Elected officials/veterans celebrate Veterans Day and honor veterans working in clean energy
November 10, 2025
By Ramona du Houx
Washington, D.C. On November 11th, we celebrate Veteran’s Day to honor and thank veterans who served, and continue to serve, in times of war, and peace. This year Elected Officials to Protect America (E.O.P.A.) additionally recognizes and thanks veterans who have chosen to continue their service by working in the clean energy sector.
Veterans are at work expanding and modernizing transmission networks, and enhancing energy efficiency. They are construction workers, project managers, electricians, and install solar panels, and wind turbines. In short, they are working in all the facets of the clean energy sector ensuring a resilient and secure energy future for the nation. Nearly twice as many veterans work in clean energy then in the overall workforce.
“In 2007 the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) Military Advisory Board identified the climate crisis as a “threat multiplier,” since then military service members and veterans have been working to combat this threat by building a secure energy network. On Veterans Day let’s make sure we honor their continued dedication to our country. We need to let this administration and Congress know that by cutting clean energy investments they are putting veterans out of work and opening the US up to fossil fuel energy volatility,” Christian Brock, Elected Officials to Protect America (E.O.P.A.) Senior Advisor, Air Force Veteran. “Energy security means building resilient, clean energy systems that can stand up to extreme weather, and not be subject to price swings. American clean energy is an economic, environmental, and national security imperative.”
According to the U.S. Department of Energy in 2024, there were nearly 750,000 veterans in the U.S. Energy Workforce, which is 9 percent of the national clean energy workforce. Now, many of their jobs are in danger because the current administration’s anti-clean energy policies are disproportionately cutting jobs veterans have in the clean energy sector.
“The climate crisis causes instability around the globe, and increases climate-fueled natural disasters here at home. It’s a threat multiplier that we must take urgently and seriously. Only a clean energy future is an energy secure future,” said Alex Cornell du Houx, former Maine State Representative, Marine combat veteran, President of the Elected Officials to Protect America, and Co-Founder. “An increase in fossil fuel production threatens infrastructure, health, water, and food supplies at home and globally. As veterans, we fought and worked hard to protect our democratic values. The war in Ukraine is a clear warning to the world, illustrating how dependency on a single source of energy creates instability. Alternatively, distributed clean energy is secure, costs less, and creates prosperity.”
The President made it clear in an Executive Order he signed just after he was sworn in that his Administration would support fossil fuels to bring “American energy dominance” and “energy security.” Since then, his policies have attacked the clean energy sector. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act slashed clean energy tax credits, grants and loans established by the 118 Congress. As a result, veterans working in the clean energy sector have lost jobs.
“The clean energy investments from the previous Administration and Congress made our state a leader in clean technology manufacturing, and a hub of electric vehicle manufacturing. As a result, Georgia saw more than $15 billion in new investments and over 11,000 good-paying jobs many were filled by veterans,” said Sandra Scott Georgia State Representative, District 76, Army Veteran, Elected Officials to Protect America National Leadership Council member. “But that future has been threatened by the OBBBA and this Administration’s energy insecurity policies. Rivian, an American electric vehicle manufacturer, has put its planned $5 billion Georgia investment on hold. One battery company canceled its planned manufacturing plant. Clean energy investments have been growing our economy with certainty. The OBBBA has plunged it into disarray, more government debt, and veterans have been laid off.”
The previous Administration’s clean energy law established investments for manufactures for batteries, solar panels, wind turbines and other clean energy technologies made in the United States saw investments of $44 billion in 2023 in domestic clean-energy manufacturing.
Now because of Executive Orders and the OBBBA, Princeton’s ZERO Lab and other studies estimate a roughly $500 billion reduction in clean energy investment through 2035, and Energy Innovation projects up to 760,000 U.S. jobs could be lost by 2030.
“As a former medic and current lawmaker, I swore an oath to the Constitution to protect America from any threats foreign or domestic. Fossil fuel extraction is a clear and present threat to our national security. With the administration’s current anti-clean energy position and his Executive Orders, extraction of fossil fuels from New Mexico’s section of the Permian Basin is projected to increase dramatically. It’s the opposite to what we need. More fossil fuel extraction on land or in the oceans, and more mining will only fuel the climate crisis here and around the globe,” said Debbie Sariñana, New Mexico State Representative, District 21, Air Force medic veteran, Elected Officials to Protect America (E.O.P.A.) New Mexico Leadership Council Chair, E.O.P.A. National Council Co-chair. “The OBBBA is hurting our economy and putting veterans out of work. The clean energy investments of the 118 Congress put us on the road to becoming an energy secure country — one where we would be free from the oil and gas volatile price fluctuations and their deadly climate warming greenhouse gas pollution.”
Modeling released by the research firm Energy Innovation found that by cutting U.S. emissions from fossil fuels in half by decade’s end, which scientists say is needed to avoid truly catastrophic warming and would grow the economy by $570 billion annually by 2030, and avoid 45,000 premature deaths through reduced air pollution.
