On the eve of Independence Day, the joy is made even more complete as the power grid infrastructure continues to expand, carrying the faith of ethnic communities toward a journey of building a new life.

Electricity arrives - Independence Day joy

Under the dry autumn sun of late August, Pa Phông village, Tủa Thàng commune, bustled like a festival day. The 50 kVA transformer substation was officially energized, delivering national grid electricity to households along the Đà River reservoir basin. For the local people, this joy was even more meaningful as it arrived right on the occasion of National Day on September 2, putting an end to long days of waiting for electric light.

As national grid electricity reached the village, Quàng Thị Hoa, owner of Pa Phông Homestay, was overjoyed. Being one of the pioneers developing reservoir tourism since 2023, she invested in one communal stilt house and five bungalows, capable of serving approximately 50 guests simultaneously. However, for years, the lack of grid power remained a major bottleneck in maintaining and expanding her services.

Quàng Thị Hoa shared: “Previously without electricity, we hardly dared to accept guests in the summer. In winter, having warm water for guest showers required firewood stoves; in the evening, running on battery power was only enough to charge phones and light a single bulb. On crowded days, we had to use a generator, which was noisy and consumed costly fuel. Food could not be preserved for long either, so our services were very limited.”

Now that the grid has arrived, all barriers and worries regarding development have been removed. Over recent days, Quàng Thị Hoa and her family refurbished the bungalows, installed electric fans, and made plans to purchase air conditioners, water heaters, and freezers to enhance service quality. “Now I am much more confident when taking bookings. For this holiday, my facility has been fully booked from August 30 through September 2,” Quàng Thị Hoa enthusiastically stated.

Pa Phông is not alone; since early August 2026, Tủa Chùa Power Company energized three additional 50 kVA substations in Háng Tơ Mang 2, Phiêng Bung 2, and Huổi Ca, bringing national grid power to more than 120 households across Tủa Chùa and Tủa Thàng communes. Earlier, in Huổi Xuân village, Na Sang commune, a rural electrification project featuring nearly 3 km of 35 kV medium-voltage lines, over 5.1 km of 0.4 kV low-voltage lines, and a 50 kVA transformer substation was also completed, supplying electricity to 95 households.

Trần Hồng Quân, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Na Sang commune, shared: “Huổi Xuân is an extremely disadvantaged village in the commune, with 100% of residents belonging to the Hmông ethnic group. For the villagers, Independence Day on September 2 carries special significance - it is an occasion to express gratitude to the Party and Uncle Hồ for bringing freedom and independence to the nation. Therefore, the arrival of the national power grid right before National Day made their joy even more complete. The villagers are delighted to participate in cultural and artistic events during the nation’s great celebration, but even happier that their village now has power. This provides the conditions for people to transform their production methods and daily lives, opening up further opportunities for economic development.”

Illuminating remote villages

Điện Biên features complex mountainous terrain, scattered populations, and many villages far from administrative centers. Therefore, bringing the power grid to every household in difficult areas constantly requires substantial resources, close coordination, and determined execution. Each completed project not only supplements essential infrastructure, but also contributes to narrowing the development gap, improving livelihoods, and securing social welfare.

In 2024, Điện Biên province officially approved and launched the “Brightening Điện Biên” Program. In this initiative, the rural electrification project for the 2024-2026 period has a total investment capital of VND 1,260 billion, aiming to supply power to 5,093 households across 110 villages in 47 communes within seven former districts. The construction encompasses over 365 km of 35 kV medium-voltage lines, 105 transformer substations with a combined capacity of 5,550 kVA, and nearly 160 km of low-voltage lines. Thereby, it completes electricity access for approximately 10,400 households, eradicating power “blind spots” across 118 highland villages.

Through the efforts of all administrative levels, by the end of 2025, Điện Biên had completed supplying national grid power to over 2,800 households across 70 villages, raising the province-wide electrification rate to over 96.29% (achieving 100.03% of the target). From the beginning of 2026 to date, 54 additional transformer substations have been energized, meeting the electricity needs of 53 villages in difficult areas.

Continuing to expand the coverage of power supply, in August 2026, the People’s Committee of Điện Biên province issued decisions allocating over VND 428 billion to implement seven rural electrification projects across former districts: Tủa Chùa, Mường Chà, Tuần Giáo, Điện Biên, Mường Ảng, Nậm Pồ, and Mường Nhé.

To ensure projects proceed on schedule, the Provincial People’s Committee requested the Provincial Civil and Industrial Works Project Management Board, in its role as investor, to urgently organize execution, manage and utilize capital purposefully, economically, and effectively, while taking responsibility for progress, disbursement outcomes, and fund utilization in compliance with current laws.

While financial resources have been arranged, completing power projects in the highlands still demands close coordination among the investor, the power sector, local authorities, and residents. From stringing power lines and installing substations to site clearance, each synchronized step contributes to bringing electricity to villages on schedule.

In Điện Biên province, power poles continue to rise across mountain forests, bringing light closer to remote homes nestled amid hardship. As the lights turn on, what lies ahead is not merely illuminated homes in the night, but added conditions for people to enhance their lives, develop production, and confidently advance on their path forward.