VoltsDavid RobertsAll episodes
The PAC taking out clean energy opponents
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Clean energy is the cheapest, fastest-growing source of power in the country, yet politically it barely registers. Republicans gutted its tax credits last year without fearing any consequences. The Invest in Tomorrow Coalition, a super PAC backed by clean energy investors, is trying to change that the old-fashioned way: by punishing the industry’s enemies. It went six for six in this year’s primaries; it’s now spending at least $15 million against seven Republican House candidates in the midterms. Its chair, Tom Matzzie, makes the case for fear as a political asset, explains why the industry has been so slow to throw elbows, and describes what it would take for clean energy to become a lion instead of a gazelle.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
02:55 - How the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition started
06:23 - Why a super PAC, and the idea of mythic power
09:50 - Punishing opponents to send a message to Congress
12:55 - Proving impact, and the permitting bill
17:13 - How ITC picks its general election races
21:41 - Does knocking out extremists help Republicans?
24:53 - Free riders and barriers to industry politics
28:58 - Who funds ITC, and why the industry underinvests
32:44 - Why clean power stays politically weak
38:28 - Did the IRA’s red-state investments pay off?
40:35 - Fear of Trump’s retaliation
45:05 - Avoiding the Democratic PAC label
49:30 - Presidential primaries and the ethanol playbook
53:20 - Gas inside the clean power trade groups
58:37 - Where ITC goes after November
