By Dave Belote

Eight years ago, I was proud and honored to serve as commander of the 99th Air Base Wing at Nellis Air Force Base, shortly after we flipped the switch on what then was the largest solar array in the country.

What we knew then is still true today: Clean energy isn’t just good for our environment; it’s good for our economy - and it’s essential to our national security.

The Department of Defense refers to climate change as a “threat multiplier.” That’s because rising temperatures and sea levels, extreme weather conditions, and other climate change-related events have the potential to exacerbate terrorism and humanitarian crises while at the same time threatening our military installations around the globe.

“Climate change is impacting stability in areas of the world where our troops are operating today,” Secretary of Defense James Mattis wrote in recent testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Military leaders around the country understand this threat. President Trump and his administration, however, have proposed cutting funding for clean energy programs that would capitalize on economic opportunities, reduce our impact on the climate, and help keep America strong.

This is a mistake.

Nationally, more than 3 million Americans work in clean energy, according to U.S. Department of Energy data analyzed by the national nonpartisan business group Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2). Solar jobs are growing 17 times faster than all U.S. jobs, and they pay well too. In 2016, solar panel installers’ median wage was $26 per hour.

In Nevada, we’ve seen the impact policy decisions can have on clean energy jobs, both good and bad. More than 20,750 people work in the solar and energy efficiency sectors, but despite ranking fourth amongst states in solar jobs, Nevada actually lost jobs in the solar industry last year, in large part due to a Public Utilities Commission policy decision on rooftop solar.

With good policies in place, the Silver State can do better.

Legislators are currently considering raising Nevada’s renewable portfolio standard, which would require utility companies like NV Energy to buy more electricity from renewable sources such as solar and geothermal. Rooftop solar and energy efficiency bills are also up for consideration. These important policies represent an opportunity for Nevada to lead where our federal government does not.

The solar project I inherited as commander at Nellis demonstrates how we can create jobs, drive economic growth, and help address climate change at the same time.

The Nellis solar arrays are reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 50,000 tons per year. Over a 30 year period, according to US Environmental Protection Agency estimates, that’s the equivalent of taking nearly 293,000 cars off the roads in the state.

I support a strong military, just as the president does. At Nellis, I learned that we can accomplish goals of strengthening the military, creating jobs, and keeping our country safe by supporting sound clean energy and climate change policies.

Investing in outdated approaches and dirty energy takes us in the opposite direction. For instance, the Air Force spends about $6.7 billion on jet fuels each year. As an alternative to fuel, U.S. troops used solar energy at combat outposts in Afghanistan, saving roughly 20 million gallons of diesel fuel. That’s taking 7,000 truckloads of fuel off the battlefield and protecting our soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen from being targeted by deadly explosions.

Imagine how many jobs could be created, how much more secure our military would be, and how much we as taxpayers could save in energy costs if we invested taxpayer dollars in clean energy like we did at Nellis.

This would also help create jobs for veterans who are trained and unafraid to scramble on rooftops or climb up wind turbine towers. Today, veterans make up 11 percent of the solar industry workforce, compared with 7 percent of the total U.S. workforce, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

As we showed at Nellis, our military knows how to lead on clean energy.

Given the uncertainty of leadership at the national level, it’s now more important for Nevada to reaffirm its leadership and move forward on clean energy legislation. That would be good for our economy, our environment and our national security.

Col. Dave Belote, USAF (Ret), was commander of the 99th Air Base Wing at Nellis from 2008-2010. A 24-year Air Force veteran, he also was executive director of the DoD Siting Clearinghouse for renewable energy at the Pentagon. He now resides in Virginia and is a member of the business group Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2).

Feature photo of Nellis AFB solar array via Wikipedia via Creative Commons 2.0 licensing.