Martin, 33, specializes in the protection of the power distribution system. That means making sure it does not carry too much of a load, and that it can safely shut down quickly if there is a fault on the line.

"I'm regarded - even by the engineers - as one of the province's gurus with respect to distribution protection," he says.

Martin works on the part of the power system that delivers electricity along feeder lines running from substations to the transformers outside customers' buildings.

Protecting the power system can include deciding when it's time to build a new substation or working with the operators of industrial facilities (there are several sawmills in Martin's district) to ensure that their equipment will function without affecting residential customers.

"These larger services can impact the system in a negative way - if they're starting a big motor, for instance. You don't want to sit in your kitchen watching your lights get dimmer and dimmer while the sawmill next door is feeding logs through," he explains. Martin also has to strike a delicate balance between shutting the system down quickly in the event of a fault (an overload, for instance, or a tree crashing through a line), and being certain it won't shut down unnecessarily.

"We have to ensure that device settings are protecting the feeder," Martin says. "We do an analysis of the feeder to determine the fault level. We look at that level and coordinate the devices on the lines. You don't want them all to trip, just the ones closest to the fault. So instead of taking 3,000 customers out, you isolate it so you only take out 35."