While most Americans think of veterans as warriors, they’re quietly becoming the backbone of America’s clean energy transformation. The numbers don’t lie. Veterans make up 9% of clean energy workers nationwide, nearly double the 5% they represent in the general workforce. In the Midwest, that jumps to 10.8%. Indiana’s crushing it at 12.5%, while Michigan boasts 13,535 veteran energy workers.
The solar industry’s particularly hungry for military talent. These companies hire veterans at twice the national average. They even set a goal to employ 50,000 veterans by 2020. Not because they’re being charitable. Veterans show up trained, motivated, and ready to work. Turns out, building solar panels beats building FOBs in the desert.
Nearly 750,000 veterans now work in America’s energy sector, which hit 8.4 million jobs in 2023. That’s over 5% of all U.S. jobs. The sector grew 3% last year, outpacing the national average of 2%. Clean energy incentives alone created 400,000 new positions in two years. Some clean energy jobs are projected to grow 60% by 2033, jumping from 11,400 to over 18,000 positions. Wind turbine service technicians lead this growth as the fastest growing job in America.
Here’s the thing: military skills translate perfectly to energy work. Technical expertise from maintaining million-dollar equipment? Check. Leadership abilities from managing squads? Check. Experience following strict protocols? Double check. Veterans understand structured environments and adapt quickly to changing conditions. Exactly what the evolving energy industry needs.
The appeal goes deeper than paychecks. Veterans seek purpose after service. They want to build something meaningful, improve the environment, contribute to the economy. Solar work offers that same sense of mission they had in uniform. Just without the IEDs. But now 62,554 jobs have been lost or threatened since Trump’s election, putting many veterans’ new careers at risk.
Regional variations tell their own story. States near military installations see higher veteran participation. The Joining Forces initiative connects public and private sectors to support veteran hiring. But honestly, energy companies don’t need much convincing. They’ve figured out what the military’s known forever: give veterans a mission, proper tools, and clear objectives, and they’ll exceed every expectation. With renewable energy contributing over 600 billion dollars annually to the global economy, veterans are positioned at the forefront of this economic powerhouse.
The battlefield-to-solar-field pipeline isn’t just feel-good PR. It’s smart business meeting genuine need.
References
- https://cleangridalliance.org/blog/189/veterans-in-clean-energy-serving-our-country-in-the-military-and-beyond
- https://www.energy.gov/policy/us-energy-employment-jobs-report-useer
- https://www.nrel.gov/state-local-tribal/state-employment-projection-support
- https://climatepower.us/clean-energy-jobs-report/
- https://seia.org/blog/us-solar-industry-commits-hiring-more-veterans/
