State Grid initiative provides alternative habitats for storks

Faced with the challenge of Oriental white storks in Gaoyou, Jiangsu province, choosing to nest on transmission towers due to a lack of tall trees — which led to power line faults and threatened the birds' survival — a power utility company's efforts have delivered both conservation and energy security gains.

In response to the Oriental white storks problematic nesting habits, State Grid Yangzhou Power Supply Company came up with technical innovation. By implementing satellite tracking devices and creating a data platform, the company successfully prevented the nationally protected bird from nesting on high-voltage transmission towers and causing frequent electrical faults.

They also refined tower designs and developed specialized barriers to prevent nesting debris from causing short circuits, the company said during this year's United Nations climate change conference, or COP30.

The population of Oriental white storks in Gaoyou has now increased to nearly 300, and a key 220 kV transmission line has achieved nine consecutive years with zero unplanned outages.

The protective technology developed by the utility company has even been adopted by Brazilian electric power counterparts, positioning the project as a "China solution" for the synergistic development of global biodiversity protection and energy security.