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.
U.S. Workers
15,950
Median Salary
$61,710
10-Year Growth
+1.6%
Annual Openings
1,600
Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
21 of 21 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Start, adjust, or stop generating units, operating valves, gates, or auxiliary equipment in hydroelectric power generating plants.
AI: Fully automatable - Starting, adjusting, and stopping generating units and actuated valves/gates can be fully automated using PLC/SCADA control logic augmented by AI optimization and safe sequence enforcement.
Operate hydroelectric plant equipment, such as turbines, pumps, valves, gates, fans, electric control boards, or battery banks.
AI: Fully automatable - Operating turbines, pumps, valves, fans, control boards, and battery banks is routinely handled by automated control systems and can be fully performed by AI when integrated with plant actuators and safety interlocks.
Communicate status of hydroelectric operating equipment to dispatchers or supervisors.
AI: Fully automatable - Telemetry, SCADA, and AI-driven alerting systems can automatically generate and communicate equipment status updates to dispatchers and supervisors.
Take readings and record data, such as water levels, temperatures, or flow rates.
AI: Fully automatable - Sensors and automated data-logging systems already take and record readings like water levels, temperatures, and flow rates without human input.
Maintain logs, reports, work requests, or other records of work performed in hydroelectric plants.
AI: Fully automatable - AI and software can automatically maintain logs, generate reports, and populate work requests from sensor feeds, system events, and voice notes.
Operate high voltage switches or related devices in hydropower stations.
AI: Partial - AI can remotely command motorized high‑voltage switchgear and support decision logic, yet safety, regulatory constraints, and complex situational judgment mean human operators typically retain responsibility.
Identify or address malfunctions of hydroelectric plant operational equipment, such as generators, transformers, or turbines.
AI: Partial - AI systems can detect and diagnose many faults from sensor and operational data and recommend corrective actions, but physically addressing malfunctions (repairs, disassembly) and complex root‑cause work remain largely manual.
Inspect water-powered electric generators or auxiliary equipment in hydroelectric plants to verify proper operation or to determine maintenance or repair needs.
AI: Partial - AI-enabled sensors, drones, and analytics can perform many inspections and flag maintenance needs, but thorough hands‑on inspections and nuanced judgement for repair planning still require humans.
Implement load or switching orders in hydroelectric plants, in accordance with specifications or instructions.
AI: Partial - Implementing load or switching orders in hydroelectric plants is safety‑critical and subject to regulatory and on‑site human oversight, so AI can assist and automate routine sequences but typically cannot assume full autonomous control as of 2025.
Perform preventive or corrective containment or cleanup measures in hydroelectric plants to prevent environmental contamination.
AI: Partial - AI can detect contamination risks, coordinate containment protocols, and guide cleanup robots, but many corrective containment and cleanup actions still need human responders and manual work.
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.
AI: Partial - AI can support diagnostics, parts ordering, and step‑by‑step repair instructions, yet hands‑on maintenance and complex mechanical/electrical repairs require skilled human technicians.
Monitor hydroelectric power plant equipment operation and performance, adjusting to performance specifications, as necessary.
AI: Partial - AI can continuously monitor sensor data and make or recommend control adjustments within set parameters, but complex tuning and unforeseen faults still typically require human judgment and intervention.
Install or calibrate electrical or mechanical equipment, such as motors, engines, switchboards, relays, switch gears, meters, pumps, hydraulics, or flood channels.
AI: Partial - Installation and precise on-site calibration involve manual dexterity, mechanical adjustments, and situational judgment that AI can assist with but not fully perform in most field contexts in 2025.
Lift and move loads, using cranes, hoists, and rigging, to install or repair hydroelectric system equipment or infrastructure.
AI: Partial - Automated lifting and teleoperated cranes exist for repeatable tasks, but complex rigging and variable on-site lifting operations remain largely manual and require human oversight.
Splice or terminate cables or electrical wiring in hydroelectric plants.
AI: Partial - Automated cable preparation and some splicing tools exist, but complex field terminations in hydroelectric environments and safety/regulatory requirements generally require human technicians.
Change oil, hydraulic fluid, or other lubricants to maintain condition of hydroelectric plant equipment.
AI: Partial - Changing oils and lubricants is a hands-on maintenance task that AI can schedule, monitor, and provide instructions for but generally cannot execute autonomously on-site in 2025.
Perform tunnel or field inspections of hydroelectric plant facilities or resources.
AI: Partial - Drones, robotic crawlers, and computer vision can perform many tunnel and field inspections remotely, but confined-space, complex, or nuanced inspections still often require human technicians.
Connect metal parts or components in hydroelectric plants by welding, soldering, riveting, tapping, bolting, bonding, or screwing.
AI: Partial - Robotic welding and joining are mature for controlled, repetitive tasks, but varied on-site connections in hydro plants typically need skilled human welders with AI only providing assistance.
Test and repair or replace electrical equipment, such as circuit breakers, station batteries, cable trays, conduits, or control devices.
AI: Partial - Automated diagnostics and remote testing can identify many faults, but physical repair or replacement of breakers, batteries, and control devices still typically needs skilled human electricians.
Erect scaffolds, platforms, or hoisting frames to access hydroelectric plant machinery or infrastructure for repair or replacement.
AI: Partial - AI can plan and optimize scaffold erection, but the physical, safety-sensitive work of erecting scaffolds and hoisting frames remains predominantly manual in 2025.
Cut, bend, or shape metal for applications in hydroelectric plants, using equipment such as hydraulic benders or pipe threaders.
AI: Partial - Robotic metalworking and CNC equipment can cut and shape metal, but on-site, variable hydroelectric plant tasks using hydraulic benders or pipe threaders still require human setup, judgment, and dexterity.