In the early afternoon, at Xiaojia Village in Tielou Tibetan Township, Wen County, a persistent ten-day rain was growing heavier. Inside the Tielou Power Supply Station of State Grid Wen County Electric Power Company, Ma Xiaoyun, the head of the power service team, was deeply worried. Around 4 p.m., the roaring sound of a flood suddenly came from the Baima River outside, and the overhead lights went out instantly. "Oh no! A flood is coming." Ma Xiaoyun suddenly remembered a key power consumer in the area, the Baima River Conservation Station upstream, which safeguards the panda homeland. He tried to call, but the signal was cut off. "With the power out, even meals become a problem, let alone work." Ma Xiaoyun and his colleagues carried out a gasoline generator and prepared to deliver it to the station, but when they went outside, the road in front of the door had been washed away. The next morning, as soon as a section of the road was cleared, Ma Xiaoyun and his colleagues loaded the generator and headed into the mountains. Walking, stopping, carrying the load on their shoulders, they covered 32 kilometers of mountain road and arrived at 9 p.m. The generator started, the lights came on, and the panda images transmitted back by infrared cameras could be viewed again. This scene from after the Wen County flood on August 17, 2020, is still remembered by the staff of State Grid Wen County Electric Power Company and the Baima River Conservation Station. It was also from this timely assistance that a picture of ecology where light and green embrace has been painted ever longer across the mountains and rivers of Longnan.

Longnan is an important ecological barrier in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. More than 620 species of terrestrial wild vertebrates live in the area, and rare creatures such as giant pandas, golden monkeys, takins, and crested ibises breed and thrive here. It is one of the regions with the richest biodiversity in China and the location of the Gansu section of the Giant Panda National Park. Protecting biodiversity cannot be separated from the support of electric power. Providing round-the-clock, stable, and reliable power supply for the Giant Panda National Park is the first priority. At noon on September 17, on the monitoring screen of the wildlife rescue station of the Gansu Administration of the Giant Panda National Park, clumsy and adorable giant pandas strolled leisurely in the forest, while vigorous blue sheep leaped like elves across steep cliffs. "These are undisturbed encounters," said Station Director Liu Zhi. "This comes from the bionic tree monitoring towers deployed in the core protection area. They carry 5G networks and are connected in real time with the monitoring screen in the station." Speaking of this, Liu Zhi brought up an image from one bionic tree monitoring tower. The bionic tree blends into the surrounding forest. In the lower middle part of the trunk is a heat-source sensing system. After sensing an animal, it automatically sends a signal to the two dual-spectrum dome cameras above, which activate rotating cameras to take 360-degree footage. When working at night, it emits no light and does not disturb animal activity. At the top of the trunk is a high-definition camera used to look into the distance and monitor fire conditions. "Its advantage is that it can automatically transmit images back in real time," Liu Zhi said. Yet these devices cannot operate for a moment without electricity. For this reason, optical cables and power cables were buried for each bionic tree. The confidence for this lies in the upgrading of the power grid. Liu Zhi recalled that before electricity was connected in 2016, staff at the conservation station had to carry 40 to 50 jin of luggage and hike over mountains to survey animal activity traces and other conditions. Inside the station, lighting relied only on lamps, and taking a hot shower was even more of a luxury. Later, infrared cameras were introduced, but new batteries still had to be replaced one by one every three or four months, and the timeliness of the images was not strong. With electricity connected, not only have the living conditions of the staff improved, but animal protection measures and capabilities have also continued to upgrade. In particular, in 2021, in order to restore and rebuild the power grid destroyed by the flood on August 17, 2020, in Wen County, State Grid Gansu Electric Power Company allocated funds to build two "power lifeline" projects for the Gansu section of the Giant Panda National Park. According to the construction standards for 110 kV and 35 kV grid lines, a new 25-kilometer 10 kV main power supply line from the county seat toward the Tielou Power Supply Station, the Cheng-Tie Line, was built, with the entire line supported by steel towers. The 15-kilometer 10 kV line from the Tielou Power Supply Station to Yangga Village at the entrance of the Giant Panda National Park, the Tie-Yang Line, was renovated. The two lines can connect at any time, so if one line fails, the other can seamlessly continue supplying power. As of September 2026, more than 1,500 infrared cameras have been deployed cumulatively in the Gansu section of the Giant Panda National Park, including 680 cameras capable of real-time backhaul, and 14 bionic tree monitoring towers. An integrated intelligent monitoring system of space, sky, and ground has been built to carry out round-the-clock three-dimensional monitoring of hydrology, meteorology, fire conditions, wild animals and plants, and more. Liu Zhi acknowledged that with reliable electricity as a backing, biodiversity protection can rely on digital and intelligent means. In Luotang Town, Wudu District, a transmission line under renovation is distributed along the road, avoiding forest areas.

