"After Republicans voted to undo much of the Inflation Reduction Act, a few cleantech professionals set out to exact electoral revenge. So far, it seems to be working."
"Last summer, when the Republican-controlled Congress took a wrecking ball to the Inflation Reduction Act, Tom Matzzie was pissed. Though some Republican members of Congress had written letters trying to save wind and solar tax credits, when it came time to vote, they nearly all fell in line behind President Donald Trump. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed with widespread Republican support, canceling a decade-long tax incentive meant to accelerate America’s transition to cheaper, cleaner energy.
Politicians have long lived in fear of certain powerful lobbies — the National Rifle Association, Big Oil, Big Pharma — knowing that if they voted against those interest groups it could cost them their seats. But as the votes came down for the OBBBA, nobody in Congress, Matzzie couldn’t help noticing, seemed scared of antagonizing the clean energy industry.
Matzzie, who founded electricity retailer CleanChoice Energy and previously led campaigns for progressive groups and the Democratic National Committee, resolved to try to strengthen clean energy’s political clout by taking down the industry’s most prominent foes seeking elected office.
This strategy attracted the interest of Chris Larsen, a major clean energy investor who made a fortune in cryptocurrency, and Michael Brune, former head of the Sierra Club. Together, Matzzie, Larsen, and Brune formed the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition — a forgettable name that sounds like those of the other shadowy groups blanketing the airwaves during election season, but that happens to share an acronym with the now-defunct investment tax credit for solar installations. As primary season got underway, the super PAC cobbled together commitments for $20 million from Larsen, Matzzie, and other donors to spend on races this election cycle. Their targets: the far-right House Freedom Caucus members who pushed hardest to undo the IRA."
