Zhumadian, Henan: Multi-pronged measures ensure resilient winter power supply

Maintenance crews from State Grid Henan Electric Power's Zhumadian branch were carrying out intensive inspections on high-load substations and transformer districts on Nov 30, eliminating defects in lines and equipment to keep the grid stable as winter demand peaks.

With household heating loads rising steadily, the company planned early, placed livelihoods first and activated a full suite of winter-supply measures built around four "hold-the-line" priorities.

Winter work sites are tougher and riskier, so maintenance is scheduled around seasonal grid behavior. A remote-and-on-site supervision model enforces end-to-end risk control and standardized procedures, ensuring that emergency repairs never become extra hazards.

Manual and drone patrols conduct lean inspections of substations, urban lifeline feeders, ultra-high voltage dense corridors and "three-span" sections. Ice accretion, foreign objects, abnormal sag and insulator creepage are caught and cleared before they can threaten reliability.

At the same time, district managers use grid-based channels, including customer WeChat groups, to disseminate safety tips, weather alerts, and outage notices in real time, giving key clients and residents the lead time they need to prepare.

A data-driven winter peak plan — refined from past seasons — covers freeze protection and disaster prevention. Joint briefings with meteorologists allow operating modes to be adjusted dynamically as cold waves evolve. Emergency materials are pre-positioned, and twelve rapid-response teams remain on call 24 hours a day, ensuring any fault is repaired before it affects customers.