During the National Day holiday, thousands of employees from State Grid Corporation of China stayed at their posts, using technology to improve power supply reliability, advancing key projects through hard work, and providing thoughtful services to ensure convenient travel, all while protecting the lights of countless homes.

Over the holiday period, State Grid deployed 12,100 emergency repair teams, 3,561 emergency power generation vehicles, 83,600 support personnel, and 25,300 support vehicles, strengthening power supply safeguards at key locations and making every effort to ensure the safe and stable operation of the power grid and high-quality, reliable electricity 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 deepened its "centralized monitoring plus multi-dimensional inspection" operation and maintenance model, applying intelligent tools such as drones, robotic dogs, and AI-powered analysis at scale, so that grid hazards are detected early and addressed promptly, reinforcing the grid safety defense line.

Among the mountains of the southwest, major power arteries such as the Sichuan-Chongqing 1,000 kV ultra-high voltage line and the Jinshang-Hubei ±800 kV ultra-high voltage line cross 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 "drone plus X-ray flaw detection robots" at scale to conduct non-destructive testing at 450 key fitting points, precisely identifying internal crimping defects. During the holiday, inspection teams carried out special patrols of important line equipment and corridors, with online monitoring and visualization devices transmitting real-time data on line and corridor conditions. The system simultaneously conducted intelligent analysis and assessment, issuing timely warnings on equipment defects and corridor hazards, ensuring the reliable operation of important transmission corridors.

The crisscrossing power grid across the Jingchu region also has AI "sentinels" on guard. Recently, the transmission monitoring center of State Grid Hubei Electric Power received an alert: a crane was operating beneath Tower 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 dispatched to the local inspection station. Maintenance personnel immediately rushed to the scene to carry out safety warnings and monitoring. The core of this efficient handling system is the transmission corridor AI intelligent assessment tool "Xiaowei Saolei," developed by State Grid Hubei Electric Power. The tool was trained on a sample of 300,000 surveillance images and connected to more than 70,000 monitoring devices across the province, capable of automatically identifying eight categories of risks around the clock, including monitoring angle deviation and newly appearing floating objects. Before the National Day holiday, maintenance personnel used the tool to complete hazard inspections across more than 3,460 important section spans, effectively ensuring the safe operation of the grid during the holiday.

From transmission corridors to hub substations and microgrids, the reach of smart operation and maintenance continues to expand. The ±800 kV Shaoxing Converter Station, relying on a 1:1 digital twin model and three types of AI agents for intelligent inspection, equipment status analysis, and intelligent monitoring, has transformed station operations from manual periodic inspections to human-machine collaboration and proactive warning. State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power used drones, robotic 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 a microgrid energy management system, China's first self-healing smart island microgrid has achieved automatic fault location, isolation, and second-level power restoration in islanded operation mode, adding protection for electricity use at island guesthouses and for tourists.

At the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, the 5A-level Fukang Tianshan Tianchi Scenic Area in Changji Prefecture welcomed a peak in visitor traffic, 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 stably, 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 built a full-chain support model of "drone three-dimensional inspection plus intelligent diagnosis plus rapid defect elimination," relying on power big data to conduct 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 combined remote monitoring with on-site stationed special patrols, staying on duty around the clock, dynamically assessing load changes, and safeguarding reliable electricity supply for the scenic area.

Technology not only protects the operating grid but has also entered the front lines of project 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 management and control platform served as an "intelligent steward," using tools such as smart digital display torque wrenches to automatically collect and upload process data including equipment installation torque, clearance, and flatness. Once parameters exceeded the standard range, real-time warnings were issued immediately; when standards were met, the tools automatically prompted the cessation of work and recorded information such as tightening torque, operation time, and operator details, forming a full-process quality ledger and driving key procedures from post-inspection to process control. The project is scheduled to be completed and put into operation in June 2027, after which it will transmit more than 14.6 billion kWh of clean electricity to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region annually, equivalent to replacing 4.45 million tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 11.81 million tons.

Seizing Construction Windows, Accelerating Key Project Development

Autumn is the golden period for power grid construction. During the National Day holiday, builders from State Grid Corporation of China stayed on the front lines, strictly implementing on-site safety monitoring and project quality control, safely, efficiently, and with high quality advancing various construction tasks, and continuously weaving a denser energy network.

