Helplines buzz with alerts from seafarers trapped in war

Scientists have discovered a new species of miniature marsupial frog in the Peruvian Amazon that carries its young in a natural pouch on its back, a research institute reported Wednesday.

The new amphibian species, with the scientific name Gastrotheca mittaliiti, measures 2.7 to 3.3 centimetres (1 to 1.3 inches) and was discovered in a mountainous ecosystem in the Amazonas region bordering Ecuador.

The frog is bright green and has small protuberances on its back. The number of specimens in the wild is not known.

Its pouch enables the marsupial frog to nurture its young rather than, as other frogs, rely on aquatic environments for egg development. 

The study says the amphibian is at "high risk" because its habitat is suffering the effects of climate change and the impact of fires started by farmers clearing the region. 

"This is further evidence of the enormous natural wealth we possess... If we continue our research, there are many species still waiting to be discovered," Manuel Oliva, director of the Ceja de Selva Research Institute for Sustainable Development, part of the Toribio Rodriguez de Mendoza National University, told AFP.

The discovery was published in the New Zealand scientific journal Zootaxa and undertaken in collaboration with research departments at Florida International University and the University of Seville in Spain.

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Defending champion and top seed Jessica Pegula labored more than three hours to reach the round of 16 at the WTA Charleston Open on Wednesday with a 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory over Yulia Putintseva.

Pegula, the world number five from the United States, had clawed back a set but was broken to trail 0-2 in the third before mounting a final fightback.

"All I just kept thinking was, like, welcome to the clay court season," Pegula said after grinding out the win on Charleston's green clay.

Pegula, who enjoyed a first-round bye, said the breezy conditions and challenging shadows made it hard to respond aggressively to the high, looping shots from 72nd-ranked Putintseva of Kazakhstan.

"She's a really tricky opponent in general," Pegula said.

"I feel like especially on clay she can be really crafty, use high balls, low balls, slices, drop shots, and I felt like she was just honestly toying with me there for quite a while," added the American, who was broken as she served for the match at 5-4 but broke back to give herself another opportunity to close it out.

Pegula is chasing her second title of the year, after a victory in Dubai in February.

Second-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova withdrew from the tournament before her second-round opener on Wednesday, saying she had "a bit of an injury" picked up in Miami.

The 13th-ranked Russian was replaced in the draw by Ekaterine Gorgodze of Georgia.

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The World Bank is "extremely concerned" about the effect the war on Iran will have on inflation, jobs and food security, and is in talks with member states on how to address immediate needs in the crisis, a top official told AFP on Wednesday.

Managing Director Paschal Donohoe's comments came as his organization announced a new partnership with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and International Energy Agency (IEA) to coordinate aid responses to the war.

Donohoe flagged that countries in Asia and Africa were particularly vulnerable to the energy, price and supply-side shocks of the crisis.

"At the moment, we are consulting with many governments and countries in relation to what their needs will be, and I would anticipate within the next number of weeks that will become far clearer," Donohoe said.

The United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, igniting a war that has engulfed the Middle East, snarled key supply chains and sent energy prices soaring.

The World Bank offers development assistance and immediate budgetary support to member nations in the form of loans and technical assistance.

Donohoe said the organization was currently offering both forms of support in talks with countries in need.

"We are extremely concerned regarding the effect that this will have on inflation, on jobs and on food security," he said. "That is why we will put in place responses that have a financing element and a policy element that can and will be of support.”

Discussions regarding financial options -- which could take the form of immediate loans -- were "underway," but were not expected to conclude for "a number of weeks."

On the policy advice front, Donohoe expected talks to wrap up "in a few days' time." 

- Risks go beyond energy -

Since the start of the war, Tehran has virtually blocked the key Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas -- and one-third of its fertilizers -- pass.

Much of that is bound for Asian countries, which have seen energy flows abruptly dry up, as prices spike and supplies shrink. 

Several countries -- including top World Bank borrowers Pakistan, Indonesia and Bangladesh -- have implemented widespread fuel-saving measures to address the crisis, saving what they have for use in key industries and sectors.

Vulnerable countries in Asia and Africa have flagged several issues of concern to the bank.

"They're calling out the income shock that will be created due to rising prices, what that will mean for households and businesses," said Donohoe.

In addition to the shock of lower energy availability -- which can lead to a drop in economic output -- there are also concerns about food security related to fertilizer supply chains being frozen.

Earlier this week, the IMF flagged that the war could have a serious effect on low-income countries if food prices rise significantly.

