The solar energy industry-backed group that helped oust conservative Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles isn’t done making the case that you don’t mess with renewable energy.
The political action committee is preparing to fight in upcoming primaries, the general election and for years to come whenever candidates try to block projects or oppose solar industry priorities.
Ogles’ loss came after the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition PAC spent $2 million — more than the combined spending of both Ogles and his challenger Charlie Hatcher — on the Tennessee House race. The PAC’s leader hopes it can become an electoral juggernaut.
“Our goal is to make sure people choose not to cross the industry,” Tom Matzzie, CEO of solar company CleanChoice Energy and chair of the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition, told POLITICO on Friday.
“I think this is by far our biggest step forward in terms of accomplishing our goal, and it definitively sends a signal that our deterrence is real, and that we will get involved,” he said.
While Invest in Tomorrow spent money to beat Republican Rep. Chip Roy in his Texas attorney general race and Republican Rep. Ralph Norman in his South Carolina gubernatorial race, its investment to defeat Ogles’ reelection bid was its biggest since launching earlier this year. It also got the most national attention, assisted by Ogles criticizing the group.
“Andy Ogles is our best publicist. He is a giant whiner, and once he started complaining about us … I’m like, ‘This guy is delivering our strategy for us,’” Matzzie said.
Ogles said on Nashville’s Morning News, a radio show, “They literally are trying to make an example out of me to try to strike fear in other Republicans. Which is why, if they prevail, this will have a chilling effect to the conservatives in Congress.”
The super PAC, which can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money, has spent in a handful of races this year, targeting what it sees as the top foes of the renewable energy sector.
So far, that has mostly meant opposing the most vocal supporters of quickly ending renewable tax credits in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the signature GOP tax law, with advertising meant to appeal to conservative audiences.
Matzzie previously worked for the AFL-CIO’s electoral efforts and was the Washington director of MoveOn.org, a progressive political advocacy group.
More money to spend
The PAC has $20 million in pledges from renewable energy industry donors, up from the $15 million it had in May. It has taken in $6.8 million, disclosures show, but Matzzie said the strategy is to only take in the contributions when they’re needed for spending.
It also has an affiliated 501(c)(4) nonprofit with more than $10 million on hand and pledges of more than $9 million, some of which could be transferred to the super PAC, he said.
“We definitely have the cash and capital flowing through our businesses in order to eventually put together $100 million to $200 million effort every cycle,” Matzzie said, specifying that there’s a “process” toward that.
The group is keeping its plans close to the chest to preserve an element of surprise, Matzzie said. The PAC is eyeing the Republican Senate primary in South Carolina scheduled for this month, with the goal of potentially working against Norman again if he advances to a runoff.
Norman was co-chair of the Congressional Solar Caucus before becoming a top advocate for ending the industry’s tax credits in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
“It’s a level of hypocrisy that like really deserves retribution,” Matzzie remarked.
Norman has spoken against “green energy giveaways pushed under the Biden administration” that supported “costly, inconsistent sources like wind and solar.”
President Donald Trump, who had endorsed Ogles in his race and hosted a tele-rally for him, appeared unfazed by the loss Friday, writing on Truth Social that the lawmaker “had virtually no chance of winning” and calling Hatcher a “Great ‘Trump’ Candidate.”
Andrew Howard contributed to this report.
