How to become a Hydroelectric Plant Technician 2024

Hydroelectric Plant Technician Monitor and control activities associated with hydropower generation. Operate plant equipment, such as turbines, pumps, valves, gates, fans, electric control boards, and battery banks. Monitor equipment operation and performance and make necessary adjustments to ensure optimal performance. Perform equipment maintenance and repair as necessary.

Hydroelectric Plant Technician is Also Know as

In different settings, Hydroelectric Plant Technician is titled as

Hydro Plant Technician
Hydro Technician
Hydroelectric Mechanic
Hydroelectric Operations and Maintenance Technician (Hydro O and M Technician)
Hydroelectric Plant Technician
Operations and Maintenance Technician (O and M Technician)
Plant Mechanic
Power Plant Mechanic
Power Plant Operator
Power Plant Technician

Education and Training of Hydroelectric Plant Technician

Hydroelectric Plant Technician is categorized in Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience Required for Hydroelectric Plant Technician

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Education Required for Hydroelectric Plant Technician

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Degrees Related to Hydroelectric Plant Technician

Training Required for Hydroelectric Plant Technician

Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Related Ocuupations

Some Ocuupations related to Hydroelectric Plant Technician in different industries are

What Do Hydroelectric Plant Technician do?

Identify or address malfunctions of hydroelectric plant operational equipment, such as generators, transformers, or turbines.
Monitor hydroelectric power plant equipment operation and performance, adjusting to performance specifications, as necessary.
Start, adjust, or stop generating units, operating valves, gates, or auxiliary equipment in hydroelectric power generating plants.
Communicate status of hydroelectric operating equipment to dispatchers or supervisors.
Implement load or switching orders in hydroelectric plants, in accordance with specifications or instructions.
Inspect water-powered electric generators or auxiliary equipment in hydroelectric plants to verify proper operation or to determine maintenance or repair needs.
Install or calibrate electrical or mechanical equipment, such as motors, engines, switchboards, relays, switch gears, meters, pumps, hydraulics, or flood channels.
Maintain logs, reports, work requests, or other records of work performed in hydroelectric plants.
Maintain or repair hydroelectric plant electrical, mechanical, or electronic equipment, such as motors, transformers, voltage regulators, generators, relays, battery systems, air compressors, sump pumps, gates, or valves.
Operate high voltage switches or related devices in hydropower stations.
Operate hydroelectric plant equipment, such as turbines, pumps, valves, gates, fans, electric control boards, or battery banks.
Take readings and record data, such as water levels, temperatures, or flow rates.
Test and repair or replace electrical equipment, such as circuit breakers, station batteries, cable trays, conduits, or control devices.
Change oil, hydraulic fluid, or other lubricants to maintain condition of hydroelectric plant equipment.
Connect metal parts or components in hydroelectric plants by welding, soldering, riveting, tapping, bolting, bonding, or screwing.
Cut, bend, or shape metal for applications in hydroelectric plants, using equipment such as hydraulic benders or pipe threaders.
Erect scaffolds, platforms, or hoisting frames to access hydroelectric plant machinery or infrastructure for repair or replacement.
Lift and move loads, using cranes, hoists, and rigging, to install or repair hydroelectric system equipment or infrastructure.
Perform preventive or corrective containment or cleanup measures in hydroelectric plants to prevent environmental contamination.
Perform tunnel or field inspections of hydroelectric plant facilities or resources.
Splice or terminate cables or electrical wiring in hydroelectric plants.

Qualities of Good Hydroelectric Plant Technician

Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
Gross Body Equilibrium: The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
Depth Perception: The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Dynamic Strength: The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
Memorization: The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
Gross Body Coordination: The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
Stamina: The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
Response Orientation: The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
Wrist-Finger Speed: The ability to make fast, simple, repeated movements of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
Glare Sensitivity: The ability to see objects in the presence of a glare or bright lighting.
Sound Localization: The ability to tell the direction from which a sound originated.
Explosive Strength: The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or sprinting), or to throw an object.
Peripheral Vision: The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.
Spatial Orientation: The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
Night Vision: The ability to see under low-light conditions.
Dynamic Flexibility: The ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Speed of Limb Movement: The ability to quickly move the arms and legs.

Tools Used by Hydroelectric Plant Technician

Adjustable hand wrenches
Channel lock pliers
Clamp-on ammeters
Claw hammers
Combustion turbines
Cordless drills
Desktop computers
Digital multimeters
Drill presses
Forklifts
Grease guns
Hydroelectric generating units
Laptop computers
Level probes
Mobile radios
Personal computers
Phillips head screwdrivers
Portable welding equipment
Power grinders
Power saws
Programmable logic controllers PLC
Protective ear muffs
Protective respirators
Ratchet sets
Scaffolding
Socket wrench sets
Staging equipment
Steam turbines
Straight screwdrivers
Turning lathes
Water flow meters
Water pressure gauges
Water temperature gauges
Wire cutters
Wire strippers
Workshop cranes

Technology Skills required for Hydroelectric Plant Technician

Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
Distributed control system DCS
IBM Lotus Notes
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Office software
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Word
Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
Web browser software

US Universities

How to become Hydroelectric Plant Technician in 2024