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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Craig Piercycpiercy@ans.org
For the past few years, I have been conducting a thoroughly unscientific, one-question poll of nuclear utility and supplier CEOs and senior executives: “What keeps you up at night?” The number one answer is—and has been from the beginning—“Workforce.”
The ongoing shortage of skilled labor—welders, pipefitters, electricians, and the like—almost always gets top billing in nuclear workforce discussions. In April 2025, the U.S. had an eye-popping 600,000 unfilled positions in the construction and manufacturing sectors. This consistent supply gap feeds a continuing talent war that has pushed craft wages up 20 percent since the end of the COVID pandemic, straining project budgets and profit margins alike.
Perhaps the most underappreciated gap in the nuclear workforce is professional and business services. It is the second-largest employment category in the nuclear industry, according to the Department of Energy’s 2024 U.S. Energy & Employment Report.
Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo (UWC 2023)
Sean Sexstone is GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s Executive Vice President, Advanced Nuclear. In his role, Sean focuses on leading the development and project delivery of the Advanced Nuclear business. He’s responsible for furthering the design progress of BWRX-300 and Natrium projects, supporting our customers, meeting product cost targets to ensure competitiveness in the market, and developing key partnerships for global SMR deployment.
Sean joined GEH February 2022 from Aecon, where he was responsible for leading Aecon’s Nuclear group with a focus on life extension projects, plant life maintenance projects, decommissioning and nuclear fabrication. While at Aecon, he led large capital projects including the refurbishment at Bruce Power and at OPG’s Darlington Nuclear Generating Station. Prior to Aecon Sean gained EPC execution experience with CB&I/McDermott as well as utility experience with Entergy, focusing on project management, supply chain and vendor oversight.
Sean has a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from West Virginia University, and a Master of Business Administration from Duke University.
Last modified July 27, 2023, 3:40pm EDT
