Knowledge Needed for Technician Careers in Energy Industries

What do you need to know for a technician career in energy? It depends both on which part of the energy industry you choose and your particular occupation.

Use this chart to find the knowledge needed to enter each of the energy industries. Then click on a technician specialty area to find specific knowledge needed for a career within that occupation AND industry.

Click on the industry icons in the left column to explore the industries as well as occupations within those industries.

Industry	Knowledge Needed in This Industry	Technician Specialty
Coal-fired Electrical Power Generation	Power plant fundamentals P&ID reading Basic math Basic electricity Boilers Steam turbines and generators Steam and water cycle	Operations Mechanical maintenance technician Electricians Instrumentation and control technicians
Natural gas-fired Electrical Power Generation	Pipeline industry fundamentals P&ID reading Basic math Basic electricity	Operations Mechanical maintenance technician Electricians Instrumentation and control technicians
Wind Electrical Power Generation	Wind farm fundamentals P&ID reading Basic math Basic electricity	Operations  Mechanical maintenance technician  Electricians  Instrumentation and control technicians
Solar Power Generation	Solar energy basics Basic math Basic electricity Environmental earth science	Installers Designers Sales Site assessors
Ethanol Production	Process plant fundamentals P&ID reading Basic math Basic electricity Boilers Steam and water cycle	Operations Mechanical maintenance technician Electricians Instrumentation and control technicians
Biodiesel Production	Process plant fundamentals P&ID reading Basic math Basic electricity Boilers Steam and water cycle	Operations Mechanical maintenance technician Electricians Instrumentation and control technicians
Natural Gas Distribution	Pipeline industry fundamentals P&ID reading Basic math Basic electricity	The natural gas distribution industry has a training program mandated by the Department of Transportation and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. All new hires are placed into a two-year operator training program. Upon completion, the employee is entitled to choose any of the following craft trades listed below: Operations technician Liquefied natural gas operations Corrosion technician Mechanic Environmental technician Instrument & controls technician Welding/heavy equipment operator

Occupation-specific Knowledge Needed in this Industry

Coal-fired Electrical Power Generation: Operations - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Plant electrical systems
• Water chemistry and treatment
• Plant performance and operations
• Plant auxiliary systems
• Pumps
• Valves
• Compressors
• Pollution control
• Thermodynamics
• Heat and heat transfer
• Hand and power tools
• Rigging and lifting
• CEMS equipment
• Industrial safety
• Hand and power tools
• Rigging and lifting
• CEMS equipment

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Coal-fired Electrical Power Generation: Mechanical - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Pumps
• Bearings
• Lubrication principles
• Hand and power tools
• Alignments
• Precision measurements
• Valves
• Compressors
• Hydraulics
• Welding
• Industrial safety

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Coal-fired Electrical Power Generation: Electrician - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Plant electrical systems
• AC/DC electrical theory
• Pollution control
• Bearings
• Lubrication principles
• Hand and power tools
• Rigging and lifting
• Precision measurements
• Programmable logic computers
• Piping
• AC/DC electrical motors and generators
• Circuit breakers
• Test equipment and measuring devices
• Battery chargers
• Industrial safety

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Coal-fired Electrical Power Generation: Instrumentation & Control Technician - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Plant electrical systems
• AC/DC electrical theory
• Basic electronics
• Pollution control
• Plant performance and operations
• Bearings
• Lubrication principles
• Power plant control systems
• Rigging and lifting
• Pneumatic controls
• Programmable logic computers
• Microprocessors
• Control instrumentation and loops
• Test equipment and measuring devices
• Field devices
• CEMS equipment
• Industrial safety

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Natural Gas-fired Electrical Power Generation: Operations - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Plant electrical systems
• Water chemistry and treatment
• Plant performance and operations
• Plant auxiliary systems
• Pumps
• Valves
• Compressors
• Pollution control
• Thermodynamics
• Heat and heat transfer
• Hand and power tools
• Rigging and lifting
• CEMS equipment
• Industrial safety

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Natural Gas-fired Electrical Power Generation: Mechanical - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Pumps
• Bearings
• Lubrication principles
• Hand and power tools
• Alignments
• Precision measurements
• Valves
• Compressors
• Hydraulics
• Welding
• Diesel engines
• Industrial safety

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Natural Gas-fired Electrical Power Generation: Electrician - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Plant electrical systems
• AC/DC electrical theory
• Pollution control
• Bearings
• Lubrication principles
• Hand and power tools
• Rigging and lifting
• Precision measurements
• Programmable logic computers
• Piping
• AC/DC electrical motors and generators
• Circuit breakers
• Test equipment and measuring devices
• Battery chargers
• Industrial safety

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Natural Gas-fired Electrical Power Generation: Instrumentation & Control Technician - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Plant electrical systems
• AC/DC electrical theory
• Basic electronics
• Pollution control
• Plant performance and operations
• Bearings
• Lubrication principles
• Power plant control systems
• Rigging and lifting
• Pneumatic controls
• Programmable logic computers
• Microprocessors
• Control instrumentation and loops
• Test equipment and measuring devices
• Field devices
• CEMS equipment
• Industrial safety

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Wind Electrical Power Generation: Operations - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Blade theory
• Operation control systems
• Basic electricity
• AC/DC electrical theory
• Industrial safety