"People in low‑income countries are most at risk when prices rise because food accounts for about 36 percent of consumption on average, compared with 20 percent in emerging market economies and nine percent in advanced economies," said an IMF report.

In Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, the IMF warned that a number of countries were already struggling with meager foreign reserves and "limited market access," making them vulnerable to "dangerous" debt shocks.

Donohoe, of the World Bank, said the lender was "well positioned to assist countries in their economic response" and was engaged in "intense" talks with member states.

"While this challenge is going to begin in energy, it really has the ability to have consequences that go across entire economies," he said.

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American rapper Megan Thee Stallion said Wednesday that she had a "wake-up call" after she was taken to hospital in the middle of a Broadway performance of "Moulin Rouge!" in New York City. 

"I've been pushing myself past my limits lately, running on empty, and my body finally said enough. It honestly scared me," the 31-year-old wrote on Instagram. 

"I thought I was gonna faint on stage, I really tried to push through my performance but I just couldn't."

Megan Thee Stallion, who has been playing club owner Harold Zidler in the musical, was replaced halfway through the show Tuesday night after she fell ill. 

She said she would be back on stage Thursday after taking off Wednesday to rest.

A spokesperson for the artist, who has won three Grammy awards, said she was transferred to a hospital after experiencing "concerning symptoms."

"Doctors ultimately identified extreme exhaustion, dehydration, vasoconstriction and low metabolic levels as the cause of her symptoms," the spokesperson told AFP. 

"Megan has since been treated, discharged and is now resting."

One of the leading women in American rap alongside the likes of Cardi B and Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion is known for her powerful stage presence, freestyles and aggressive flow.

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Canada's defense of its territory and the Arctic are entering a new phase, the country's top military officer Jennie Carignan told AFP, saying that "geography" no longer offers protection "as well as it did in the past."

With only the United States -- long considered an ally -- on its physical borders along with two oceans and the vast Arctic region, Canada has never really had to worry much about its territorial security.

But climate change and the melting of Arctic ice caps have made its northernmost land more accessible -- and thus more coveted. This, along with rising tensions between Ottawa and Washington, has changed the status quo.

Canada's armed forces have been forced to "transform" themselves, Carignan said in an interview in Ottawa, calling it a "pivotal moment" for the country.

Citing the seismic shift brought by climate change, Carignan said it is crucial for Canada to "position itself differently" to "ensure that we are in control and taking responsibility for our defense."

"There has been a modernization of our infrastructure, the pre-positioning of materials and equipment... and an increasing number of exercises" and other military operation in northern Canada.

The Arctic, where temperatures are rising three to four times faster than elsewhere on the planet, has become a coveted area for multiple countries, the melting of sea ice has improved access to crucial natural resources such as minerals and fish, and new maritime routes are now open. 

- Defense investments -

More broadly, Canada has had to adapt to changing global realities and move on from the targeted missions of the last three decades, such as in Afghanistan.

Canadian forces must prepare for "larger-scale" conflicts, Carignan said, while also rebalancing its military supply chains to rely less and less on the United States.

The country has created an agency dedicated to defense-related investments to reinforce its own domestic industrial base. That has required budgetary changes.

Carignan says she is pleased that military spending has reached two percent of GDP, in line with a NATO target.

However, she said that "sustained and stable investments over the next 10–15 years" are necessary to carry out these transformation and modernization efforts.

Carignan, who was named Chief of the Defense Staff in July 2024, is the first woman to occupy such a post in a Group of Seven country.

She says she hopes her example can serve as a "model" for other women, noting that a recent influx of candidates shows that recruitment efforts are bearing fruit in Canada.

The country aims to invest CAN $500 billion (US $360.1 billion) in defense over the next 10 years.

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(The Center Square) – Seven weeks into the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, President Donald Trump is working with Republican congressional leaders to craft a party-line budget reconciliation bill to fund immigration enforcement agencies.

Congress has failed to come to an agreement over a Homeland Security appropriations bill since February, when Democrats demanded that any bill with funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol also include a laundry list of changes to immigration enforcement.

After the most recent funding negotiations crumbled, with House Republicans rejecting a deal Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., made with Senate Democrats, lawmakers left for a two-week recess with no shutdown end in sight.

Trump is now taking matters into his own hands, announcing Wednesday that he, Thune, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., “are going forward to fund our incredible ICE Agents and Border Patrol through a process that doesn’t need Radical Left Democrat votes, and bypasses the Senate Filibuster.”