While strengthening the power grid, State Grid Longnan Electric Power Company also carried out a simultaneous "self-revolution." In response to the reality that Longnan's power grid towers are arranged along mountain ridges and lines cross canyons, it launched a "proactive avoidance" campaign. In the early stages of new grid construction, renovation, and line planning, State Grid Longnan Electric Power Company proactively surveyed core wildlife habitats, activity corridors, and ecologically sensitive areas in its jurisdiction, changing routes and making detours in advance, so as to avoid from the source the occupation of animal living space and damage to native mountain forest ecology by grid construction. The renovation of the 10 kV Tie-Yang Line is a typical case. Before the renovation was completed in 2022, this 15-kilometer 10 kV line, apart from 5 kilometers along the road, crossed forest areas near Zhaikeqiao Village and Qiujiaba Village in Tielou Tibetan Township, Wen County. During the 2022 renovation, State Grid Longnan Electric Power Company avoided the original line that crossed the forest area, and resolutely implemented the change even if it meant detouring dozens of kilometers. "The new line was rerouted along the highway outside the forest area and became 20 kilometers long. Bare aluminum conductors were also changed to insulated wires to reduce fire risks. The 16 newly put-into-use transformers were all equipped with noise-reduction devices," introduced Zhu Jiping, deputy director of the Wencheng Power Supply Station. "Now there are no more grid lines in this forest area." The renovation of two 10 kV lines in Wudu District is another example. On September 16, beside a rural road in Xuanwan Village, Luotang Town, Wudu District, new poles stood at equal intervals, and construction workers were installing fittings on the poles. Wang Wugang, director of the Luotang Power Supply Station of State Grid Wudu District Electric Power Company, introduced that they are advancing the renovation of 140 kilometers of 10 kV power supply lines from Wuma to Yuhe and from Fengxiang to Luotang. The newly renovated lines are distributed along roads and barren slopes and do not cross forest areas, making way for golden monkeys and other animals in the Gansu Yuhe National Nature Reserve. For this reason, the new line detours 40 kilometers more than the old line. The Luotang Power Supply Station serves the electricity needs of five townships in Wudu District: Luotang, Yuhe, Pipa, Wuma, and Fengxiang, with more than 560 kilometers of 10 kV lines, 80% of which cross forest areas. In order to reduce hidden dangers of forest fires and protect wildlife habitats, in March 2025, State Grid Longnan Electric Power Company, in conjunction with rural power grid renovation projects, took the lead in implementing forest-avoidance renovation of the 10 kV Wu-Yu Line and Feng-Wei Line. Up to now, in new and renovated grid lines, State Grid Longnan Electric Power Company has cumulatively avoided 39 ecological red-line areas, with the longest detour for a single line exceeding 20 kilometers. As lines detour, people also detour as much as possible. State Grid Longnan Electric Power Company organizes frontline operation and maintenance personnel, in their spare time, to survey mountain by mountain and line by line key information such as takin drinking paths, golden monkey breeding slopes, migratory bird wintering valleys, and musk deer migration routes. They divide grid-covered areas into three major zones: core habitats, mountain villages, and suburbs, and establish an ecological management ledger of "one file per mountain, one booklet per line." According to the ledger, staggered operation and maintenance rules are strictly implemented: do not enter the mountains during the morning and evening peak periods when animals forage and rest; do not arrange large-scale construction operations during breeding seasons or migration seasons; and manual patrol routes proactively avoid animal trails. Employees often joke that they and the creatures in the mountains are now like shift partners, since the animals are active in the morning and evening while the workers patrol at noon, without disturbing each other. A tower-mounted drone rises from its "nest" to inspect lines.

