Event Recap: Nexus of National Security and Energy Security (TechConnect)

“Nexus of national security & energy security” panelists at the 2021 Defense techconnect innovation summit and expo (October 19, 2021)

The Veterans Advanced Energy Project was pleased to lead and participate in a panel discussion titled “Nexus of National Security & Energy Security” at the 2021 Defense TechConnect Innovation Summit and Expo on Tuesday October 19, 2021 at 3:30 pm.

The panel discussed the impact of losing power on the energy grid in the case of natural disasters and the importance of financial investments to ensure resilience of the grid in the face of increasingly severe weather events due to climate change. Panelists reflected on Biden Administration funding priorities and the importance of universities to extend beyond science and technology to provide training and partnerships connecting academia to the rest of the world—specifically the importance of microgrid and cybersecurity training as an area to support active duty servicemembers transitioning out of the military. Others commented on the need for increased mining production for the rare earth materials required for mass electrification and using microgrids for improved resilience, especially for military installations—noting, however, that regulators and lawmakers need to become more familiar with the available technology

The session was chaired by Col. Greg Douquet (USMC Ret.), Veterans Advanced Energy Project Co-Director, and the panel included Veterans Advanced Energy Project Advisory Committee Members Col. Al Trimble (USMC Ret.) and Sherri Goodman, Senior Fellow, Wilson Center; First Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Environmental Security. Other panel members included Nate Johnson, assistant professor in the Polytechnic School at Arizona State University and the director of the Laboratory for Energy And Power Solutions (LEAPS) and Tim Tetreault, Energy and Water Program manager for the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) at US Department of Defense.

Learn more about Defense TechConnect Conference & Expo below:

Vice Admiral Dennis McGinn (Ret.) Makes the Case for Integrated DER (VerdeXchange)→

Dennis McGinn, Vice Admiral US Navy Retired and Veterans Advanced Energy Project Advisory Committee Member, discussed discusses technological advances in distributed energy resources, electrification, and hydrogen, as well as policies across state & federal levels as they relate to security, resilience, and military readiness with VerdeXchange.

Read the whole article HERE.

Vice Admiral Dennis McGinn, US Navy, Retired; Former Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations, and the Environment; Veterans advanced energy project advisory committee member

"Bottom line: the technology and financial models to move far and fast into the clean energy economy are there. We now need the political will to achieve greatly improved energy, economic and environmental security and the prosperity, social justice and quality of life that will bring."

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The Veterans Advanced Energy Project 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. The Veterans Advanced Energy Project is a managed by the Global Energy Center within the Atlantic Council, a nonpartisan 501(c)3 nonprofit. www.AtlanticCouncil.org

BunkerLabs to Host Veterans Advanced Energy Week Networking Event on August 11

BunkerLabs (www.bunkerlabs.org) will host a networking event for military veterans and clean energy professionals on Tuesday August 11, 2020 at 5 pm EST during Veterans Advanced Energy Week.

BunkerLabs – a 501(c)(3) non-profit – is a national network of veteran and milspouse entrepreneurs dedicated to helping the military connected community start their own business. We are committed to seeing that every entrepreneur in the military connected community has the network, tools, and resources they need to start their own business.

Patryk stanczak, bunkerlabs chicago city leader, moderates a conversation with Kevin Johnson, glidepath federal solutions president, about veteran entrepreneurs in clean energy (2019)

In 2019, BunkerLabs partnered with the Veterans Advanced Energy Project, Invenergy, and the Clean Energy Leadership Institute for a networking event called “Bunker Brews: Energy Entrpreneurship & National Security” which brought together more than 100 veterans and clean energy professionals ahead of the Veterans Advanced Energy Summit in Chicago, Illinois. This year, we intend to recreate the success of that event in a virtual format with online interactions in small group networking discussions. Learn more about Veterans Advanced Energy Week and register to join us using the buttons below.

Veterans Advanced Energy Week is a virtual conference scheduled August 10-13, 2020. Participants will gain insights into the technology, policy, and economic trends that are driving the global energy transition from senior leaders and experts across industry, academia, and government. Networking events will allow participants to make connections with other veterans and clean energy professionals.

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The Veterans Advanced Energy Project 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. The Veterans Advanced Energy Project is a managed by the Global Energy Center within the Atlantic Council, a nonpartisan 501(c)3 nonprofit. www.AtlanticCouncil.org

Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI) to Host Veterans Advanced Energy Week Networking Event on August 10

The Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI) will host a networking event for military veterans and clean energy professionals on Monday August 10, 2020 at 5 pm EST during Veterans Advanced Energy Week.

Veterans Advanced Energy Week is a virtual conference scheduled August 10-13, 2020. Participants will gain insights into the technology, policy, and economic trends that are driving the global energy transition from senior leaders and experts across industry, academia, and government. Networking events will allow participants to make connections with other veterans and clean energy professionals.

With programs in Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, DC, the Clean Energy Leadership Institute (www.cleanenergyleaders.org) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to creating a diverse community of changemakers across sectors and disciplines who will drive the transition to an equitable, decarbonized, and resilient energy ecosystem. CELI’s Fellowship Program provides early-career professionals with interdisciplinary educational training, leadership development, and a supportive professional community.

“Climate change and the clean energy transition is this century’s greatest challenge and opportunity,” said Liz Ramsay Dalton, Executive Director of CELI and member of the Veterans Advanced Energy Project Advisory Committee. “Veterans Advanced Energy Week provides a critical platform to bring the skill sets, perspectives, and leadership of military veterans to bear on the US clean energy and national security future.”

