Bright spark helps keep lights on

From model workers and master craftsmen to factory hands and gig-economy workers, China's vast workforce is the bedrock of national development. Launched by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, this series shines a spotlight on the responsibility and resilience of the modern Chinese working class, documenting their struggles and stories from the front lines to showcase the dedication, craftsmanship and pioneering spirit driving progress across every sector.

Wang Yuepeng, a veteran powerline maintenance worker in Beijing, believes that "the best service is uninterrupted electricity", a simple creed that has guided his decades-long career safeguarding the city's power grid.

Wang, chief technician at the Changping branch of State Grid Beijing Electric Power Company and head of its live-line working team, has spent the past 28 years on the front line of live-line operations — the high-voltage specialty of working on energized 10,000-volt distribution networks — a skill that has earned him the nickname "a surgeon on a 10,000-volt wire".

Wang offered a small device called the "double-C clamp installation tool" as an example. "Installing a clamp on a live line is like performing a suturing operation," he said. "But our 'patient' is rather special; it carries 10,000 volts, so the risk is extremely high. We have to keep our distance while working and this tool allows our crew to do the job from afar. It's a double upgrade in both safety and efficiency, and it also fills a gap in domestic technology."

In 1998, fresh out of a power supply technical school in Beijing, Wang did not hesitate when faced with the high-risk task of live-line work on 10-kilovolt distribution lines.

"Someone has to do it, no matter how dangerous," he said. "We are trained in electricity. If we do not do it, who will?"

At the time, live-line work on distribution networks in China was still in its infancy. The tools were crude and workers had to climb poles to operate with insulated rods. The high voltages were never more than an arm's length away and danger was simply part of the job.

His early days tested his endurance in extreme cold and heat and his precision. In the dead of winter, he climbed poles in a non-breathable insulating suit worn over a thin shirt, tightening 8-millimeter screws despite three layers of gloves. In midsummer, temperatures inside the suit topped 40 C and sweat stung his eyes, yet every move stayed textbook-perfect.

"If there's one thing I'm really good at, it's persistence; sticking to the spirit of craftsmanship day in and day out," Wang said.

In 2024, Wang was named Beijing's No 001 Chief Technician. Decades of single-minded focus had long become instinct, carrying him from an ordinary apprentice to a top technical expert in live-line work.

"A company is an even bigger school," Wang said. He has never stopped learning; he has earned an associate degree from China Agricultural University and a bachelor's degree from Beijing Jiaotong University in his spare time, weaving theory and practice into a single strand.

In 2018, Wang led a team of more than 20 people to tackle a series of technical challenges. To address the safety hazard of swinging bypass jumper wires, they developed an "insulated jumper support for live-line work on distribution lines". After repeated tests, it was found to cut working time by one-third.

To reduce risks to workers, they spent 500 days designing and testing a 10-kV fully automatic live-line robot. Their other innovations, including a low-voltage cable laying vehicle and three types of quick-install clamps along with their installation tools, have filled multiple gaps in domestic technology.

"Technology is not private property; its true value lies in advancing the industry," Wang said.

He has published 19 papers, co-authored five books and helped draft eight standards. To date, Wang has trained 12 senior technicians and 41 technicians, and led his team to raise the area's live-line work rate to 98.74 percent, with a power supply reliability of 99.99 percent.

Wang is still on the front line of live-line work in power distribution. He said: "I want to keep innovating with my team and put more practical technologies into keeping the power on, so that every home shines a little brighter and warmer."

In 2025, Wang earned the title of Great Country Craftsman of the Year. He has also received several labor honors including National Model Worker and the National May 1 Labor Medal.