Clean Energy Spotlight: Kevin Doffing

The Fourth of July is a celebration of our nation’s independence, security, and prosperity, and Kevin Doffing safeguarded all three in the Iraq War and again in #cleanenergy. He’s our latest #CleanEnergySpotlight.

Today, he’s the Chief Commercial Officer for Clean Energy Services in Houston, Texas. CES is a field services platform: They offer operation and maintenance services for wind, solar, and battery storage. In Texas and nearby states, they provide customers with equipment (like cranes) and crews (like wind technicians) to care for renewable energy equipment like wind turbines.

Kevin’s career in energy started in his youth: He worked at his dad’s business — on weekends, holidays, and summer breaks — fitting oil and gas workers with safety equipment like hard hats and steel-toed boots. 

His passion for energy security took off when he joined the Army and served in Iraq. There, he was a platoon officer in charge of “securing stable electricity for war-torn regions.” As he described to the Atlantic Council, “one of my tasks was distributing diesel to locals to keep them powered and operational. Although I had been exposed to the energy sector while living in Houston, Texas, nothing compared to the situation I saw in Iraq.”

“It was at this time I learned the critical nature that energy plays on a stable economy and knew that I wanted to dedicate my life to the energy sector.”

Especially the energy sector. After serving in Iraq, he helped grow his dad’s safety equipment business, until it was shuttered after the volatile oil and gas shock of 2015. 

Then, he pivoted to clean energy. And, in many ways, he helps others pivot too. He’s worked with nonprofits like Combined Arms to help veterans succeed in the Texas job market. And, he’s the founder of Energy Capital of the Future, where he helps startups enter clean energy by equipping them with research, strategies, and customer leads.

In 2019, he was recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration and SCORE Houston, receiving the Small Business Award for Veterans Business Champion.

When asked why clean energy matters to him, Kevin told CE4AEF’s Faces of Clean Energy project: “I want the energy transition to be a just transition that lifts up humanity by empowering individuals to increase their quality of life.”

He’s doing his part – and then some – to make sure that happens, and it’s why he’s our latest #cleanenergyspotlight.