures arranged local service contacts, and the provincial electric vehicle charging service management center relied on platform warnings and customer service calls to respond to vehicle owners' requests 24 hours a day.
Behind the smooth and orderly support work in various places is the nationwide smart vehicle-to-grid platform operating at high speed. State Grid Smart Internet of Vehicles Technology Co., Ltd., based on platform data, selected 5,294 key support stations such as highway service areas and entrances and exits and areas around scenic spots, organized special inspections and hazard elimination, and deployed 435 emergency charging guns in advance at stations with longer queues. During the holiday, the "e Charging" app simultaneously released highway travel charging guides and peak forecasts to help vehicle owners assess energy replenishment pressure and plan routes scientifically. For busy stations, vehicle owners were encouraged to free up parking spaces promptly when charging reached 80%, avoiding prolonged trickle charging, reducing the average charging time per vehicle, and improving overall energy replenishment efficiency during holiday peak periods. The platform's full-service monitoring center arranged facilities operation, customer service, and technical support personnel to be on duty 24 hours a day, supervising fault work orders in a closed loop and handling abnormal situations in a timely manner.
Intelligent inspections build a solid safety defense line, key project construction consolidates the foundation of the energy network, and high-quality services support green travel. Officials and employees of State Grid Corporation stay at their posts and, through practical actions, provide strong power support for the National Day holiday and help promote high-quality economic and social development.