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AI exposure Production

Will AI replace power plant operators?

Power Plant Operators. US occupation 51-8013.

2.6%

of the time power plant operators spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of power plant operators' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.

Ranked 308 of 756 US occupations. More exposed than 59% of them.Further along than 59% of them.

Average US job 7.7%

Around the middle of the pack.Keeping pace with the average job.

What AI already does for power plant operatorsWhat power plant operators no longer do alone

O*NET lists 69 tasks for power plant operators. AI use at work shows up in 2 of them. Each score runs from 0.5, where every observed use helps a person with the task, to 1, where every use does the task outright.

  1. Record and compile operational data by completing and maintaining forms, logs, or reports.Core task mostly automated 1.00
  2. Analyze the layout, instrumentation, or function of electrical generation or transmission facilities. automated and assisted 0.80

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

67 of the 69 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Assess quality of biomass feedstock.Core task
  • Calculate, measure, load, or mix biomass feedstock for power generation.Core task
  • Calibrate liquid flow devices or meters, including fuel, chemical, and water meters.Core task
  • Change oil, hydraulic fluid, or other lubricants to maintain condition of hydroelectric plant equipment.Core task
  • Clean work areas to ensure compliance with safety regulations.Core task
  • Clean, lubricate, or maintain equipment, such as generators, turbines, pumps, or compressors, to prevent failure or deterioration.Core task
Show the other 61
  • Communicate status of hydroelectric operating equipment to dispatchers or supervisors.Core task
  • Connect metal parts or components in hydroelectric plants by welding, soldering, riveting, tapping, bolting, bonding, or screwing.Core task
  • Control generator output to match the phase, frequency, or voltage of electricity supplied to panels.Core task
  • Control or maintain auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, fans, compressors, condensers, feedwater heaters, filters, or chlorinators, to supply water, fuel, lubricants, air, or auxiliary power.Core task
  • Control power generating equipment, including boilers, turbines, generators, or reactors, using control boards or semi-automatic equipment.Core task
  • Cut, bend, or shape metal for applications in hydroelectric plants, using equipment such as hydraulic benders or pipe threaders.Core task
  • Erect scaffolds, platforms, or hoisting frames to access hydroelectric plant machinery or infrastructure for repair or replacement.Core task
  • Identify or address malfunctions of hydroelectric plant operational equipment, such as generators, transformers, or turbines.Core task
  • Implement load or switching orders in hydroelectric plants, in accordance with specifications or instructions.Core task
  • Inspect biomass power plant or processing equipment, recording or reporting damage and mechanical problems.Core task
  • Inspect records or log book entries or communicate with plant personnel to assess equipment operating status.Core task
  • Inspect water-powered electric generators or auxiliary equipment in hydroelectric plants to verify proper operation or to determine maintenance or repair needs.Core task
  • Install or calibrate electrical or mechanical equipment, such as motors, engines, switchboards, relays, switch gears, meters, pumps, hydraulics, or flood channels.Core task
  • Lift and move loads, using cranes, hoists, and rigging, to install or repair hydroelectric system equipment or infrastructure.Core task
  • Maintain logs, reports, work requests, or other records of work performed in hydroelectric plants.Core task
  • 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.Core task
  • Make adjustments or minor repairs, such as tightening leaking gland or pipe joints.Core task
  • Measure and monitor raw biomass feedstock, including wood, waste, or refuse materials.Core task
  • Monitor hydroelectric power plant equipment operation and performance, adjusting to performance specifications, as necessary.Core task
  • Monitor power plant equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems.Core task
  • Open and close valves and switches in sequence to start or shut down auxiliary units.Core task
  • Operate biomass fuel-burning boiler or biomass fuel gasification system equipment in accordance with specifications or instructions.Core task
  • Operate equipment to heat biomass, using knowledge of controls, combustion, and firing mechanisms.Core task
  • Operate equipment to start, stop, or regulate biomass-fueled generators, generator units, boilers, engines, or auxiliary systems.Core task
  • Operate heavy equipment, such as bulldozers and front-end loaders.Core task
  • Operate high voltage switches or related devices in hydropower stations.Core task
  • Operate high-pressure steam boiler or water chiller equipment for electrical cogeneration operations.Core task
  • Operate hydroelectric plant equipment, such as turbines, pumps, valves, gates, fans, electric control boards, or battery banks.Core task