“We are going to work as fast, and as focused, as possible to replenish funding for our Border and ICE Agents, and the Radical Left Democrats won’t be able to stop us. We will not allow them to hurt the families of these Great Patriots by defunding them,” Trump posted on TruthSocial. “I am asking that the Bill be on my desk NO LATER than June 1st. Our Law Enforcement Officers and the American People should not have to wait until the Democrats see reason[.]"

While other DHS agencies have struggled due to the six-week funding lapse, ICE and CBP have continued operations by dipping into their respective $70 billion funding boost allocated by the Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill passed last year. 

That dynamic influenced Thune’s decision to cut a deal with Senate Democrats, passing a bill last week via voice vote that would have funded all of DHS except immigration enforcement.

Thune’s idea was for the House to approve the Senate’s funding deal, then use another reconciliation bill to allocate ICE and Border Patrol their fiscal year 2026 money – without changes to immigration enforcement.

Trump’s announcement, while not explicitly calling on the House to return and pass the Senate compromise, is a strong hint for House Republicans to do just that. 

Many Republicans have already discussed crafting a second reconciliation regardless of the DHS shutdown outcome and including other policy priorities like funding for the Iran conflict.

Trump’s June 1 deadline acknowledges that they will have to move quickly before midterm elections in November, where the balance of power in Congress could change.

“These Radical, Weak, and Incompetent Democrats have made clear that if they resume power, they will never again provide funding to secure our Border, or enforce our Immigration Laws,” Trump added in his post. “They want America to be OPEN AND AVAILABLE to Violent Criminals, Thugs, and Lowlifes, not our Great and Loving American Patriots. Don’t forget that in November. WIN THE MIDTERMS!”

French authorities Wednesday charged a young man in connection with an attempted attack against a Bank of America branch in Paris, as investigators explored suspicions a pro-Iran group was involved.

The plot thwarted before dawn on Saturday came more than a month after US-Israeli strikes on Iran sparked regional conflict, sending energy markets into a tailspin.

A source following the case, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the man in his early twenties from a Paris suburb had been charged with "terrorist criminal conspiracy" and remanded in custody.

French counter-terrorism prosecutors suspect he asked teenagers to place an explosive device outside the US financial institution near the Champs-Elysees.

Contacted by AFP, his lawyer did not wish to comment.

The investigation suggested he recruited three minors in the night of Thursday to Friday, offering to pay them 500 to 1,000 euros for the job, the National Counterterrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) said earlier in the day.

After a failed attempt that night, "two of three minors tried again the following night", it said.

Police on Saturday arrested a 17-year-old who had placed the explosive device near the bank and was about to light it.

The PNAT says the incident could be linked to a little-known Islamist group with possible links to Iran, though no firm link has yet been established.

The Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI) group, meaning The Islamic Movement of the People of the Right Hand, has claimed responsibility for attacks targeting the Jewish community in the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Police had on Monday last week been informed of a HAYI propaganda video on social media "specifically targeting the French headquarters" of Bank of America, the PNAt said.

The adult suspect told investigators "a third party, presenting themself as an intermediary, had approached him via a social network's messaging service to have the explosive device planted as part of a personal vendetta", it said.

"The explosive device was allegedly delivered to his home by a person he did not know," it added.

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The cost of car insurance fell in 2025, but the average full-coverage premium is still up 42% in the past four years. As the cost of living rises, many Americans are taking steps to cut back on expenses. But they may be overlooking opportunities to pare down their car insurance costs.

Nearly two-thirds of drivers (64%) believe they’re getting a good deal on their car insurance, but many are leaving savings on the table, according to a new Insurify survey. Not comparing prices, not maintaining healthy credit, and an overreliance on loyalty discounts have led drivers to pay more than they otherwise would for car insurance.

Insurers care about drivers’ financial habits and decisions, as they can help inform a driver’s risk profile. Credit correlates strongly with higher and lower rates. All else being equal, a driver with a poor credit score pays 40% more than a driver with an excellent score. In some states, that gap is above 60%, Insurify data shows.

Today, the typical U.S. driver pays $2,144 for full-coverage car insurance per year, making it one of Americans’ largest baseline expenses. About 32% of drivers say car insurance is unaffordable.

One contributing factor is inertia. The average driver stays with their insurer for 10 years, often not checking competitors’ prices. In fact, 57% of drivers said they would accept a 10% rate hike without shopping around.

