Operate energy production equipment.

Operate energy production equipment. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 3 occupations and seen in 15 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Operate energy production or distribution equipment. in Controlling Machines and Processes .

Detailed work activities are the most granular shared layer in O*NET's work-activity hierarchy (Generalized → Intermediate → Detailed → occupation-specific task). The figures below describe how this activity shows up across the economy and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the work will be automated.

AI exposure

Of the 15 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 1 (7%) are flagged as directly exposed to language models (E1) or exposed via model-powered tools (E2).

Exposure estimates overlap with model capabilities — whether a model could speed the task up — not whether the work will be done by software. Observed AI use is augmentation and assistance today, not jobs replaced.

Member tasks

Occupation-specific tasks O*NET maps to this detailed work activity, most important first.

• Operate nuclear power reactors in accordance with policies and procedures to protect workers from radiation and to ensure environmental safety. · Nuclear Power Reactor Operators · importance 4.9 · no direct exposure
• Control generator output to match the phase, frequency, or voltage of electricity supplied to panels. · Power Plant Operators · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Monitor or operate boilers, turbines, wells, or auxiliary power plant equipment. · Nuclear Power Reactor Operators · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Control power generating equipment, including boilers, turbines, generators, or reactors, using control boards or semi-automatic equipment. · Power Plant Operators · importance 4.6 · no direct exposure
• Implement operational procedures, such as those controlling start-up or shut-down activities. · Nuclear Power Reactor Operators · importance 4.5 · exposure with tools
• Start or stop generators, auxiliary pumping equipment, turbines, or other power plant equipment as necessary. · Power Plant Operators · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Operate or maintain distributed power generation equipment, including fuel cells or microturbines, to produce energy on-site for manufacturing or other commercial purposes. · Power Plant Operators · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Open and close valves and switches in sequence to start or shut down auxiliary units. · Power Plant Operators · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Operate or tend stationary engines, boilers, and auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, compressors, or air-conditioning equipment, to supply and maintain steam or heat for buildings, marine vessels, or pneumatic tools. · Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Operate, control, or monitor gasifiers or related equipment, such as coolers, water quenches, water gas shifts reactors, or sulfur recovery units, to produce syngas or electricity from coal. · Power Plant Operators · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Start, adjust, or stop generating units, operating valves, gates, or auxiliary equipment in hydroelectric power generating plants. · Hydroelectric Plant Technicians · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Operate high voltage switches or related devices in hydropower stations. · Hydroelectric Plant Technicians · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Operate hydroelectric plant equipment, such as turbines, pumps, valves, gates, fans, electric control boards, or battery banks. · Hydroelectric Plant Technicians · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Implement load or switching orders in hydroelectric plants, in accordance with specifications or instructions. · Hydroelectric Plant Technicians · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Operate, control, or monitor integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) or related equipment, such as air separation units, to generate electricity from coal. · Power Plant Operators · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure

Occupations that perform this

• Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
• Power Plant Operators
• Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-operate-energy-production-equipment,
  title  = {Operate energy production equipment.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/detailed-activities/operate-energy-production-equipment}
}