This issue of NETA World’s “Insight and Inspiration” series features Ken Vescovi, Vice President Power—Electrification and Power Solutions, at ABM, where he is responsible for the operation and financial management of ABM Electrical Power Solutions, LLC, and ABM Electrical Power Services, LLC, both NETA Accredited Companies. These responsibilities extend to every aspect of the business, including strategic business and growth plan development, SME technical oversight and approvals of large projects, oversight and development of the technical training team, and the best part, building the team by opening new avenues for recruitment and partnerships. Prior to beginning his career, Vescovi earned a BS in mathematics from Youngtown State University in Youngstown, Ohio.
NW: What attracted you to the electrical industry?
Vescovi: What first attracted me to the electrical industry was the security of the utilities. I was looking for a career, not just a job, and I knew that everyone relied on power generation. I thought this could be an industry where I could grow for years. I am a problem solver at heart, which is why I have always loved math. I also love understanding how things work, especially anything in technology, and knowing that every little wire and component plays a specific role in allowing a device to function properly.
When I began my career in the power generation industry, I was instantly pleased to find that my troubleshooting and problem-solving skills were challenged daily. However, when I was introduced to NETA testing, I gained a much greater appreciation and understanding of how all of these components and systems worked together, and I knew I had found my career.
NW: What was your path to your current position?
Vescovi: While I was attending Youngstown State University, I began working full-time at Pennsylvania Biodiesel Inc. as an Instrument & Controls Technician. I calibrated field instrumentation and worked with the Delta V control system to ensure proper batch processing. I worked there until I finished my degree and found a new home as a Generation Specialist with First Energy Generation Corp, where I was introduced to NERC compliance.
I held various roles at First Energy and worked in small coal-fired subcritical generation facilities as well as on super-critical units, and I was fortunate enough to also support their combustion turbine and hydro plants. During that time, I would hire and work with NETA Accredited Companies to ensure that the plants were NERC-compliant and met all required PRC standards. This is when I met the ABM team from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
After working with the team for a few years and seeing the coal-generation plants being decommissioned, I knew it was time for me to apply for the Project Manager position in Pittsburgh, and in November 2015, I was hired as the Pittsburgh Project Manager responsible for acceptance testing and utility projects. Our team expanded and nearly doubled over the next two-plus years, and I was fortunate enough to step into the newly created Operations Manager role.
The biggest challenge of my career came in 2020, when I was promoted to General Manager for Pennsylvania and Ohio in March. This couldn’t have come at a more challenging time due to the environment surrounding COVID; however, our team was resilient and continued to excel even in this most difficult of times. We were fortunate enough to have a maintenance backlog that could not only sustain our current workforce, but even allowed us to expand and continue to grow our team.
In 2023, I was promoted to Area General Manager and became responsible for ABM Electrical Power Solutions, LLC. This is where I was introduced to the Mid-Atlantic data center corridor and the vast amount of work our team was executing in data centers. The Power Solutions Team has grown at an accelerated pace over the last two years, and in November 2025, I was promoted to Vice President of Operations and am now responsible for ABM’s two NETA Accredited Companies: ABM Electrical Power Solutions, LLC and ABM Electrical Power Services, LLC.
NW: How does being a NETA Accredited Company change how ABM sells and delivers?
Vescovi: Being a NETA Accredited Company significantly enhances ABM’s credibility and marketability. Our customers know that being NETA accredited means ABM technicians have gone through rigorous technical and safety training and will provide the highest standard of quality and service. That means our customers do not look at ABM as another commodity service provider; we are now looked at as a trusted technical authority and advisor. As a NETA Accredited Company, we are not just there for the project; we are a partner that will support the entire lifecycle of our customers’ electrical systems and personnel.
NW: Can you explain the difference between NETA-compliant testing and testing by non-NETA electrical service providers?
Vescovi: There are five main points that differentiate NETA-compliant testing and testing by non-NETA electrical service providers.
- NETA-compliant testing provides independence and objectivity and prevents any influence on testing outcomes.
