Alternate Title(s) | N/A |
Minimum Education Requirements | High school diploma or equivalent |
Salary | See Bureau of Labor Statistics for more information |
Job Skills | - Concentration skills. Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers must be careful, attentive, and persistent. They must be able to concentrate on a task, such as monitoring the temperature of reactors over a certain length of time without being distracted. - Detail oriented. Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers must monitor complex controls and intricate machinery to ensure that everything is operating properly. - Dexterity. Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers must use precise and repeated motions when working in a control room. - Mechanical skills. Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers must know how to work with machines and use tools. They must be familiar with how to operate, repair, and maintain equipment. - Problem-solving skills. Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers must find and quickly solve problems that arise with equipment or controls. |
Job Duties | Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers typically do the following: - Control power-generating equipment, which may use any one type of fuel, such as coal, nuclear fuel, or natural gas - Read charts, meters, and gauges to monitor voltage and electricity flows - Check equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems - Adjust controls to regulate the flow of power - Start or stop generators, turbines, and other equipment as necessary |
Job Profile | Electricity is one of our nation’s most vital resources. Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers control power plants and the flow of electricity from plants to substations, which distribute electricity to businesses, homes, and factories. Electricity is generated from many sources, including coal, gas, nuclear energy, hydroelectric energy (from water sources), and wind and solar power. |
The information presented within this occupational profile was synthesized from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Handbook of Occupational Groups & Families.