By Ryan Edwards, Veterans Advanced Energy Fellow
The Global Energy Forum, hosted by the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center on January 10-12, 2020 in Abu Dhabi, was an enlightening and thought-provoking experience that inspired me to rethink energy security and how the U.S. contrasts with the international community when it comes to visions of the advanced energy future.
Read Ryan’s blog post on Energy Source: “Global Challenges Require Global Solutions,” by Ryan Edwards, Atlantic Council Energy Source, February 25, 2020
Veterans Advanced Energy Fellows, Ryan Edwards and Sarah Nielsen, with Veterans Advanced Energy Project Co-Director, Colonel Greg Douquet (USMC Retired) at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum in Abu Dhabi (January 12, 2020)
The Veterans Advanced Energy Project (VAEP) is designed to drive US leadership in advanced energy by recruiting, equipping, and empowering military veterans who understand the importance of the evolving energy landscape to our future security and prosperity.
Veterans tend to have a global perspective because of their military experience, and energy is one of the most important issues that all nations must manage. A consistent trait among veterans is “operational excellence.” Veteran skill sets add value to the advanced energy industry, improve return on investment (ROI) for investors, and ultimately promote sustainable development. These Veteran skill sets include:
Adaptable to challenges
Focus on accomplishing the mission
Delivering results on time
Taking charge when situations demand it
All of the above are important soft skills and opportunities for hiring managers of sustainable investment companies to de-risk their workforce and projected profitability, thereby lifting financial outlooks and spurring investment.
The purpose of the Veterans Advanced Energy Project is to inspire transitioning veterans to pursue advanced energy jobs, which will drive sustainability investing as the ROIs of those companies more frequently exceed general market returns.
Ryan Edwards is a Veterans Advanced Energy Fellow within the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center. He is a former U.S. Naval Flight Officer, now a Finance Manager in the solar industry and Chairman of the Board of Directors for CleanTX.
