About This Career

Controls, operates, or maintains machinery to generate electric power. Includes auxiliary equipment operators.

This career is part of the Energy cluster Production pathway.

A person in this career:

• Adjusts controls to generate specified electrical power or to regulate the flow of power between generating stations and substations.
• Monitors power plant equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems.
• Controls generator output to match the phase, frequency, or voltage of electricity supplied to panels.
• Controls or maintain auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, fans, compressors, condensers, feedwater heaters, filters, or chlorinators, to supply water, fuel, lubricants, air, or auxiliary power.
• Controls power generating equipment, including boilers, turbines, generators, or reactors, using control boards or semi-automatic equipment.
• Starts or stops generators, auxiliary pumping equipment, turbines, or other power plant equipment as necessary.
• Opens and close valves and switches in sequence to start or shut down auxiliary units.
• Communicates with systems operators to regulate and coordinate line voltages and transmission loads and frequencies.
• Inspects records or log book entries or communicates with plant personnel to assess equipment operating status.
• Regulates equipment operations and conditions, such as water levels, based on instrument data or from computers.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Lighting is either extremely bright or inadequate
• Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Exposed to conditions such as high voltage electricity, combustibles, explosives, and chemicals more than once a month
• Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time
• Work at heights above 8 feet more than once a month on structures such as ladders, poles, scaffolding, and catwalks

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Rotating shift work
• Weekend work