Iowa Programs Offer Renewable Energy Opportunities to Veterans | Article

Service men and women transition out of the military with a suite of skills suitable for work in high-demand industries. The state of Iowa is seeking to attract these workers and, as discussed in a recent panel hosted by Power Up Iowa, a coalition of clean energy advocates, to match their skills with positions in Iowa’s growing renewable energy economy.

Wind energy currently accounts for 40 percent of the state’s electricity, and Iowa is second only to Texas in both the number of people employed in wind energy (9,000) and the amount of capital invested in wind energy development ($19 billion).

In order to attract more veterans to the state, Iowa lawmakers voted in 2014 to exclude military benefits from state income tax collection. In addition, two state programs have been developed to connect veterans to new careers: Home Base Iowa (HBI) and Future Ready Iowa’s Last Dollar Scholarship.

HBI is a state-wide database connecting veterans and their spouses to employment and training opportunities that meet their interests and skill sets. Eighty-three of Iowa’s 99 counties host an HBI veterans resources center or partnering educational institution, assuring wide availability of services for veterans transitioning to civilian life.

The Last Dollar Scholarship program works to incentivize all students, including veterans, to enter high-demand, technical fields, such as those in the renewable energy sector. The scholarship provides 100 percent funding towards tuition in these selected programs.

Both HBI and the Last Dollar Scholarship partner with the Iowa Lakes Community College, which runs two Associate in Applied Sciences degree programs, in Wind Energy & Turbine Technology and in Sustainable Energy Resources and Technologies. Dan Lutat, Director of Government Affairs and Information at Iowa Lakes Community College, discussed how these degrees serve veterans and connect them to careers in the renewable energy and related industries.

“The fortunate thing is with wind growing so much and getting more penetration in the national power grid, [career] placement really takes care of itself,” Lutat said. “We’re focused on how do we differentiate [our students] so they can find a place that makes them happy in the industry—whether it’s technical, engineering, aftermarket, logistic, analyses—there’s a lot of things we teach in our courses that remain very broad spectrum.”

Another panelist at the Power Up Iowa event was Ryan Craig, an Air Force veteran and graduate from the Iowa Lakes Wind Energy & Turbine Technology program. Craig currently works in the renewable energy sector as a senior operations manager for Alliant Energy, an Iowa utility company.

“Over the last decade, we’ve seen wind increasing significantly on the utility side because it’s a resource that’s here and it’s free—anyone in northwest Iowa can tell you that the wind is blowing about 95 percent of the time,” Craig said. “It’s been an exciting adventure over the years to watch the company grow and there are tons of opportunities for people looking for new careers.”

Bureau of Labor Statistics data list wind turbine technician and solar photovoltaic installer as the first- and third-fastest growing occupations in the United States, with 61 percent and 51 percent growth projected respectively over the next 10 years. While Iowa’s geography and current energy mix are particularly well suited to cultivating this workforce, panelists agreed that renewable energy also presents opportunities for expanded growth in other industries like advanced manufacturing. Iowa is home to 11 wind and 10 solar renewable energy device manufacturing plants.

“So many occupations contribute to the success of this industry, which gives it a broad appeal, which is key when recruiting veterans,” said Beth Townsend, Workforce Development Director for the State of Iowa and an Air Force veteran. “It’s hard to recruit veterans for micro-targeted spots, we really want to try to explain to them all the different opportunities, and how their experience would relate very well to a particular industry.”

According to event moderator Jeff Danielson, a Navy veteran and the Central Regional Director at the American Wind Energy Association, veterans have a unique understanding of the importance of energy infrastructure to national security and stability, which makes them well suited for careers in the clean energy industry.

It is a point with which Dan Lutat concurs, “The United States has something every country is jealous of—a nicely layered and survivable energy system. But it only works if we keep it that way. So, when you’re talking about everything from grid storage and modernization and battery technology to bad guys attacking our infrastructure, we have to have minds working on this, as it’s truly a continental solution.”

Author: Amber Todoroff

Read about other initiatives for veterans in sustainability or clean energy careers here:

Solar Ready Vets Network Prepares Veterans for Solar Industry Careers

Special Operation Veterans Take on a New Mission: Marine Conservation