System One Taps Veterans to Staff the AI-Fueled Nuclear Renaissance

PITTSBURGH, PA – May 26, 2026 – In a strategic move signaling a deep commitment to the resurgence of nuclear power, specialized services provider System One announced a significant expansion of its nuclear leadership team. The addition of three seasoned industry veterans is a direct response to a historic surge in demand for nuclear energy, a revival driven by the voracious power needs of artificial intelligence, ambitious clean-energy mandates, and robust federal support.

The Pittsburgh-based firm, with a 40-year history in the sector, is positioning itself to capitalize on what many are calling a generational shift in energy infrastructure. The appointments come as the United States grapples with how to power the digital economy's next wave without compromising its decarbonization goals.

The AI-Fueled Power Surge

The primary catalyst for this nuclear renaissance is the explosive growth of AI data centers. Projections indicate that the energy consumption of these facilities could triple by 2030, placing immense strain on an already fragile grid. Unlike intermittent renewables like wind and solar, AI's constant computational loads require a steady, reliable, and carbon-free source of baseload power. With a capacity factor exceeding 90%, nuclear energy is increasingly seen as the indispensable backbone for this high-tech future.

This renewed interest is being actively supercharged by the federal government. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has introduced powerful financial incentives, including a production tax credit (PTC) of up to $25 per megawatt-hour for new clean energy facilities and a 30% investment tax credit (ITC). These measures make new nuclear projects, including advanced reactors, far more economically competitive. Furthermore, the Department of Energy (DOE) is actively promoting growth through initiatives like the UPRISE program, which aims to add 5 GW of capacity by 2029 by restarting dormant reactors and increasing the output of the existing fleet.

"System One has been a trusted partner to the nuclear industry for decades," said Mark Fenske, the company's Executive Vice President of Nuclear. "These additions position us to serve an entirely new generation of nuclear projects, from small modular reactors to outages and restarts and spent fuel lifecycle management. All while strengthening the services our legacy utility and OEM customers depend on."

Assembling Expertise for a Complex Revival

To meet this moment, System One has deliberately recruited leaders whose expertise maps directly to the industry's most critical challenges. The new hires represent a significant deepening of the company's capabilities across the entire nuclear lifecycle.

Will Knopfel joins as Executive Vice President, Nuclear Field Services. His 19 years of experience, most recently leading a workforce of over 1,000 in outage services at GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy, is paramount. His expertise in plant maintenance, refueling, and inspection projects is crucial for executing the power uprates and reactor restarts central to the DOE's expansion goals and for ensuring the existing fleet operates safely and efficiently.

John Reeves, the new Executive Vice President of Nuclear Services, brings 35 years of experience and deep relationships with major utilities like Constellation and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Having held executive roles at industry giants including Framatome and Westinghouse, Reeves' background in outage planning, plant modifications, and advanced welding provides the commercial and operational leadership needed to secure and execute large-scale service contracts for both the current fleet and future builds.

Rounding out the team is Vince Bilovsky, who will serve as Director of Spent Fuel Management Services. This appointment addresses one of the nuclear industry's most persistent challenges. With over 25 years of international experience, including his role as Director of Decommissioning for the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Bilovsky is a subject matter expert in Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI). As the domestic fleet ages and new reactors are planned, the safe, compliant, and long-term management of spent fuel is a rapidly growing market, and his leadership establishes a dedicated practice for System One in this vital area.

The SMR Frontier and the Broader Supply Chain

System One's strategic expansion looks beyond the existing fleet to the next generation of nuclear technology: Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). These smaller, factory-built reactors promise lower costs, faster construction, and greater flexibility, making them ideal for powering remote communities, industrial complexes, and data center campuses. With the first SMR design already approved by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the DOE channeling over $94 million in funding to accelerate development, the SMR market is poised for significant growth. System One's investment in leadership is a clear bet on its ability to provide the highly specialized workforce needed to design, build, and operate these advanced reactors.

This move also places the company in a competitive field alongside major engineering, procurement, and construction firms. While traditionally focused on workforce solutions, this expansion signals an ambition to offer a more comprehensive suite of specialized, highly technical outsourced services. By embedding deep expertise in field services, utility relations, and spent fuel, System One is aiming to become an indispensable partner across the entire nuclear supply chain, from new fuel production to component manufacturing and eventual decommissioning.

The challenge ahead is immense. The nuclear industry must not only build new reactors and maintain its existing ones but also cultivate a new generation of skilled workers to replace a retiring workforce. The strategic hires by System One underscore a critical reality of this energy transition: the race to build the future of clean power will be won not just with advanced technology, but with the expert human capital required to deploy it.