Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Electric Distribution Operator

🎯 Role Definition

The Electric Distribution Operator (EDO) is a control-room professional who monitors and controls the electric distribution system to maintain reliable service, reduce outage duration, and protect people and equipment. Working from a distribution control center, the EDO uses SCADA/ADMS/OMS systems and one-line diagrams to perform switching, dispatch crews, coordinate planned outages and emergency restoration, implement load transfers, and comply with regulatory and safety protocols. The role requires a high level of situational awareness, technical understanding of distribution equipment (transformers, breakers, reclosers, capacitors, regulators), and the ability to make rapid decisions under pressure while communicating effectively with internal teams, external agencies, and customers.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Apprentice Lineman / Distribution Technician
Substation or Field Service Technician
Control Room Trainee / Junior System Operator

Advancement To:

Senior Distribution Operator / Lead Dispatcher
Control Center Supervisor or Operations Supervisor
Distribution Operations Manager
Protection & Controls Engineer or Distribution Planning Engineer

Lateral Moves:

SCADA/Telecommunications Technician
Outage Management Coordinator
Field Crew Supervisor
Reliability or Asset Management Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Monitor real-time distribution system status using SCADA/ADMS/EMS and outage management systems (OMS), continuously assessing alarms, telemetry, and equipment status to maintain system reliability and detect abnormal conditions.
Execute routine and emergency switching orders safely and accurately, following established switching procedures, one-line diagrams, and lock-out/tag-out (LOTO) practices to isolate faults and protect crews and equipment.
Coordinate and dispatch field crews, contractors and vegetation crews for planned work, storm responses and emergent repairs, ensuring clear switching instructions, accurate job briefs, and continuous two-way communication until work is complete.
Lead outage restoration efforts during storms and system events: perform fault isolation and sectionalizing, implement load transfers, prioritize critical customers and infrastructure, and expedite restoration while tracking crew status and estimated restoration times (ERTs).
Authorize and implement automatic and manual switching of sectionalizers, reclosers, capacitor banks and voltage regulators to manage voltage profiles, minimize losses, and optimize feeder loading in accordance with operational limits.
Maintain accurate operational logs and shift reports, documenting switching operations, protection operations, alarms, communications with crews and agencies, safety incidents and post-event analysis for continuous improvement and regulatory compliance.
Coordinate switching and emergency operations with neighboring utilities, transmission system operators (ISOs/RTOs), generation dispatch and emergency agencies to ensure safe interconnections, mutual aid and system stability during disturbances.
Analyze telemetry and event data (PSSE, DFR, oscillography) to locate faults, validate protection operation, and verify the correct operation of automated devices; work with protection engineers to recommend protection adjustments or repairs.
Apply and enforce NERC, regional reliability standards and local safety rules (including ANSI/NFPA and OSHA requirements) to ensure all switching, clearance and restoration activities meet regulatory and corporate compliance standards.
Evaluate load conditions and perform feeder load balancing and reconfiguration to prevent overloads, manage peak demand, and support scheduled maintenance or construction activities while minimizing customer impact.
Perform system restoration planning and command during major events: develop restoration sequences, assign priorities (critical loads, hospitals, water treatment), and track restoration progress against objectives.
Validate and manage remote telemetry and control points (RTUs/IEDs), report suspicious telemetry trends, and coordinate with SCADA/telecom teams to troubleshoot data and control path issues that affect operational visibility.
Review and approve switching orders prepared by planners and field supervisors, ensuring all safety, tagging, grounding and permit requirements are satisfied prior to switching execution.
Participate in scheduled switching and outage planning meetings with engineering, operations planning, and construction groups to coordinate outages, minimize customer impacts, and ensure accurate outage notifications.
Provide guidance and technical oversight to less-experienced operators during complex or high-risk events; escalate incidents to control center leadership when required and participate in shift handovers with comprehensive briefings.
Use distribution one-line diagrams, field maps and GIS to verify feeder configurations, service locations and switching alternatives when planning restorations or executing switching actions.
Manage customer and stakeholder communications during significant outages by coordinating information flow between customer service, media, municipalities and internal teams to provide timely, factual restoration updates.
Perform first-level troubleshooting of distribution device anomalies (fuse operations, pole-mounted reclosers, transformer alarms), and coordinate targeted inspections or patrols to isolate and remediate recurring faults.
Execute post-event root cause and lessons-learned reviews, compile incident reports, and recommend operational or procedural changes to reduce recurrence and improve system resilience.
Maintain and update emergency and contingency plans, participate in regular drills and mutual-aid exercises, and ensure readiness to perform in storm and black-start scenarios.
Ensure all switching, tagging, and clearance documentation is archived in accordance with corporate records management and regulatory requirements for auditability and incident investigation.
Support reliability and performance reporting by providing accurate shift data used to calculate SAIDI/SAIFI/CAIDI metrics and help identify feeders or circuits requiring targeted investment.

