In this blog post, we examine the policies and positions of Andy Ogles, the Republican Party candidate running for reelection to represent Tennessee Congressional District 5 in the U.S. House of Representatives. Also in this series, we profile Democratic candidate Maryam Abolfazli.

This post is part of a series of blogs examining where 2024 Southeastern candidates for state and federal offices stand on key energy and climate issues.

Note: The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy does not support or oppose candidates or political parties. Links to reports, candidate websites and outside sources are provided as citizen education tools.

In this blog post, we examine the policies and positions of Andy Ogles, the Republican Party candidate running for reelection to represent Tennessee Congressional District 5 in the U.S. House of Representatives. Also in this series, we profile Democratic candidate Maryam Abolfazli. Election Day is November 5, 2024.

Andy Ogles is the U.S. Representative for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District. Prior to his time in Congress, Ogles worked for the Tennessee chapter of Americans for Prosperity and served one term as mayor of Maury County, Tennessee.

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

When sharing his effort to prevent the Biden administration’s proposed rule to change energy conservation standards for consumer water heaters he said on X (formerly Twitter), “I introduced the Hot Showers Act to require the Department of Energy to stop its climate tyranny and allow the free market to dictate the price of appliances, not woke energy elitists.”  

Climate Change

Congressman Ogles introduced H.R. 812, a bill to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest action Congress has ever taken to support clean energy and fight climate change.

Electric Transportation

In June 2024, Ogles introduced the “Free Market Drives Itself Act”. If enacted, the Department of Energy and Department of Transportation interagency Electric Vehicle Working Group, which makes recommendations on the adoption and integration of electric vehicles into the nation’s transportation and energy systems, would be dismantled.

As Mayor of Maury County, he welcomed investments from partners LG Energy Solution and General Motors (GM) who announced they would invest $2.3 billion to build a battery cell manufacturing plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee next door to the GM assembly plant where the all-electric Cadillac LYRIQ is produced. 

Energy Equity and Energy Burden

We were unable to confirm the candidate’s position on this energy-related issue in published media, public records, or the campaign website.

High-Risk Energy 

Ogles shared over social media, “We must return to producing and exporting American oil and natural gas, restoring the drilling and pipeline developments that Biden blocked.”

This is what Andy Ogles had to say after introducing a bill to reduce royalty rates companies pay to extract oil and gas from publicly owned federal land: “After years of abuse by the Biden Administration in the name of ‘climate change,’ the United States must prioritize the American energy industry over woke politicking.”

Voting Information 

Election Day is November 5. Here are important dates and deadlines to consider, from the Tennessee Secretary of State:

• Aug. 7, 2024: First day to make an absentee ballot request
• Oct. 7, 2024: Voter registration deadline 
• Oct. 16, 2024: In-person early voting begins
• Oct. 29, 2024: Absentee ballot request deadline
• Oct. 31, 2024: In-person early voting ends 
• Nov. 5, 2024: General Election Day 
• Nov. 5, 2024: Absentee ballot return deadline 

For more information about being a Tennessee voter, including registering, finding your polling place, and requesting an absentee ballot, visit proudvoter.org.