Insurify’s quote analysis and survey of 781 drivers examine how Americans’ financial history and habits frequently cause them to overpay for full-coverage car insurance.

Key findings

• Drivers with poor credit pay 40% more for full-coverage car insurance than drivers with excellent credit ($2,602 vs. $1,853). Yet the vast majority of drivers with lower credit scores think they’re getting a good deal (69%).

• In New York, drivers with poor credit pay 70% more — $1,607 extra each year — compared to drivers with excellent credit. In California, drivers with poor credit pay just 20% more. California, which bans the use of credit in setting rates, is the only state where drivers with excellent credit pay more than drivers with average credit, likely due to owning more expensive vehicles.

• Drivers with credit scores of 800 or higher benefit most from comparing car insurance costs. Among this group, drivers who have compared policies in the last two years pay 20% less than those who haven’t.

• While 2 in 3 drivers have switched insurance companies at some point, the typical driver has been with their car insurance company for 10 years.

• More than 9 in 10 drivers (96%) overestimate how long it takes to compare insurance quotes.

State by state: The cost of bad credit on car insurance rates in 2026

Insurance companies use financial factors like credit history as data points for how likely a driver is to file a claim. As a result, drivers with poorer credit scores often face higher car insurance rates.

Technically, insurers don’t use a driver’s credit score. Instead, they use information in a driver’s credit history to generate a proprietary credit-based insurance score. Those scores help predict a driver’s likelihood of filing a claim.

But certain usage-based policies don’t factor in credit history, and seven states restrict how insurers can use credit history. Nevertheless, the strong correlation between credit scores and insurance rates still holds.

Nationally, drivers with poor credit scores (below 580) pay 40% more than drivers with excellent credit (720 or higher) for full-coverage car insurance. But that gap varies from state to state. In New York, drivers with poor credit scores pay 70% more, a staggering $1,607 per year. The states with the next-largest gaps in costs linked to credit score include Delaware (58%), Idaho (58%), and South Carolina (51%).

California has the smallest gap between what drivers with excellent and poor credit pay for full-coverage car insurance. The state bans the use of credit history in rate setting, although drivers with poor credit still average 20% higher premiums, likely due to correlating factors.

Despite paying more, those with worse credit scores are more likely to say they’re getting a good deal on their policy. Insurify’s survey of 781 drivers found that 69% of drivers with credit scores below 650 believe they’re getting a good deal on their car insurance policies. Among those with outstanding credit scores (800 or higher), only 60% believe they’re getting a good deal.

Even with outstanding credit, drivers who don’t compare insurance rates overpay by 20%

A driver’s financial history is an important part of the rate-setting equation. But even drivers with outstanding credit miss out on savings when they don’t compare policies. Insurify’s survey found that among drivers with credit scores of 800 or higher, those who have shopped around for coverage within the last two years pay 20% less than those who haven’t.

The results show how developing one small financial habit can lead to a drastic reduction in costs. All else being equal, two drivers with similar coverage, driving histories, credit scores, ZIP codes, and vehicle make and model can still end up paying noticeably distinct premiums.

Even sensitivity to premiums is associated with better savings, Insurify’s survey found. For example, one group of drivers said their rate would have to jump 30% or more before they shop around for competing policies. The second group said they wouldn’t wait as long to compare, shopping around as soon as prices increased anywhere from 0% to 20%. The second group, on average, pays 17% less for car insurance than the first group, illustrating how a proactive shopping mindset benefits drivers.

While some insurers offer loyalty discounts, pricing still varies widely from person to person. The average driver stays with their insurer for 10 years. Nearly half of drivers (44%) believe insurers reward loyalty with lower rates, but Insurify’s survey found loyalty savings aren’t guaranteed.

Among drivers with a credit score of 800 or higher, full coverage is 10% less expensive for drivers who have changed insurers within the last 10 years, compared to those who haven’t. About one-third of drivers have never switched insurers, and they pay about 7% more than drivers who have changed insurers at some point.

Most drivers miss out on savings by paying month-to-month

Drivers can secure savings on their car insurance costs not just from how they shop but also from how they pay. Most drivers with full-coverage car insurance (54%) pay month-to-month, but that group pays 4% more than those who pay in full every six months, $2,101 vs. $2,187 annually.

Paying biannually is associated with a stronger financial history, as those struggling to get by may not have the means to pay in full. But even among drivers with credit scores of 800 or higher, more than one-third pay month-to-month for full coverage, potentially leaving savings on the table, according to Insurify’s survey.