- NETA technicians are certified by standard tests, qualified by NETA Accredited Companies to the highest standards in the electrical industry, and required to continuously complete education to stay up to date on all NETA standards. There are other standardized certifications in the industry, but they are not tied to company accreditation and do not offer the independent evaluation NETA can provide.
- NETA-compliant testing must follow ANSI-approved NETA standards, while non-NETA service providers can choose to follow any standard (IEEE, NFPA, etc.) or internal procedure.
- Calibration and equipment quality is paramount and must be maintained to NETA standards. There is no specific requirement for non-NETA service providers.
- NETA companies and NETA-compliant testing are regularly audited and must meet the strictest standards for safety, technician education, calibration, quality, and many other requirements. Non-NETA service providers are not held to any specific industry-wide audits or standards.
NW: How has the electrical testing landscape changed now that NFPA 70B is a mandatory standard?
Vescovi: NFPA 70B–2023 is now a formal standard, so the biggest change is that preventative maintenance is no longer an option. It is now mandatory for all facilities. The new required inspection, testing, and maintenance intervals mean that most facilities are seeing an increase in volume and frequency over previous maintenance programs.
This is prompting many facility managers to create formalized electrical maintenance programs that may have not been in place previously, and NETA Accredited Companies are well-positioned to provide these services with uniquely qualified technicians who are viewed as the boots on the ground experts. NFPA 70B also requires strict documentation to ensure compliance, which is easily attained by a NETA Accredited Company through its standard operating procedures.
The biggest challenge is the number and frequency of mandatory tests required to meet NFPA 70B. When coupled with the increase of data center and infrastructure projects across the industry, there are not enough certified technicians to maintain every facility.
NW: Describe a time you declined work or adjusted scope due to safety concerns.
Vescovi: There have been many times throughout my career when we have adjusted scope due to safety concerns, and I am sure many in the NETA community can relate. One that stands out happened a few years back when I was a project manager working with an oil and gas company on one of their shutdowns.
It was January in Pennsylvania, and there was snow on the ground. Our team was hired to perform maintenance on the de-ethanizer substation and associated switchgear down to their 480-V MCCs. We had written up the method of procedure (MOP) for a complete shutdown of the de-ethanizer substation and all associated downstream gear. I went with our lead NETA Level 3 Technician to walk down the outage work with the customer and discuss the MOP about a week before the shutdown. The customer informed us that we needed to change the MOP and keep power on to the downstream 480V MCCs to keep the heat trace on and prevent their pipes from freezing during the 12-hour shutdown. The lead NETA technician and I formulated a plan to provide multiple generators and create separate isolated backfeeds for each motor control center (MCC) as required by the customer.
Multiple safety representatives from both companies reviewed and critiqued the plan, which was finally approved and put into action during the outage. The plan worked flawlessly, except we found an issue where one of the MCC feeds did not match the prints. The team immediately stopped work, traced back, and verified where the additional cabling was going, and they were able to isolate before backfeeding an unintended system. Once this was corrected, the team was able to successfully complete the full outage with no safety issues or incidents.
NW: Which energy trend do you think will most affect NETA companies in the future?
Vescovi: It is hard to deny the impact of the number of new data center sites coming online every month across the country. With current projections lasting decades into the future, the biggest issue is where will we get the power.
Many newer sites are being built with co-generation on site, which works great if you have a fuel source nearby. Even old coal-generation plants are being converted to alternate fuel sources to repower and support data centers. The biggest energy trend driving utilization of NETA companies right now and heading into the future is the massive amount of energy being consumed by these data centers, and the excessive number of generation, distribution, and transmission upgrades needed to support them.
“Technical curiosity, disciplined problem-solving, electrical safety, and a deep commitment to people are just a few of the values that drive every NETA Accredited Company,” Vescovi concludes. “As the power industry evolves, strong NACs, built with intention and supported properly, are the companies that will ultimately ensure the long-term success of the power industry. I’m proud to have worked for a NAC for the past 10 years, and I look forward to many years of team building and problem solving in the power industry.