If renewable energy is a political issue thatâs close to your heart, you might not care all that much that Trump-endorsed Republican Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee just got brutally primaried by Tennesseeâs ex-agriculture commissioner Charlie Hatcher, meaning Hatcherâanother Republicanâwill almost certainly head to Washington after Novemberâs election.

But itâs the why and how that might interest you. The Invest in Tomorrow Coalition, a political action committee (PAC), which is taking credit for Oglesâs defeat, according to a Friday story in Politico, apparently thirsts for the blood of anti-renewable energy Republicans, and is reportedly weaponizing right-wing rhetoric to extract it.

The Green New Deal needs to die. The House passed OBBB brings the critical wins, the Senateâs falls short. https://t.co/QUXKMb2RM4

— Rep. Andy Ogles (@RepOgles) July 1, 2025

Invest in Tomorrow’s targeting makes sense. While in office, Ogles has been a big opponent of renewables, and someone who professed to believe “radical Green New Deal judges” were undermining American prosperity.

But the PAC’s strategy here could be seen as borrowed from the world of crypto. The person Politico called the PACâs âtop backerâ is crypto zillionaire Chris Larsen. Larsenâs company, Ripple Labs, also co-founded the pro crypto PAC Fairshake. Fairshake has reportedly run negative ads against anti-crypto politicians like Representatives Katie Porter and Jamaal Bowman.

And the pro-Hatcher advertising credited to Invest in Tomorrow? Itâs as right-wing as can be:

âPro-gun, pro-life, pro-Trump, Charlie Hatcher is the trusted conservative leader we need,â says one ad.

This playbook hasnât just materialized suddenly. Invest in Tomorrow took a similar victory lap earlier this summer when Texas Representative Chip Roy failed to be elected Texas Attorney General. Another Republican, Mayes Middleton, will almost certainly win now. However, the wind and solar industry counts Royâs defeat as a victory anyway, because he was instrumental in perpetuating the phrase âgreen new scam,â and adding an anti-renewables crackdown to President Trumpâs One Big Beautiful Bill.

But if you think anyoneâs sheer benevolence led to Royâs defeat, think again; this is business. A Democratic strategist named Chris Moyer told Politico at the timeâin a prior story about Invest in Tomorrowâthe wind and solar industry âcanât waste another moment in building political power and understanding how to play hardball, how to instill fear, so that anyone who thinks of crossing them when it comes to an important vote thinks twice and knows that there will be political repercussions if they do.â

According to Fridayâs story in Politico, Invest in Tomorrow had also targeted South Carolina Representative Ralph Norman earlier this year when he ran for Governor. He also lost.

Michael Brune, one of the founders of Invest in Tomorrow told Politico in that story, âThe clean energy industryâs political muscle is only getting stronger and more intimidating.â He added that he hoped renewable energy could stop being a partisan issue, but first, he said, âweâve got to continue our retribution tour and take out a few more members who have voted the wrong way.â

It may be the case, however, that Invest in Tomorrow is training its fire on already vulnerable candidates. To hear Hatcher tell it, a recent round of redistricting had created a situation in which a large share of rural Tennesseans suddenly found themselves in Ogleâs district without having heard of him. As a farmer himself, Hatcher sensed an opportunity. âWe led a very aggressive grassroots campaign and met the people where they were, and talked about issues, and that resonated, as well as the âhire the farmerâ motto that we carried,â he said on CBSâ the Takeout.

In other words, no one knows if it was the renewables industry that actually moved the needle in Tennessee, but Invest in Tomorrowâs âretribution tourâ will no doubt continue either way.