RFA’s Robert White and Geoff Cooper are both military veterans
According to the United States Energy & Employment Report released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), veterans make up 16 percent of the ethanol industry workforce, which is three times the national private sector workforce average and 60 percent higher than in the petroleum fuels industry.
“The ethanol industry continues to offer good-paying jobs across rural America, and I am particularly proud of the industry’s longstanding record of employing thousands of military veterans,” said Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper, an Army veteran. “Ethanol is an American-made fuel that bolsters our national energy security and reduces dependency on foreign energy sources, making the industry a natural fit for women and men who have served our country in uniform.”
RFA actually beats the national average, with military veterans making up 20 percent of its staff members. The Department of Defense recognized RFA with its Patriotic Employer award in April for “contributing to national security and protecting liberty and freedom by supporting employee participation in America’s national guard and reserve force.” RFA also has an initiative for military veterans and family members in the industry called Veterans for Renewable Fuels.
The ethanol industry also in notable for its employment of women and workers over 55 years old. Women represent 31 percent of the ethanol industry workforce, compared to 24 percent for the petroleum fuels industry and 26 percent for the overall energy sector. Nearly a quarter of the industry’s workforce is 55 or older, versus 19 percent for petroleum fuels and 18 percent for the energy sector. The DOE also estimated that workers with disabilities make up four percent of the ethanol industry workforce, which is at least double the average in the petroleum fuels industry and the overall energy sector and is close to the national average.