Senate bill would establish program to transition veterans into low-carbon emissions jobs
A new federal program would be established to retrain military veterans to pursue new careers in low-carbon and zero-carbon emissions sectors of the U.S. energy industry under a bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.
The Energy Jobs for our Heroes Act of 2018 would direct the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) to partner with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to establish the “Energy Ready Vets Program.” The program would provide military veterans with six-month internships to gain experience in solar, wind, cyber-energy and other low- and zero-carbon emissions sectors.
U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the bill to help veterans transition into civilian life, and to provide skilled labor to fast-growing sectors of the energy industry.
“Our bill will provide servicemembers and veterans with the training they need to work in some of our nation’s fastest-growing industries, while also helping clean energy companies — which already employ Veterans at high rates across the country — find highly-skilled and dedicated workers as they experience exponential growth and provide more of our nation’s energy supply,” Duckworth said.
With the Army, Navy and Air Force setting goals to develop one gigawatt of renewable energy to support military installations by 2025, the military has become a leading developer of low-carbon emission technology. And veterans already account for more than 11 percent of wind and solar workforces, according to the DoE.
“I’m very excited to be a part of this effort to do two great things for our country: help veterans find jobs and boost the clean energy economy,” Graham said. “If there was ever a win-win, it is this bill.”
Bennet said efforts to ensure that veterans have skills to enter the clean energy industry span years, and this bill will “create a pathway so our veterans, who have put their lives on the line for our country, have the necessary skills and training to compete in our 21st Century economy. We’re encouraged by the administration’s commitment to prioritize this legislation.”