Secondary Functions

Assist engineering and planning teams with real-world operational input for distribution automation schemes, sectionalizing plans, and DER integration studies.
Contribute telemetry, event and outage data to reliability analysis and continuous-improvement projects that reduce outage frequency and duration.
Participate in training programs, on-call rosters and knowledge-transfer sessions to maintain team competency and succession readiness.
Provide technical support for GIS and asset management updates by validating field changes that occur during switching and restoration activities.
Help develop and refine standard operating procedures, switch instructions, and emergency response checklists based on field experience and after-action reviews.
Support special projects such as distributed energy resource (DER) commissioning, microgrid testing, or new automation deployments by providing operational perspective and acceptance testing.
Serve as a subject-matter resource during regulatory audits and compliance reviews by presenting operational practices, logs and evidence of adherence to NERC and safety standards.
Participate in cross-functional incident management and ICS/NIMS-aligned emergency operations as needed during large-scale events.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

SCADA/ADMS Operation: Proficient in monitoring and controlling distribution equipment through SCADA, ADMS, or EMS platforms including alarm assessment, control actions, and event analysis.
Outage Management Systems (OMS): Experience with OMS workflows, trouble ticketing, crew dispatch coordination, and customer restoration tracking.
Switching & Tagging Procedures: Demonstrated competence executing and verifying complex switching orders and applying lock-out/tag-out (LOTO) safety protocols.
Distribution System Knowledge: Strong understanding of overhead and underground distribution feeders, transformers, reclosers, sectionalizers, capacitor banks and voltage regulators.
One-line Diagram & GIS Interpretation: Ability to read, interpret and use one-line diagrams, feeder schematics and GIS maps for operational decision-making.
Protection & Relay Fundamentals: Familiarity with protective relays, fuse operations, fault analysis and how protection coordination impacts switching and restoration.
Telemetry & RTU Troubleshooting: Skill identifying and escalating telemetry, RTU, and communications faults that reduce operational visibility or control capability.
Regulatory & Reliability Standards: Knowledge of NERC reliability standards, regional requirements and industry safety standards relevant to distribution operations.
Emergency Response & Restoration Planning: Capability to develop and execute restoration sequences during storm events and major outages.
Microsoft Office & Reporting Tools: Comfortable compiling shift logs, incident reports and reliability metrics using Excel, Word and reporting platforms.

Soft Skills

Clear, concise verbal and written communication for directing crews, briefing leadership, and coordinating with external agencies.
Strong situational awareness and rapid decision-making under pressure with emphasis on safety-first actions.
Collaborative teamwork with field crews, engineers, planners and customer service to optimize outcomes for customers.
Analytical problem-solving to interpret telemetry/events and identify root causes of outages or equipment malfunctions.
Attention to detail for precise switching execution, logging, and regulatory documentation.
Customer-focused mindset to prioritize critical loads and manage stakeholder expectations during outages.
Adaptability to changing system conditions and evolving technology such as automation and DER integration.
Professional judgment and integrity to follow procedures while escalating complex or ambiguous situations appropriately.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED with demonstrated technical aptitude.

Preferred Education:

Associate degree in Electrical Technology, Power Systems, Energy Management, or related field.
Preferable: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems Engineering, or equivalent.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Electrical Engineering / Power Systems
Electrical Technology / Powerline Technician Programs
Energy Management / Utility Operations
Telecommunications / SCADA Technology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–5 years of utility experience for entry-level operator roles; 3–7 years for mid-level distribution operator positions; more for senior/operator-in-charge roles.

Preferred:

Prior experience in a utility distribution control center, as a lineman, substation technician or in outage management.
Experience with SCADA/ADMS/OMS platforms, switching operations, and emergency restoration.
NERC System Operator certification or other relevant operator credentials and documented on-the-job switching experience preferred.