# The VET Act of 2025: A Plain Language Explanation

The VET Act (Veterans Energy Transition Act of 2025) creates a new federal grant program designed to help military members who are leaving the service, veterans, and their spouses find jobs in the energy industry. The Department of Labor will run this program by giving money to energy companies that hire these individuals, essentially reimbursing companies for the costs of bringing on military-connected workers.

Here's who benefits and how it works in practice. If you're an active-duty service member about to leave the military, a veteran, or married to one of these people, you could qualify for this program. The government will give preference to people in certain situations—those being forced out of the military, people with military training related to energy work, those living in economically disadvantaged areas, or anyone facing serious employment challenges like homelessness or service-related disabilities. When an energy company hires you through this program, the federal government can reimburse that company up to $10,000 per person for costs like your training, recruitment, relocation, or orientation. Individual companies can receive up to $500,000 per year in these grants.

The program targets energy companies broadly—anyone involved in generating, transmitting, storing, or distributing power, as well as companies that manufacture equipment for the energy sector like batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, and nuclear components. Small businesses and companies operating in economically struggling areas get priority for receiving these grants. The government is setting aside $60 million per year for this program from 2026 through 2031, though no more than 15 percent can go toward administrative costs. Companies receiving grants must report back to the Labor Department about how they spent the money, whether workers stayed employed, and what salaries they're paying. The program will be evaluated by 2030 to decide whether it should continue or expand.