Veterans in Advanced Energy Profile: Jordan Shontz

Jordan Shontz, a 2021-2022 Veterans advanced energy fellow

Jordan Shontz, a 2021-2022 Veterans Advanced Energy Fellow, served as a US Army infantry officer in Afghanistan and Iraq. After the military, he found a new mission in renewable energy development. Domestic clean energy, he says, brings economic benefits to local communities and improves national security by reducing reliance on foreign fuels. To other veterans entering the energy industry, he says to network early and often—you might be surprised by how willing other veterans are to help. As told to Madalin How.

Why did you join the military and what was your role?

In high school, I was approached by a recruiter and saw it as an opportunity to assist me in paying for my college education. I started my military career thinking about what the military could do for me, but it quickly became a calling to serve. The longer I served, the more altruistic I became because serving is about more than just yourself—it’s about being part of a larger mission.  

I joined the US Army when I was 17-years old and was active in the US Army Reserves and National Guard while going to school. Once I graduated with my bachelor's degree, I served on active duty as an infantry officer. For my 10 years on active-duty service, I completed two combat tours—one in Afghanistan in 2012 and one in Iraq in 2017. Stateside, I was stationed at Fort Benning in Georgia, Fort Carson in Colorado, Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, and eventually ended my active-duty career in Washington DC.  

How did the military influence your career trajectory into energy? 

I loved the Army because it didn’t feel like real work. Instead of working a normal 9-to-5, my jobs were part of a larger mission which made the work easy because you understand the inherent purpose of what you are doing. When I left the Army, I struggled for a while because I knew I needed to find a job with a mission that would make me excited to go to work every day. I quickly got involved with renewable energy development and saw immediately how it has a larger mission and purpose. It was apparent to me that clean energy benefits everyone from a local to a global scale.  

What are you most excited about in advanced energy developments, and what are you most concerned about? 

I am most excited about onshore wind, solar, and storage development because these projects benefit communities. Not only do communities have access to clean renewable energy, but the large capital flows surrounding these projects help with economic development through local taxes to help communities directly. Overall, there are direct and indirect benefits to renewable energy development, and I am excited to see it continue to grow. On the other hand, I would like to see more responsible and thoughtful development practices. I am concerned that the benefits from renewable energy are not always maximized in the community, so it's essential to make sure that when projects are sited, the community can capture the full benefits of the projects. 

Why is energy important to US national security? 

We are in the middle of the energy transition, and it is essential that the United States utilize renewable energy domestically. Instead of relying on hydrocarbons from other countries and being vulnerable to price shocks and other crises, it makes more sense to use renewable energy because it requires no fuel and we can harvest unlimited amounts of it from our own backyards. To put it simply, renewable energy development is a no brainer to ensure the United States has energy security.  

Do you have advice you would like to share with other veterans? 

My overall advice for veterans is to pursue your passion after your service. For veterans who want to go into energy specifically, start networking early and often—start seeking who you're interested in working for and reach out. When I started networking, I would often just cold call people I wanted to work for and was surprised how other veterans in the energy space were willing to assist me in my transition into the energy sector.  

What are you most looking forward to about the Veterans Advanced Energy Fellowship? 

I am most looking forward to learning from the cohort of veterans in this fellowship. It is such an expansive group of veterans with a variety of different experiences, and I am excited to learn from them.