More than 8 percent of energy company employees are veterans, with some companies topping 15 percent. That’s a significantly higher level than for the national workforce, where 5.6 percent are veterans. The reason that so many military veterans choose electric companies is twofold.

First, there is a cultural alignment. Samana Tinsley, a former U.S. Army sergeant and president of Southern California Edison’s veterans’ resource group, called VALOR, summed it up: “Veterans and the energy industry share three essential qualities that are engrained in the military way of life: Service to community, putting safety first, and being mission-driven. Veterans come with these qualities top of mind and will thrive in organizations that embody these same values.”

Another crucial factor is having one of the nation’s strongest networks of company and industry programs to recruit, hire, and retain military veterans.

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