Coordinate, regulate, or distribute electricity or steam.

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

1. Respond to emergencies, such as transformer or transmission line failures, and route current around affected areas.

2. Prepare switching orders that will isolate work areas without causing power outages, referring to drawings of power systems.

3. Control, monitor, or operate equipment that regulates or distributes electricity or steam, using data obtained from instruments or computers.

4. Coordinate with engineers, planners, field personnel, and other utility workers to provide information such as clearances, switching orders, and distribution process changes.

5. Direct personnel engaged in controlling and operating distribution equipment and machinery, for example, instructing control room operators to start boilers and generators.

6. Distribute and regulate the flow of power between entities such as generating stations, substations, distribution lines, and users, keeping track of the status of circuits and connections.

7. Monitor and record switchboard and control board readings to ensure that electrical or steam distribution equipment is operating properly.

8. Track conditions that could affect power needs, such as changes in the weather, and adjust equipment to meet any anticipated changes.

9. Manipulate controls to adjust and activate power distribution equipment and machines.

10. Calculate and determine load estimates or equipment requirements, in order to determine required control settings.

11. Record and compile operational data, such as chart and meter readings, power demands, and usage and operating times, using transmission system maps.

Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Troubleshooting - Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.

Training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.

There are no school programs currently associated with this occupation

In US the average wage for this occupation was:

$41,120 for entry level workers, and $78,570 for experienced workers.

Based on the total number of annual openings and its growth rate, the employment prospects for this occupation are described as Least Favorable.

During 2006, there were approximately 8,571 Power Distributors and Dispatchers employed in US.

We estimate that in 2016 there will be 8,153  employed in US. This represents a decrease of 0 job(s) each year, and a total of 0 job openings each year.

Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers - Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.

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Nuclear Power Reactor Operators - Control nuclear reactors.

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