Hydroelectric Plant Technicians

Employers

Approximately 140,000 people are employed in the U.S. hydropower industry, according to the National Hydropower Association (NHA). Hydroelectric plant technicians work in hydropower plants that are located throughout the United States. Large hydropower projects are run by the federal electric utilities and operated by the Bureau of Reclamation (https://www.usbr.gov) and the Army Corps of Engineers (https://www.usace.army.mil/About/Centers-of-Expertise), and nonfederal hydropower dams are licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The Institute for Energy Research reports that the states with the largest hydroelectric generation are Washington, California, New York, Oregon, and Alabama.