Some insurers offer discounts for paying in full. Additionally, some offer “early bird” discounts, when a driver buys a policy from a new insurer before their active policy with a competing insurer ends.

Tips: Saving on car insurance costs

Car insurance costs have been unusually volatile following the pandemic and a stretch of high inflation. Another recent Insurify survey found that 32% of drivers consider car insurance unaffordable. But that same survey found that nearly 7 in 10 drivers (68%) believe they could save more on car insurance if they spent more time researching it.

Drivers can save on insurance costs by:

• Comparing policies: Shopping around for rates is one of the easiest ways to save on car insurance costs. Drivers who fail to compare may be overpaying because they overestimate how long comparing takes. More than 9 in 10 drivers (96%) believe comparing policies takes more than 15 minutes, while Insurify’s typical time to quote is less than five minutes.

• Bundling policies: Insurers incentivize customers to carry more than one policy with an insurer by offering discounts for bundling. If a driver is comparing two equivalent car insurance quotes, but one comes from the company that provides their home insurance, they may earn additional savings by using the same insurer for both policies.

• Practicing safe driving: A history of safe driving is the most important aspect of your car insurance pricing. A driver with a DUI on their record pays 49% more for full-coverage car insurance than a driver with a clean record, according to Insurify data. Some insurers automatically apply good driver discounts. Some insurers offer discounts for completing an eligible safe driving program.

Methodology

Insurify’s data scientists examined more than 197 million rates in its proprietary database, quoted via integrations with partnering insurance companies. Driver applications originate from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and include information on the exact coverage specifications of each driver’s quoted policies. Insurify excluded Alaska and Hawaii data from this report due to lower quoting volume.

The premiums in this report reflect the median insurance cost for drivers between the ages of 20 and 70 with clean driving records, unless otherwise noted. Yearly prices in this report are two-year rolling medians to manage extreme market volatility over the past few years.

Full-coverage premiums correspond to policies with bodily injury limits between state-minimum requirements and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident; property damage coverage between $10,000 and $50,000; and comprehensive and collision coverage with deductibles of $1,000.

Credit scores labels in this report use the following ranges:

• Excellent: 720 or higher

• Good: 680-719

• Average: 580-679

• Poor: Below 580

Polling data featured in this study comes from an online survey that Insurify commissioned. The survey’s respondents consisted of 781 U.S. drivers between 22 and 70 years old with full-coverage car insurance and credit scores of 580 or higher. Self-reported survey premiums were used to measure the relative difference between drivers based on shopping behavior, using Insurify’s proprietary quote data as a benchmark for national pricing. Respondents answered up to 15 questions about their car insurance policies and opinions. The survey fieldwork took place from Feb. 3 to Feb. 11, 2026.

Elon Musk's SpaceX has filed papers with US regulators that set the stage for what could be the largest-ever public stock offering, a source familiar with the matter told AFP on Wednesday.

The confidential filing puts the rocket and satellite builder on track to list its shares on a public exchange by July, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing unidentified sources. 

Media reports have said the initial public offering could be valued at a whopping $75 billion or more, for a venture with stratospheric ambitions.

The IPO looks set to blow past a record from 2019, when the oil group Saudi Aramco raised $25.6 billion.

SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment, and officials at the Securities and Exchange Commission declined to comment.

If successful, SpaceX could arrive on Wall Street with a valuation exceeding $1.75 trillion, putting it among the world's ten biggest companies by market capitalization.

After its acquisition of xAI in early February, SpaceX was valued at $1.25 trillion.

Analysts have said that taking SpaceX public will require it and Musk to maintain greater transparency, particularly about its revenues.

It could also expose the company to investor pressure to focus on profits instead of long-term investments -- such as Musk's plan to build a rocket for sending people to Mars.

- 'Enamored' investors -

When the documents are released, SpaceX's IPO filing will likely reveal details about its operations, including its satellite and rocket manufacturing, alongside its xAI artificial intelligence arm.

Given that investors appear "enamored" with Musk's space and artificial intelligence ambitions, SpaceX could "probably get away with listing in a less exuberant market than some other companies might," said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers.

Matthew Kennedy, a senior strategist at Renaissance Capital, said he had little worries that SpaceX would be able to raise such a massive amount of capital, even as markets are roiled by the ongoing war in the Middle East.

"US markets are some of the largest, most robust fundraising in the world, and this is a unique company that has captured the imagination of a lot of investors," Kennedy said.