Beyond not disturbing, is there still untapped potential? Based on the actual conditions of the mountain power grid, State Grid Longnan Electric Power Company uses digital and intelligent operation and maintenance to empower the safe and stable operation of lines. On the afternoon of September 18, at the Transmission Operation and Inspection Center of State Grid Longnan Electric Power Company in Cheng County, the large screen of the transmission panoramic smart control platform displayed real-time online monitoring data, channel visualization monitoring footage, and drone inspection images. Behind this is the center's deep application of technological empowerment to grid inspections. It is understood that the center operates and maintains 92 lines of 35 kV and above, totaling 2,605.287 kilometers. In front of the large screen, Pang Yunfei, a member of the drone operations team, operated the drone control platform on the computer and clicked the mouse to issue a takeoff task to a tower-mounted "nest" on a 330 kV line tower in Niujiazhuang Village, Longxing Town, Wudu District. After the command was issued, the 0.5-meter-square "nest" opened automatically, and a quadrotor drone rose into the air. Following a planned flight path, it photographed the surrounding lines and environment, and the images were automatically transmitted back in real time. "Solar panels are installed on the tower, paired with a constant-temperature distribution cabinet and a 14-kWh large-capacity battery pack to ensure uninterrupted power supply, allowing standby cruising at any time, while the 5G network ensures real-time image backhaul," Pang Yunfei introduced. "With traditional manual inspections, it takes 4 to 5 hours from discovering an abnormality on site to completing disposal. But the tower-mounted 'nest' only needs 20 minutes to discover an abnormality and shortens the disposal time to 1 hour." At present, the center has achieved full coverage of autonomous drone inspections for lines of 110 kV and above. At the same time, it is exploring and expanding applications in many aspects, carrying out operations such as line-following flights, rapid inspections of transmission line channels, infrared temperature measurement of key parts, live-line drone water washing of toughened glass insulators, "drone plus de-icing rod" operations, drone X-ray nondestructive testing, and drone flame-throwing removal of foreign objects. Ma Xiaofeng, deputy director of the center, introduced that large-scale drone inspections and visual online monitoring in the hall complement each other, building integrated three-dimensional operation and maintenance of space, sky, and ground. Eighty percent of high-altitude line inspections are completed automatically by drones, and online real-time control of line operation risks across the entire area replaces part of manual work, achieving both grid security and ecological protection. The "eagle eyes" in the sky detect hidden dangers quickly and accurately, and also provide precise reference for clearing obstacles from conductors. In recent years, State Grid Longnan Electric Power Company has joined with the Baishuijiang Branch of the Forest Public Security Bureau of the Provincial Public Security Department to carry out regular obstacle clearing work on conductors. "This work is very important," said Wang Wugang, who has participated in line clearing many times. If trees near the grid grow too tall and lean against power lines in strong winds, friction with the electric arc can create safety hazards. In winter and spring, when trees are dry, it can cause fires. In summer and autumn, when trees are moist, they can become conductors when struck by power lines, forming a ground connection, and the ground within a radius of 8 meters becomes electrified. If a wire falls to the ground, it is even more dangerous. If people or animals enter, a step voltage forms as they walk, creating a risk of electric shock. With the support of intelligent inspections and police-electricity coordination, State Grid Longnan Electric Power Company promptly completed obstacle clearing operations and ensured forest ecological security. To protect biodiversity, addition and subtraction must be handled properly, and conforming to nature is key. There are many animals in the mountains, and encountering injured or trapped wild animals during line patrols is common. In order to avoid secondary harm caused by blind handling, State Grid Longnan Electric Power Company issued the Handbook for the Care of Mountain Treasures to frontline teams, clearly explaining common species habits, basic rescue steps, and emergency contact methods, and clarifying the handling principles: "first evacuate