State Grid ready for action ahead of summer peak

Since summer, Shaanxi province has endured successive heatwaves and 13 heavy downpours. Maximum temperatures topped 40 C in many areas and extreme rain triggered localized disasters, putting grid stability and power supply to the test.

State Grid Shaanxi Electric Power Company coordinated grid construction, dispatch operations, residential service guarantees and emergency repairs throughout this time. It prioritized safe operations, reliable power delivery and people's livelihoods, completing its 2026 summer peak power-supply mission.

A robust grid structure is the foundation for meeting summer electricity demand. State Grid Shaanxi began planning for the summer peak after 2025's summer peak wrapped up, pushing forward 80 key projects.

Before the heat arrived, the 750-kilovolt power transmission project — the third corridor from northern Shaanxi to the Guanzhong region — went into service. Stretching 1,271 kilometers, with a total investment of roughly 7.1 billion yuan ($1.06 billion) and a 22-month construction timeline, it stands as the largest, longest and most technically challenging transmission project in Shaanxi's grid history.

Its launch transformed Shaanxi's main grid layout from a ri-shaped framework into a tian-shaped structure. Transmission capacity from northern Shaanxi to Guanzhong rose from 6.05 to 9.5 gigawatts, and annual outward transmission capacity for northern Shaanxi's new-energy bases increased by 18 billion kilowatt-hours.

Meanwhile, the company finished 8,598 spring maintenance tasks to improve the condition of transmission and transformation equipment. It commissioned 210 new 10-kV lines and 2,401 distribution transformers, adding 1,599 megavolt-amperes of transformer capacity. Upgrades to a batch of aging equipment strengthened grid infrastructure at all voltage levels.

In early July, sustained high temperatures drove electricity demand higher, and Shaanxi's grid load set repeated records. The provincial grid hit a peak of 46.21 GW on July 9, climbing to 46.72 GW the next day. Seven regions including Xi'an, Baoji and Weinan saw 17 new all-time highs for grid load and daily power use. Xi'an's grid alone reached a peak load of 14.42 GW, up 4.8 percent year-on-year.

With alternating heat and heavy rain creating volatile load swings, State Grid Shaanxi optimized provincewide power balancing and dynamically raised adjustable capacity by 820 megawatts. It advanced operations in the spot power market, expanded cross-province power sharing, guided thermal units to ramp up for peak shaving, adjusted operational schedules on a rolling basis, and refined outage response plans to keep the grid running smoothly. While securing local supply, it sent power out of Shaanxi via four DC transmission channels to support nationwide guarantees.

To prioritize people's livelihoods, State Grid Shaanxi kept upgrading residential power facilities. It upgraded supply systems for 357 communities without direct grid service, 64 senior-care facilities and 114 high-rise residential compounds. It also renovated 132 low-voltage service zones and reinforced low-voltage networks in 54 neighborhoods, improving the reliability of household power at the source.

During the summer peak, the company rolled out detailed emergency plans. It created 812 custom power-supply plans for critical customers and 8,192 generator connection plans for residential communities. Local power branches developed tailored emergency guides for key neighborhoods, documenting equipment parameters, connection routes and operating workflows. When outages happen, crews can restore power quickly and shorten blackout durations.

Shaanxi faced 13 heavy rain events this summer. In August, intense rainfall hit many parts of Ankang. Some spots recorded 309.7 millimeters of cumulative precipitation, damaging power infrastructure. Once the flood alert was issued, State Grid Shaanxi Electric Power Company Ankang Power Supply Company activated flood emergency protocols, set up a frontline repair command hub, and mobilized crews and mobile generators to keep vital areas powered. Repair teams trekked through mountains and rivers to hunt for faults and worked around the clock to restore damaged assets.

During the summer peak, crews were dispatched 5,249 person-times, supported by 1,700 vehicle runs, 36 drones and 462 mobile generator deployments. Damaged facilities were repaired rapidly to restore service for residents and priority users.

Digital tools boosted the efficiency of grid inspections and maintenance over the summer. Leveraging digital transformation, State Grid Shaanxi adopted an integrated inspection model combining foot patrols, drone surveys and live partial-discharge dual-end testing, enabling round-the-clock monitoring of transmission, transformation and distribution gear.

From June through August, staff members across State Grid Shaanxi stayed on duty to safeguard stable grid operation. The company said it will keep refining safeguards for upcoming autumn maintenance and winter peak supply, delivering robust electric support for high-quality economic and social development across Shaanxi.