CELI’s emPOWER20 — a virtual experience designed to foster a new kind of energy leadership — is scheduled August 26 - 28, 2020. Featuring over 30 unique sessions and 40+ hours of content and networking, emPOWER20 will offer resources and community for every participant who is passionate about clean energy technology and dedicated to a more just energy future. Learn more and register today at www.celiempower.com.

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The Veterans Advanced Energy Project 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. The Veterans Advanced Energy Project is a managed by the Global Energy Center within the Atlantic Council, a nonpartisan 501(c)3 nonprofit. www.AtlanticCouncil.org

Armies Fight Wildfires. But They Can Do So Much More About Climate Change | Opinion (Newsweek)

Veterans Advanced Energy Project Co-Director Col. Greg Douquet, U.S. Marine Corps Retired, and Advisory Committee Member Sherri Goodman, Former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Environmental Security and Founder of the CNA Military Advisory Board, write about the important role that the U.S. military is playing in addressing the national security risks and impacts of climate change.

“Because climate change precipitates disaster—both at home and abroad—[the U.S. Department of Defense] recognizes that it poses serious threats to U.S. national security. Indeed, despite national ambivalence, climate change has been widely understood by the military community since 2007 as a ‘threat multiplier,’ meaning it aggravates other security threats, from terrorism to natural disasters.

“As climate change causes ever greater numbers of humanitarian disasters, massive migrations, and unstable political environments abroad, the national security implications for the U.S. are increasingly driving military planning, resource allocation, and military operations.”

Read the whole article in Newsweek here: https://www.newsweek.com/us-military-climate-change-lead-research-development-1484840.

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The Veterans Advanced Energy Project 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. What is Advanced Energy? Advanced Energy is defined by leading edge energy technologies including solar, wind, batteries, microgrids, advanced nuclear, electric vehicles, and end-user energy efficiency. The Veterans Advanced Energy Project is a managed by the Global Energy Center within the Atlantic Council, a nonpartisan 501(c)3 nonprofit | www.AtlanticCouncil.org

PRESS RELEASE: "Atlantic Council Global Energy Center Launches Veterans Advanced Energy Project"

New initiative to incubate new generation of veterans to lead advanced energy economy

WASHINGTON, DC – November 22, 2019 – The Atlantic Council Global Energy Center announced today the launch of its Veterans Advanced Energy Project. This innovative initiative will recruit, equip, and empower a new generation of veterans, servicemembers, and military spouses to serve as leaders of the advanced energy economy and contribute to long-term US national security and economic competitiveness.

“America’s veterans are our nation’s greatest asset, and they have an acute understanding of the role energy plays in our national security” said General James L. Jones, executive chairman emeritus of the Atlantic Council and former US National Security Advisor and 32nd Commandant of the US Marine Corps. “The experience and knowledge veterans gain while serving in uniform is unparalleled, which is why we are tapping this incredible resource to raise awareness of how the evolving energy landscape will be a decisive factor for our future security and prosperity.”

The Veterans Advanced Energy Project will have a national reach, featuring veteran fellows from across the United States and a major, national summit next summer in Chicago. This flagship event is designed to address the trends, technologies, and policies that are shaping the energy sector and to develop a community of veterans and allies committed to advancing US energy leadership. The next Summit will take place August 2020 in Chicago. The program will feature business and military leaders, policymakers, and industry stakeholders with insights into where energy markets and energy technologies are heading, and how this impacts the economic competitiveness and national security of the United States. It will also highlight the role of veterans and military spouses in energy and will open doors to new career opportunities for those in transition.

A key component of the project is the Veterans Advanced Energy Fellowship, which seeks to create a cadre of future leaders within the advanced energy industry. The program provides a select group of high-performing, high-potential leaders with policy and skills training, mentorship from senior national security and energy leaders, and exposure to key workforce development opportunities. Fellows will also organize site visits, training opportunities, and other special projects for fellow veterans and allies throughout the year. The Project is pleased to welcome its first class of fellows:

• Heather Takle, US Marine Corps Veteran, Boston MA

• Ryan Edwards, US Navy Veteran, Austin TX

• Sarah Nielsen, US Army Veteran, Detroit MI

• Jack Boger, US Marine Corps Veteran, San Francisco CA

• Zach Roberts, Ohio Air National Guard, Dayton OH

The Veterans Advanced Energy Project will receive strategic guidance from its advisory committee, which will be led by honorary chair General James L. Jones. The advisory group will consist of leaders in the energy and national security fields, and includes:

• Sherri Goodman, Board Member, Atlantic Council; first Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Environmental Security

• Dorothy Robyn, former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Installations & Environment

• Vice Admiral Dennis V. McGinn, former Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations, and the Environment

• Joe Bryan, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council Global Energy Center; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy

• Morgan Bazilian, Director, Payne Institute for Public Policy, Colorado School of Mines, Former Lead Energy Specialist, World Bank

• Jon Powers, Co-Founder and President, Clean Capital; Former Federal Chief Sustainability Officer of the United States

• Kevin Johnson, President, GlidePath Federal Solutions;

• Liz Ramsay Dalton, Executive Director, Clean Energy Leadership Institute; former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy (OE)

The Veterans Advanced Energy Project is made possible thanks to the generous support from the MacArthur Foundation, Exelon Corporation, and founding sponsor Invenergy. At the 2019 Veterans Advanced Energy Summit, Invenergy hosted a reception at their downtown Chicago headquarters with tours of the Invenergy Control Center and remarks about energy entrepreneurship led by Bunker Labs. Exelon exclusively sponsored travel scholarships that enabled 40 veterans from 17 states and the District of Columbia to attend the event.