State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power kept 119 ongoing projects running through the holiday, arranging a total of 561 on-site duty personnel and deploying 3,343 construction participants, focusing on key nodes such as ultra-high voltage, main grid, and distribution network upgrades to ensure projects progressed steadily as planned. In Kunshan, Suzhou, about 90 employees stayed 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 Suzhou's first 500 kV substation and an important power source and load exchange node in 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, and 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 Mingan back-to-back converter station-Tingzhou 500 kV line project 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 area advancing in an orderly manner. The project includes about 99.4 kilometers of newly built lines and 239 towers, and is an important power channel for Fujian-Jiangxi interconnection. In view of the characteristics of mountainous construction with many scattered 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, enforced "dual supervision" requirements for high-altitude work protection and lifting hoisting, and strengthened whole-process risk identification and on-site monitoring. After the project is put into operation, it will enhance the interconnected mutual support capacity of the power grids of Fujian and Jiangxi provinces and help absorb clean energy.

The Loess Plateau also saw a surge of construction activity. At the site of the 330 kV Yulin West Substation project, machinery roared as construction personnel from State Grid Shaanxi Electric Power carried out key procedures in an orderly manner, including installation of the main transformer body and assembly and inflation of gas-insulated metal-enclosed switchgear. Project managers checked equipment parameters, coordinated construction processes, and inspected installation quality at each work point. The project plans to build two new 500 MVA main transformers, supported by four 330 kV outgoing lines and twenty 110 kV outgoing lines. After commissioning, it will strengthen the main grid structure of northern Shaanxi and ease regional power supply pressure. During the National Day period, State Grid Shaanxi Electric Power kept nearly 100 power grid construction projects running, with more than 5,000 builders fighting on the front lines. Each project strictly implemented leadership duty, risk identification, and hazard inspection requirements, pressing safety and quality responsibilities down through every level.

Across the Jianghuai region, 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 direct current transmission project, State Grid Anhui Electric Power deployed more than 700 builders and 46 pieces of mechanical equipment to advance conductor and ground wire stringing, crossing frame erection and dismantling, tensioning, and fitting installation, completing crossings over the 1,000 kV Huaiwu Line and S330 provincial road, and sprinting toward the goal of full-line completion in October. The project line has a total length of 2,370 kilometers, and after being put into operation, its annual power transmission volume can reach 36 billion kWh, of which green electricity will account for more than 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 and completed 70% of the total mileage. This 3,600-meter-long Yangtze River underwater tunnel with an excavation diameter of 12.13 meters is expected to be basically completed by the end of the year.

Optimizing Charging Services, Supporting Green Holiday Travel

During the National Day period, travel peaks emerged across the country. State Grid Corporation of China organized its units to carry out special patrols of charging facilities at key locations such as highway service areas, transportation hubs, and areas around popular scenic spots, and deployed 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 across six categories of key locations, including highway service areas, transportation hubs, scenic areas, and self-built supercharging stations, inspecting 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 Doudian on the Beijing-Hong Kong-Macau Expressway, flexibly increasing charging capacity during peak hours; 50 maintenance vehicles and 105 frontline maintenance personnel carried out on-site inspection support, and relying on a 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 residents and tourists traveling green.

State Grid Hebei Electric Power upgraded and optimized 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 refueling time and improving charging efficiency per parking space. During the holiday, the company used intelligent inspection robotic dogs to carry out special patrols, precisely identifying hidden hazards in the operation of highway charging piles; it also coordinated with Hebei Traffic Radio to broadcast in real time the busy-idle status, congestion, and available parking space dynamics of charging piles at each highway station, scientifically guiding drivers to charge during off-peak hours, replenish energy nearby, and divert in an orderly manner, precisely safeguarding the electricity safety of green travel on the highway network and making every effort to escort 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 official account, allowing drivers to check the distribution of charging stations along routes and around scenic areas as well as 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, cable insulation, heat dissipation vents, display screen, and scan-code payment function, and confirmed equipment status through trial charging. A total of 136 key support stations across the province completed pre-holiday special patrols, 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' demands 24 hours a day.

Behind the stable and orderly support work in various regions is a nationwide smart internet of vehicles platform operating at high speed. State Grid Smart Internet of Vehicles Technology Co., Ltd. selected 5,294 key support stations, including highway service areas and entrances and exits as well as areas around scenic spots, based on platform data, organized special inspections and hazard elimination, and deployed 435 emergency charging guns in advance at stations with relatively long queues. During the holiday, the "e Charging" app simultaneously released highway travel charging guides and peak forecasts to help drivers assess energy replenishment pressure and plan routes scientifically; for busy stations, drivers 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 peak holiday periods. The platform's full-service monitoring center arranged 24-hour duty for facility operation, customer service, and technical support personnel, closed the loop on fault work orders, and handled abnormal situations promptly.

Intelligent inspections build a strong safety defense line, key project construction consolidates the foundation of the energy network, and high-quality services escort green travel. The vast number of cadres and employees of State Grid Corporation of China stayed at their posts and, through practical actions, provided strong power support for the National Day holiday and helped promote high-quality economic and social development.