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20 Months
Credits Required for Graduation:
Process Plant Operations: 72
Power Plant Operations: 72
Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) Degree
Energy Operations
This 20-month program will provide students with the knowledge, understanding, and skills needed to monitor and control the plant production, as well as isolate and identify process and system problems in the energy industry. This program will supply desperately needed skilled operations technicians to the energy industry. It should be noted that the industry in our region initiated both our current Energy Technology program and this Energy Operations Technology program. Power plants (coal-fired, hydro, wind turbine, and nuclear) and Process plants (ethanol, oil refineries, bio-diesel, and other renewable fuels) are rapidly expanding in the region. All of these facilities are facing an acute need for operations technicians who understand the plant components, systems, and processes. The technicians can then monitor, control, trouble shoot and operate the production equipment.
Objectives of the program
The primary objective of the Energy Operations Technician program will be to graduate students with the necessary skills to be employed in both the power and process plant operation facets of the energy industry.
The program will articulate appropriate high school credits, whenever possible; however high school articulation will be limited due to the specialized nature and detail in the Energy Operations curriculum. LATI will explore possible articulation agreements with the Board of Regents once the program is started.
General program objectives will include the following:
- Prepare entry-level technicians in power and process plant equipment, systems, and processes.
- Train technicians in general power and process plant component control, regulation, and trouble-shooting.
- Provide technicians with a thorough knowledge of plant equipment including boilers, turbines, generators, and reactors.
- Train students to collect data and regulate equipment operations and conditions such as water levels, temperatures, pressures, and throughput.
- Provide analysis skills in reading charts, meters and gauges at established intervals, and appropriate corrective procedures.
- Teach technicians how and when to start or stop generators, auxiliary pumping equipment, turbines, and other power plant equipment, and connect or disconnect equipment from circuits.
- Provide an understanding of how to inspect records and log book entries, and communicate with other plant personnel, in order to assess equipment operating status.
- Train how to control and monitor auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, fans, compressors, condensers, feedwater heaters, filters, and chlorinators, to supply water, fuel, lubricants, air, and auxiliary power.
- Train how and when to clean, lubricate, and maintain equipment such as generators, turbines, pumps, and compressors in order to prevent equipment failure or deterioration.
- Give technicians the ability to communicate with systems operators to regulate and coordinate transmission loads and frequencies, and line voltages.
- Provide students with the knowledge, skills, and attitude to advance in the career paths.
- Instill safe, ethical, and legal energy industry practice techniques.
Needs based on labor market demands
LATI was approached by industry in the region about the need for technicians with the skills needed to monitor and control the plant production, as well as isolate and identify process problems in the energy industry.
In 2004, South Dakota had 38,848 people employed in manufacturing industries within 1,062 establishments, according to the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. Administrative Wage Records indicate 33% of manufacturing and plant maintenance workers were over 45 years of age, with 69% being male. The renewable and alternative energy production industries are booming in South Dakota with several new ethanol plants and wind fields already in operation or under construction. There is planned construction of an oil pipeline from Canada; Big Stone power plant has proposed a huge expansion; Basin Electric has proposed construction of a coal-fired electricity power plant in Selby; and there is planned construction of an oil refinery in Elk Point.
Statement of non-duplication
This program is not available at any college or Technical institute in South Dakota. While Mitchell Technical Institute offers a SCADA program, Energy Operations Technology differs in it focuses on production processes and how the components of the plant operate together to produce energy or fuel. The Energy Operations program will cover boiler theory and operations, turbine theory and operations, water and environment monitoring and control, and process (specifically ethanol) plant theory and operations.
There is no similar program in South Dakota today. According to Jeff Endrizzi, Manager of Big Stone Power Plant, “Our Operators require training in the Electric Industry, Safety, Power Plant Equipment, Thermodynamics, Water Treatment, Energy Sources and Conversion, Boilers, Gas Turbines, Steam Turbines, Power Generation, Electrical Systems and Protection, and Plant Operations and Troubleshooting.”
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