Our 2023 #Veterans Advanced Energy Project Fellowship Application is open!
Make sure to follow the link and join the only #leadership community of veterans in the #energytransition. This year-long fellowship will develop a diverse group of leaders to advance our mission that #EnergySecurityisNationalSecurity.
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."
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
Dan Misch, Founder and Co-Director of the Veterans Advanced Energy Project, shared his story with Yale Climate Connections, highlighting the importance of clean energy to national security, and why those clean energy jobs are a good fit for military veterans seeking to continue service to their country and improve national security.
“‘The clean-energy transition is going to strengthen our future national security by reducing our reliance on foreign fuels, diversifying our energy sources and our investments in those energy sources, and mitigating the worst impacts of climate change,’ he says. ‘Most military veterans, for one reason or another, have a mission-oriented, service nature to contribute to society and defend their country – both while wearing the uniform and after they take the uniform off,’ Misch says. So he helps them understand how working for clean energy can support national security.”
Listen to the clip and read the article HERE.
Yale Climate Connections is a nonpartisan, multimedia service providing daily broadcast radio programming and original web-based reporting, commentary, and analysis on the issue of climate change, one of the greatest challenges and stories confronting modern society. YCC aims to help citizens and institutions understand how the changing climate is already affecting our lives. It seeks to help individuals, corporations, media, non-governmental organizations, government agencies, academics, artists, and more learn from each other about constructive “solutions” so many are undertaking to reduce climate-related risks and wasteful energy practices. Through articles, radio stories, videos, and webinars we “connect the dots” between climate change and energy, extreme weather, public health, food and water, jobs and the economy, national security, the creative arts, and religious and moral values, among other themes.
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
Nashville, TN | Veterans Advanced Energy Fellow Ryan Edwards recently published an article featuring veteran employees at Silicon Ranch, the largest developer, owner, and operator of solar facilities in the Tennessee Valley. Read the whole article here.
Ryan Edwards, Veterans Advanced Energy Fellow, Atlantic Council Global Energy Center
“There will always be demand for energy, and as the costs of green energy continue to compete with traditional energy sources there will be increasing, high-quality career opportunities to deliver it. After years of service to their country and while maintaining a “service over self” mantra, Veterans are pivoting their post-military careers to join the advanced energy economy as companies in the renewables space continue to expand.”
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 managed by the Global Energy Center within the Atlantic Council, a nonpartisan 501(c)3 nonprofit. www.AtlanticCouncil.org
Dan Misch, Veterans Advanced Energy Project Founder and Co-Director, published an OpEd today in Midwest Energy News about the negative impact that COVID19 is having on job opportunities for military veterans
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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.
Invenergy support for the Veterans Advanced Energy Summit was recently featured in the Fall/Winter Invenergy Connection, a quarterly community newsletter.
“The growth of the Veteran’s Advanced Energy Summit has been exponential,” said Brad Purtell, Director, Invenergy Services Business Development and co-founder of the Invenergy Veterans Network. “The commitments being made by energy sector executives, elected officials, and some of the highest-ranking former military leaders of our time have been overwhelming to witness. They understand that one of the best ways to leave the military is to transition to an industry accomplishing the same goals.”
The Veterans Advanced Energy Project thanks Invenergy as a Founding Sponsor for its continued support and commitment to military veterans. The 2020 Veterans Advanced Energy Summit is now scheduled August 9-10, 2020 in Chicago Illinois. Read the whole feature below:
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
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.
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
Veterans Advanced Energy Project Co-Director Greg Douquet recently wrote in the Colorado Spring Gazette about the importance of solar for our forward deployed military and jobs for veterans at home:
“Thousands of veterans have successfully found fulfilling careers within the growing solar energy industry. Across the United States, the rise of solar energy has created hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, with veterans occupying nearly 20,000 of those jobs representing almost 8% of the solar workforce.”
In the article, Greg encourages Congress to extend the Solar Investment Tax Credit and pass the bipartisan Energy Jobs for Our Heroes Act to support reliable, good-paying energy jobs for our veterans.
Read the whole article here: https://gazette.com/opinion/guest-column-support-our-veterans-with-a-strong-energy-strategy/article_b8c4a72c-1779-11ea-8443-67a90e7077c0.html
Veterans Advanced Energy Project (VAEP) Founder & Co-Director, Dan Misch, teamed up with Shay Bahramirad, Vice President of Engineering & Smart Grid at ComEd, to write an OpEd in the Midwest Energy News about the important role that veterans play in the clean energy transition.
“Many military veterans — who have spent their careers protecting our national interests — are now finding a new mission in the energy industry. These veterans continue to defend the country by applying both the technical and leadership skills that they gained in the military to the deployment and operation of smart grid technology at home.”
In partnership with the Atlantic Council, ComEd parent company Exelon sponsored travel scholarships that enabled 40 veterans from 17 states and the District of Columbia to attend the 2019 Veterans Advanced Energy Summit. The 2020 Veterans Advanced Energy Summit is scheduled August 2020 in Chicago, Illinois.
Read the whole article here: https://energynews.us/2019/11/21/west/commentary-in-clean-energy-transition-military-veterans-play-key-role/
The Veterans Advanced Energy Project is managed by the Global Energy Center within the Atlantic Council, a nonpartisan 501(c)3 nonprofit | www.AtlanticCouncil.org
