Solar-energy group that spent $2 million in Tennessee race takes credit for incumbent congressman's 6-point defeat

A rural Tennessee congressman lost his seat in Thursday's Republican primary election, and a solar-energy lobby is taking credit and sounding a warning to those who oppose the industry.

Rep. Andy Ogles
(Photo by Mark Humphrey, AP)

Rep. Andy Ogles of the recently redrawn Fifth District lost "after the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition PAC spent $2 million — more than the combined spending of both Ogles and his challenger Charlie Hatcher," a former state agriculture commissioner, Timothy Cama reports for E&E News, a publication of Politico. Hatcher got 53 percent.

“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. “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.”

The PAC's spending against Ogles “was its biggest since launching earlier this year. It also got the most national attention, assisted by Ogles criticizing the group,” E&E News reports. “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.” That's a change for Matzzie. who worked for the AFL-CIO and ran MoveOn.org, a progressive group.

E&E News concludes, “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.'” The Nashville Banner notes, “Ogles has consistently generated controversy and scrutiny since emerging from a crowded Republican primary in 2022. He has filed incorrect and late campaign finance disclosures, misled the public about his resume and said 'Muslims don’t belong in American society.'”

Fracking brine from Ohio injection wells believed to be surfacing, potentially contaminating drinking water

   

Paul Alain Hunt via Sunsplash

Decades ago, the state of Ohio invited the oil and gas industry to inject wastewater into deep wells, which at the time didn’t seem like a major concession. The need wasn’t overwhelming, and to accommodate the industry the state even got permission from the federal government to regulate its own wells.

When fracking came along, the Buckeye State’s more friendly policies made it the go-to place for burying brine. According to a report in The New York Times, “Ohio has permitted more than 240 injection wells for the disposal of oil and gas waste. By comparison, there are 19 such injection wells in Pennsylvania, and a few dozen in West Virginia, both of which border Ohio.”

Quinn Glabicki further notes in her story that Pennsylvania, which produces more natural gas than any state but Texas, sends about three-fourths of its brine to Ohio, and that “Ohio pumps about 1.4 billion gallons of wastewater underground annually.”

Now there are reports of the toxic waste coming to the surface, traditional oil and gas wells being invaded by fracking brine, and concerns about the potential for contaminated drinking water in the rural communities near where injection is taking place. The industry is pushing back, claiming the state’s regulation is sufficient and that wells complying with those regulations are safe. But geologists say the brine is “migrating” through porous underground material and moving to the surface.

Environmental groups and communities are seeking a moratorium on new injection wells, and for any new wells to be a safe distance from drinking water sources. In Marietta, the county seat of Washington County, tests of the drinking water have indicated it is safe but the water association is concerned that if radioactive waste gets into the system it will be impossible to remove. Ground stability also is a concern. Officials told Glabicki that seismic activity in Washington County is 20 times what it was in 2023, suggesting that underground rock formations are unstable because of the volume of wastewater.