  • Operate or maintain distributed power generation equipment, including fuel cells or microturbines, to produce energy on-site for manufacturing or other commercial purposes.Core task
  • Operate valves, pumps, engines, or generators to control and adjust production of biofuels or biomass-fueled power.Core task
  • Perform preventive or corrective containment or cleanup measures in hydroelectric plants to prevent environmental contamination.Core task
  • Perform routine maintenance or make minor repairs to mechanical, electrical, or electronic equipment in biomass plants.Core task
  • Perform tests of water chemistry in boilers.Core task
  • Perform tunnel or field inspections of hydroelectric plant facilities or resources.Core task
  • Read and interpret instruction manuals or technical drawings related to biomass-fueled power or biofuels production equipment or processes.Core task
  • Record or report operational data, such as readings on meters, instruments, and gauges.Core task
  • Regulate equipment operations and conditions, such as water levels, based on instrument data or from computers.Core task
  • Splice or terminate cables or electrical wiring in hydroelectric plants.Core task
  • Start or stop generators, auxiliary pumping equipment, turbines, or other power plant equipment as necessary.Core task
  • Start, adjust, or stop generating units, operating valves, gates, or auxiliary equipment in hydroelectric power generating plants.Core task
  • Take readings and record data, such as water levels, temperatures, or flow rates.Core task
  • Take regulatory action, based on readings from charts, meters and gauges, at established intervals.Core task
  • Test and repair or replace electrical equipment, such as circuit breakers, station batteries, cable trays, conduits, or control devices.Core task
  • Adjust controls to generate specified electrical power or to regulate the flow of power between generating stations and substations.
  • Collect oil, water, or electrolyte samples for laboratory analysis.
  • Communicate with systems operators to regulate and coordinate line voltages and transmission loads and frequencies.
  • Diagnose or troubleshoot problems with gas collection systems.
  • Examine and test electrical power distribution machinery and equipment, using testing devices.
  • Manage parts and supply inventories for biomass plants.
  • Monitor well fields periodically to ensure proper functioning and performance.
  • Operate landfill gas, methane, or natural gas fueled electrical generation systems.
  • Operate, control, or monitor equipment, such as acid or gas carbon dioxide removal units, carbon dioxide compressors, or pipelines, to capture, store, or transport carbon dioxide exhaust.
  • 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.
  • Operate, control, or monitor integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) or related equipment, such as air separation units, to generate electricity from coal.
  • Place standby emergency electrical generators on line in emergencies and monitor the temperature, output, and lubrication of the system.
  • Prepare and submit compliance, operational, and safety forms or reports.
  • Preprocess feedstock to prepare for biochemical or thermochemical production processes.
  • Receive outage calls and request necessary personnel during power outages or emergencies.
  • Repair or replace gas piping.
  • Trace electrical circuitry to ensure compliance of electrical systems with applicable codes or laws.
  • Verify that well field monitoring data conforms to applicable regulations.

How that compares

Among the 98 production occupations, power plant operators rank 14. The group averages 0.8%, and its most exposed job is Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers at 12.1%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Just above in the ranking

  1. 304Driver/Sales Workers 2.8%
  2. 304Historians 2.8%
  3. 304Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents 2.8%

Just below

  1. 310Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary 2.4%
  2. 310Industrial Machinery Mechanics 2.4%
  3. 310Office Machine Operators, Except Computer 2.4%

What this does and does not mean

Exposure is observed use, not a forecast. Anthropic maps work conversations with Claude onto the tasks O*NET lists for each job and asks, of the tasks AI could speed up, which are actually being used for at work. A use that does the task outright counts in full and a use that assists a person counts half. The task scores are averaged into the occupation figure by the share of time spent on each task.

A high figure means AI is already part of how this work gets done. It does not mean anyone has been replaced. Anthropic's own reading of the labour market finds no systematic rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting exposed jobs.No measurable rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting these jobs. Gap years for everyone. Labor market impacts, 5 March 2026.

Task list and titles from O*NET 31.0 by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Scores from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Checked 1 November 2026. How the ranking works.