“Veterans bring mission discipline, leadership and skills to clean energy jobs that are strengthening America’s energy infrastructure. They are leading teams that deliver energy security. We need to respect their continuing service by realizing the importance of clean energy is for our national security,” said Daniel Ramos, Mayor Pro Tem, Adelanto, California, Navy Veteran, Elected Officials to Protect America (E.O.P.A.) California Leadership Council. “Clean energy is true energy security, protecting our environment and people.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024 Veterans held clean energy jobs in:
- The transmission, distribution, and storage industries employ over 90,000 veterans, which makes up 7 percent of the workforce.
- The solar industry has over 30,000 veterans at work, who make up 8 percent of the workforce. Solar photovoltaic installer is the second fastest growing job in America. The position was expected to grow 48 percent by 2033. According to SEIA and Wood Mackenzie forecasts, the Trump administration’s anti-clean energy policies could cause the U.S. to lose up to 125 gigawatts of solar deployment between 2025 and 2030.
- The wind industry has over 11,000 veterans were employed. In 2024, a wind turbine service technician was the fastest growing job in America.
The connection between energy security and national security is something many veterans have witnessed. Some were safeguarding energy supply chains during their military service. Others saw extreme weather make fathers just trying to feed their families commit crimes.
“As fossil fuel-based energy continues to fuel the warming of the planet, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. This results in direct threats to global security with mass migrations and conflicts over scarce resources. I’ve experienced this in Afghanistan firsthand as drought turned farmers into terrorists,” said Naweed Kawusi, Elected Officials to Protect America (E.O.P.A.) Chief Operating Officer, Fmr. Director of Veterans’ Affairs, Fmr. Director of International Cooperation, Ret. ANDSF Colonel. “I work for E.O.P.A. because I’m continuing my mission to protect and serve democracy. We must protect the planet from these dangers. The USA’s clean energy security path needs more clean energy solutions, not less”
By investing in domestic clean energy production, we reduce our dependence on potentially adversarial nations, while strengthening energy security and national security.
“Too many Veterans working in the clean energy sector have lost jobs because the current Administration is focused on ramping up fossil fuel production, which endangers the environment, increases extreme weather, threatens public health and makes America energy insecure,” said Aaron Márquez, Arizona State Representative, District 5, Army Veteran, Elected Officials to Protect America (E.O.P.A.) National Climate Emergency & Energy Security Task Force Co-chair “We served to protect our Constitution against threats foreign and domestic. For the security of our nation, we need clean energy solutions implemented not diminished.”
Exposure to particulate matter from fossil fuel emissions accounted for 18 percent of total global deaths in 2018. Research shows that about 1 out of 5 Americans die prematurely due to the production and usage of fossil fuels.
“Having to breathe in heavily polluted cancer-causing air just because you live near a factory, congested roadway or shipping route has to stop. Environmental justice communities need to be lifted up and out of the dark ages of systemic racism. Clean energy can make it happen, while making the US energy secure,” said Dr. Pat Spearman, Former Nevada State Senator, President Pro-Tempore, Retired US Army Lt. Colonel, Veteran, Elected Officials to Protect America (E.O.P.A.) National Climate Emergency & Energy Security Task Force Co-chair. “But ramping up fossil fuel extraction and production threatens infrastructure, public health, water, and food supplies at home and globally. On the other hand, renewables are the cheapest form of power today, reduce our carbon footprint, create jobs, protect public health, lift up environmental justice communities, and are critical to energy security.”
The Office of Economic Policy showed more than 41,000 Nevada families benefited from more than $151 million in clean energy tax credits to lower the costs of clean energy and energy efficiency upgrades to their homes during 2023. Those tax credits were canceled by the OBBBA.
“The One Big Beautiful Bill Act isn’t beautiful — it’s a blunder. It gutted clean-energy tax credits, derailed EV manufacturing, and drove away billions in investment. Families across Michigan are paying the price. Michigan didn’t build the world’s greatest auto industry to hand it over to China because of bad policy and broken promises,” said Allen Park City Councilmember Gary Schlack, Army Veteran. “Clean energy presents a powerful opportunity to not only provide affordable power, but also to mitigate the risks associated with reliance on foreign energy sources and the price volatility that comes with them.”
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency renewables are the cheapest form of power today.
“Veterans are continuing their mission to serve and protect by working in the clean energy sector. We should support them, and the buildout of more renewable energy technologies. But the current Administration is focused on ramping up fossil fuel production, which endangers the environment, increases extreme weather, threatens public health and puts our military at risk,” said Paul Evans Oregon State Representative, Air Force veteran, Elected Officials to Protect America (E.O.P.A) National Leadership Council Co-Chair. “We need more veterans who are dedicated to the mission of helping the transition of fossil fuels energy to clean energy for our security, and the world’s.”