Like many veterans, Independence Day holds a special meaning because we recognize the sacrifice so many have made in defense of our freedom. Those of us who served in combat in our most recent wars saw firsthand the need to change our energy policy to ensure our independence. 

National security leaders of all stripes can see the danger of relying on foreign-priced fossil fuel. Twenty years ago, when he was 1st Marine division commander, Jim Mattis called for the U.S. military to be “unleashed from the tether of fuel.” Yes, that’s the same Jim Mattis who would later serve as President Donald Trump’s secretary of defense. In 2011, Mattis elaborated on his views in some remarks to Congress. “[I]t is a significant Achilles heel for us when you have to haul the amounts of fuel that we have to haul around the battlefield for the generators and for the vehicles,” he said.

Our national security is a complex issue, yet those with military experience understand that ensuring we have energy independence through renewable energy is critical to our defense. As a result, many of us have continued our mission and our career by working in clean energy. I am a combat veteran, I served as the special adviser on energy to the U.S. Army, and I’ve since spent more than a decade in the clean energy industry. 

More clean energy benefits U.S. servicemembers and veterans alike. And so, I believe Congress should use the annual National Defense Authorization Act to continue America’s valuable, lifesaving investments in clean energy — not to gut them. 

Every year since 1962, Congress has passed the NDAA to pay troops, buy equipment, build bases, and more. Recently, the bill has authorized clean energy projects that can lessen the military’s dependence on fossil fuels and thus resupply convoys, which are vulnerable to deadly enemy attacks. Like the thousands of other veterans who have continued serving with careers in clean energy, we know clean energy is the only path toward real energy independence and resilience. 

However, this year, some House Republicans are looking to cut $715 million of funding from clean energy and climate initiatives in the NDAA. That’s a mistake that will hurt our national security and put our troops at risk. 

The Pentagon knows this. DOD is adding solar power and microgrids to stay ready through blackouts or attacks on the electrical grid. The Air Force is building a large solar farm to power the base at Vandenberg in California. The Marines made Marine Corps Logistics Base ­Albany, N.Y., the nation’s first net-zero base. The Army is using solar energy to power some housing at Fort Meade, Md.

Plus, last year’s defense bill called for new gas-free vehicles, both hydrogen-powered or advanced biofuel-powered ones. It also created a pilot program for sustainable aviation fuel. Both provisions can lessen our military dependence on fossil fuel. Because by investing in America’s clean energy capacity, we invest in America’s security and resilience.

Veterans benefit too. Clean energy companies hire former service members at an above average rate. Nearly 1 in 10 clean energy workers are veterans. And the industry is booming, thanks to policies like the Inflation Reduction Act and others in President Joe Biden’s Affordable Clean Energy Plan. More clean energy jobs are on their way. Experts predict over 9 million clean energy jobs could emerge in the next 10 years, according to researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. That means as many as 810,000 new clean energy jobs for our veterans in 10 years (if the industry continues to hire veterans at its current rate: about 9%).

Clean energy is an investment in America’s men and women in uniform: through the warzone to the workroom. Congress should defend, not defund, robust investments in clean energy via this year’s NDAA. It’s not politics. We must break our military’s tether to fossil fuels. Troops and veterans will benefit for years to come. 

Jon Powers is co-founder and president of CleanCapital, a clean energy investment firm. He served as a captain in the U.S. Army for four years. He also previously worked as the Special Advisor for Energy to the Assistant Secretary of the Army.