Energy Needs a New Pitch, Veterans Are It

Project Vanguard Podcast

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Energy Needs a New Pitch, Veterans Are It

A Coast Guard veteran on why credibility, community, and calm leadership matter more than ideology in America’s energy future.

Nathan Peavey

Dec 18, 2025

Renewable energy did not start as a partisan issue.
And it does not need to be one now.

That was one of the clearest messages from Jim Adams, a Coast Guard veteran and President of North American Operations at Natural Power, during his conversation on the Project Vanguard Podcast.

Energy is infrastructure. It is reliability. It is national security. And when the conversation drifts into ideology instead of outcomes, everyone loses.

From Search and Rescue to Energy Infrastructure

Jim Adams did not plan a career in renewable energy.

He started in the Coast Guard, serving in search and rescue and maritime law enforcement on the St. Lawrence Seaway. Years later, he spotted a wind farm in Vermont and realized something important: this industry was building real infrastructure that mattered.

He went on to help build Natural Power’s U.S. operations from the ground up, working across utility-scale wind, solar, and energy storage. Today, he sits at the intersection of engineering, finance, policy uncertainty, and grid reliability.

What carried him through that transition was not technical expertise alone.

It was the discipline, communication, and calm decision-making forged in uniform.

“I think people under-leverage the less tangible skills you get from military service. You don’t realize how valuable they are because you’re immersed in them.”

The Skills Veterans Forget They Have

One of the most honest moments in the conversation came when Jim described the quiet shock of leaving the military.

In uniform, accountability is shared. The mission is clear. The stakes are obvious.

In the private sector, incentives change. Camaraderie thins. People drift.

Veterans often adapt quickly on paper, then look up years later and realize what they miss is not rank or structure. It is trust and shared purpose.

That gap is exactly where Project Vanguard operates.

Not as a jobs board. Not as charity. But as a network that helps veterans translate experience into impact, and reconnect with people who speak the same language.

Networking Is Not About Asking for a Job

Jim was blunt about one of the biggest mistakes veterans make when transitioning into energy.

Applying cold to job postings without understanding the company, its role in the industry, or its culture.

He shared real examples of veterans who reached out through Project Vanguard, not asking for a job, but asking questions. Those conversations redirected careers toward better fits, saved time, and opened doors that applications never would have.

“If you ask for advice, you’re more likely to get an opportunity. If you ask for a job, you’re more likely to just get advice.”

That mindset shift matters. Energy is a relationship business. Trust travels faster than resumes.

Depolarizing Energy Starts With Credible Messengers

Jim made something clear that often gets lost in public debate.

Renewables used to be practical. They still are.

Wind, solar, storage, and gas coexist in real project work every day. The polarization came later, driven by messaging failures and the wrong messengers.

Veterans cut through that noise.

Ten percent of the clean energy workforce are veterans. They understand reliability, redundancy, logistics, and risk. They do not need to argue ideology to explain why energy diversity matters.

“If your pitch isn’t working, get a new pitch. Or get a new messenger.”

Veterans are that messenger.

They speak from experience. They understand national security. And they can talk about energy without turning it into a culture war.

Why This Community Matters Now

Jim did not join Project Vanguard because he needed another commitment.

He joined because the mission made sense.

Support veterans.
Build reliable infrastructure.
Keep energy focused on outcomes, not teams.

That combination creates jobs that last, strengthens the grid, and rebuilds trust in an industry that affects every American household.

This is not about choosing sides.

It is about choosing competence.

Final Thoughts

Energy security is national security.
And credibility matters.

Veterans bring both.

As Jim Adams made clear, the future of American energy will not be won through louder arguments, but through better leadership, better messengers, and stronger communities.

Project Vanguard exists to make that happen.

If this conversation resonated, share it with another veteran, join the community, and keep building the future together.

The mission is still on.