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Wind Electrical Power Generation: Mechanical - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Bearings
• Lubrication principles
• Hand and power tools
• Alignments
• Precision measurements
• Valves
• Compressors
• Hydraulics
• Welding
• Rigging and lifting
• Fiberglass repair
• Industrial safety

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Wind Electrical Power Generation: Electrician - Specific Knowledge Needed

• AC/DC electrical theory
• Hand and power tools
• Alignments
• Precision measurements
• Rigging and lifting
• Programmable logic computers
• Piping
• AC/DC electrical motors and generators
• Circuit breakers
• Test equipment and measuring devices
• Industrial safety

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Wind Electrical Power Generation: Instrumentation & Control Technician - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Basic electronics
• AC/DC electrical theory
• Operation control systems
• Rigging and lifting
• Pneumatic controls
• Programmable logic computers
• Microprocessors
• Control instrumentation and loops
• Test equipment and measuring devices
• Field devices
• Industrial safety

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Solar Electrical Power Generation: Installer - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Plumbing
• HVAC
• Pipefitting
• Carpentry
• Pumps
• Construction
• Building energy basics

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Solar Electrical Power Generation: Designer - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Physics
• Auto CAD
• Statics
• Dynamics
• Circuits
• Pumps

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Solar Electrical Power Generation: Sales - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Solar economics

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Solar Electrical Power Generation: Site Assessor - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Advanced math
• Geometry
• Trigonometry
• Solar economics
• Solar time

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Ethanol Production: Operations - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Heat and heat transfer
• Process automation
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Distillation theory
• Thermodynamics
• Water chemistry and treatment
• Instrumentation
• Hand and power tools
• Pumps
• Valves
• Compressors
• Pollution control
• CEMS equipment
• Heavy equipment orientation
• Industrial safety

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Ethanol Production: Mechanical - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Pumps
• Bearings
• Lubrication principles
• Hand and power tools
• Alignments
• Precision measurements
• Valves
• Compressors
• Hydraulics
• Welding
• Industrial safety

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Ethanol Production: Electrician - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Plant electrical systems
• AC/DC electrical theory
• Bearings
• Lubrication principles
• Hand and power tools
• Rigging and lifting
• Precision measurements
• Programmable logic computers
• Piping
• AC/DC electrical motors and generators
• Circuit breakers
• Test equipment and measuring devices
• Battery chargers
• Industrial safety

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Ethanol Production: Instrumentation & Control Technician - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Plant electrical systems
• AC/DC electrical theory
• Basic electronics
• Pollution control
• Plant performance and operations
• Bearings
• Lubrication principles
• Power plant control systems
• Rigging and lifting
• Pneumatic controls
• Programmable logic computers
• Microprocessors
• Control instrumentation and loops
• Test equipment and measuring devices
• Field devices
• CEMS equipment
• Industrial safety

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Biodiesel Production: Operations - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Heat and heat transfer
• Process automation
• Chemistry
• Advanced chemistry
• Biology
• Distillation theory
• Thermodynamics
• Water chemistry and treatment
• Hand and power tools
• Pollution control
• CEMS equipment
• Industrial safety

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Biodiesel Production: Mechanical - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Pumps
• Bearings
• Lubrication principles
• Hand and power tools
• Alignments
• Precision measurements
• Valves
• Compressors
• Hydraulics
• Welding
• Industrial safety

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Biodiesel Production: Electrician - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Plant electrical systems
• AC/DC electrical theory
• Bearings
• Lubrication principles
• Hand and power tools
• Rigging and lifting
• Precision measurements
• Programmable logic computers
• Piping
• AC/DC electrical motors and generators
• Circuit breakers
• Test equipment and measuring devices
• Battery chargers
• Industrial safety

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Biodiesel Production: Instrumentation & Control Technician - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Plant electrical systems
• PAC/DC electrical theory
• Basic electronics
• Pollution control
• Plant performance and operations
• Bearings
• Lubrication principles
• Power plant control systems
• Rigging and lifting
• Pneumatic controls
• Programmable logic computers
• Microprocessors
• Control instrumentation and loops
• Test equipment and measuring devices
• Field devices
• CEMS equipment
• Industrial safety

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Natural Gas Distribution: Operations Technician - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Control center operations

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Natural Gas Distribution: Liquefied Natural Gas Operations - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Refrigeration
• Control center operations

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Natural Gas Distribution: Corrosion Technician - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Painting
• Cathodic protection
• Test equipment and measuring devices

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Natural Gas Distribution: Mechanic - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Pumps
• Bearings
• Lubrication principles
• Hand and power tools
• Alignments
• Precision measurements
• Valves
• Compressors
• Hydraulics
• Welding

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Natural Gas Distribution: Environmental Technician - Specific Knowledge Needed

• CEMS equipment
• Pollution control

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Natural Gas Distribution: Instrumentation & Control Technician - Specific Knowledge Needed

• AC/DC electrical theory
• Basic electronics
• Pneumatic controls
• Programmable logic computers
• Microprocessors
• Control instrumentation and loops
• Test equipment and measuring devices
• Field devices
• CEMS equipment

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Natural Gas Distribution: Welding/Heavy Equipment Operator - Specific Knowledge Needed

• Welding
• Heavy equipment orientation
• Industrial safety

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