He also noted investor enthusiasm in potential advancements on space exploration and in AI, alongside the cash to be made in the telecoms sector.

Besides SpaceX, two other tech heavyweights, the AI developers OpenAI and Anthropic, are reportedly planning IPOs this year.

SpaceX, which dominates the space launching market with its reusable rockets, is owned by Musk alongside several investment funds and tech companies including Google's parent Alphabet.

The company's rockets vastly reduce the cost of putting satellites into orbit. SpaceX is also the owner of the Starlink satellite constellation.

In February, Musk announced that SpaceX would take over his artificial intelligence outfit xAI, a step in the billionaire's plan to use SpaceX's rockets to launch solar-powered, satellite-based data centers to run future AI models.

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(The Center Square) – Electricity prices and other measures of consumer energy affordability are highest in states with the most extensive policy mandates, compliance requirements, and the most rigid regulatory structures, according to a report released Wednesday.

The American Legislative Exchange Council, a nonprofit organization whose members draft and promote model state legislation and legislative policies, contends states with Renewable Portfolio Standards, cap-and-trade programs, and broad net metering mandates generally face higher average electricity prices compared to states with freer, more competitive markets.

ALEC contends these policies can require utilities to purchase specified generation sources regardless of cost, acquire emissions allowances for carbon usage, or compensate rooftop solar owners through net metering at above-market rates.

“The costs of such activities are often passed down to consumers in an electric bill or at the gas station,” ALEC says.

“By contrast, states that emphasize market competition and regulatory predictability are more likely to maintain affordable energy for households and businesses,” ALEC concludes in the fifth edition of its Energy Affordability Report.

The three states in the contiguous United States with the lowest average retail electricity prices in 2024 are North Dakota at 7.93 cents per kilowatt-hour, Louisiana at 8.80 cents per kilowatt-hour, and Nebraska at 9.07 cents per kilowatt-hour, according to ALEC.

“These states consistently maintain electricity prices well below the national average of 13.69 cents per kilowatt-hour, reflecting policy environments that place relatively fewer regulatory mandates on electricity generation,” the report says.

The contrast between these low-cost states and higher-priced regions highlights a recurring pattern, according to ALEC. States that avoid burdensome or prescriptive mandates, such as renewable portfolio standards and cap-and-trade programs, generally achieve lower electricity costs for consumers and businesses, the analysis found.

California and Connecticut consistently rank among the most expensive states for electricity in the contiguous United States, with costs frequently exceeding 20–25 cents per kilowatt-hour, the data shows. The report attributes these high rates to rigid regulatory structures, including cap-and-trade programs and renewable portfolio standards.

To address these disparities, ALEC promotes a suite of Essential Policy Solutions intended to guide state legislators toward market-driven reforms. These recommendations include repealing or weakening renewable energy mandates; adopting an affordable, reliable energy strategy" that prioritizes dispatchable sources like natural gas and nuclear; and ensuring that traditional power plants are not retired before ready replacements are online.

According to ALEC, these reforms are necessary to restore regulatory clarity and ensure that affordability remains the primary goal of state energy policy.

To drive costs down, ALEC advocates for a shift toward market-based solutions, such as the Affordable, Reliable, and Clean Energy Security Act which the organization touts as a model for legislation at the state level designed to prioritize "dispatchable" power sources like coal, natural gas, and nuclear. ALEC maintains these energy sources must remain a cornerstone of state energy grids to ensure reliable and affordable electricity.

Beyond the ARC Act, ALEC is also calling on states to adopt measures like the Electric Reliability Act and the OPEN Act to prevent premature power plant closures. These model bills would require state regulators to prove that retiring existing coal or gas plants won’t trigger blackouts or price hikes before decommissioning. Additionally, the organization’s proposed State Nuclear Coordinator Act aims to streamline the permitting process for new nuclear projects, which ALEC identifies as a critical component of a long-term, affordable energy strategy.

Finally, ALEC encourages governors to withdraw from regional climate initiatives that implement cap-and-trade or other carbon reduction mandates. The organization’s State Withdrawal from Regional Climate Initiatives model resolution says these programs place a disproportionately high burden on lower-income households and increase consumer prices for essential goods like electricity, fuel, and food.

"Ultimately, energy affordability is not just a policy goal; it is a fundamental pillar of American prosperity," ALEC concludes.

ALEC is the nation’s largest voluntary membership organization of state legislators with more than 2,000 members across the nation.