people, do not feed at will, do not touch blindly, carry out simple treatment under safe conditions, and contact forestry authorities as soon as possible." Once, when Zhang Ge, deputy director of the Jiangkou Power Supply Station of State Grid Li County Electric Power Company, and others were inspecting the 35 kV Jiangkou substation, they found a wild animal at the corner of a wall with an injured hind leg, unable to stand. The employees on site immediately evacuated onlookers, reminded everyone not to approach or feed it to avoid worsening the animal's stress and injuries. Then they carefully moved it to a cool, ventilated place, made a simple fixation for the injured leg, cleaned the wound, prepared clean water and food, and contacted the forestry police station of the Taoping Forest Farm in Li County. Around 11 a.m. that day, forestry department personnel arrived and confirmed that the animal was a musk deer, a national first-class protected animal, whose hind leg was fractured after falling from a high cliff. Follow-up feedback from the forestry department indicated that the musk deer had fully recovered and was successfully released back into the mountains. This incident later became a "living textbook" for animal rescue at various power supply stations in Longnan. In 2026, State Grid Longnan Electric Power Company piloted the Mountain Treasures Homecoming Plan at Wudu Electric Power Company, Wen County Electric Power Company, and the Transmission Operation and Inspection Center, integrating scattered ecological protection actions into a standardized work system that can be implemented, replicated, and promoted, turning "life protection" from a spontaneous act into a standard action. If people do not fail the green mountains, the green mountains will certainly not fail the people. This consciousness and initiative to coordinate with multiple departments to protect ecology is being transformed into inspiring ecological results: the activity range of giant pandas in the Gansu section of the Giant Panda National Park has significantly expanded, the takin population has grown, blue sheep once difficult to find now appear frequently, and the biodiversity map is constantly being renewed. In recent years, the Baishuijiang Ecological Experience Hall, the Baishuijiang Natural History Museum, and the Giant Panda Field Research Base have attracted tens of thousands of young people to visit and study. Through diverse forms such as VR experiences and forest classrooms, they perceive nature's gifts and sow the seeds of ecological protection. Steel towers stand on mountain peaks, and silver lines stretch through the clouds. For employees of State Grid Longnan Electric Power Company, guarding every line also means guarding every piece of mountain forest; lighting every lamp also means lighting the hope of survival for every living creature. This embrace of light and green is still writing new stories deep in the Qinba Mountains. Employees of State Grid Longnan Electric Power Company pick up litter while patrolling lines.

Reporter's Note: Protecting Green Can Be So Vivid

During interviews, this reporter saw and heard story after story of ecological protection, and they shared one common feature: doing it consciously and proactively. Based on the ecological characteristics of the Longnan region, State Grid Longnan Electric Power Company integrates biodiversity protection into the entire process of power grid planning, construction, and operation and maintenance. It does not depart from its main business. All work revolves around grid planning, construction, and operation and maintenance. It is not an extra "side business," but rather adds a dimension of ecological protection to its main work, making it easy for frontline units to execute and implement. It is embedded in the whole process. From early planning and mid-term construction to daily operation and maintenance and emergency response, each link has corresponding standards, achieving full-chain coverage of ecological protection. It is down-to-earth and replicable. All content comes from real practice at the frontline, without false indicators or empty formalities. Once the pilot matures, it can be quickly promoted to all counties and districts across the city. Ecological protection is not achieved overnight, and being conscious and proactive is precisely the internal driving force that transforms the consensus on loving and protecting green into vivid practice. As the pilot scope expands, intelligent applications deepen, linkage mechanisms improve, and publicity and guidance strengthen, a new model of green production will surely take shape, gathering strong synergy for the construction of a beautiful Gansu.