Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Public Policy & NGOs
Featured Stories
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce: Report Reignites Push for Healthcare Reform
MADISON, Wisconsin, Oct. 14 (TNSrpt) -- Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce issued the following news release:
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October 13, 2026
New Report Reignites Push for Healthcare Reform
MADISON - A new report from the CROWE Center at UW-Madison found that Wisconsin's hospital market has become increasingly concentrated. The report highlights another alarming trend in Wisconsin's healthcare affordability crisis, where rising costs continue to put pressure on family budgets, employers, and the state's overall economic competitiveness.
The report analyzed inpatient hospital discharges between 2018 ... Show Full Article MADISON, Wisconsin, Oct. 14 (TNSrpt) -- Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce issued the following news release: * * * October 13, 2026 New Report Reignites Push for Healthcare Reform MADISON - A new report from the CROWE Center at UW-Madison found that Wisconsin's hospital market has become increasingly concentrated. The report highlights another alarming trend in Wisconsin's healthcare affordability crisis, where rising costs continue to put pressure on family budgets, employers, and the state's overall economic competitiveness. The report analyzed inpatient hospital discharges between 2018and 2025 to measure the level of hospital market concentration across Wisconsin, a metric commonly used to assess competition in the industry. Researchers found that seven of Wisconsin's eight hospital referral regions are now considered highly concentrated and that every region became more concentrated during the study period. Researchers concluded that the majority of the increase in concentration was driven by mergers and ownership changes rather than patient choice.
The CROWE report adds to a growing body of research showing Wisconsin's healthcare market continues to become more dominated by large health systems. Wisconsin has experienced an increase in hospital and physician practice mergers, leading to more physician-hospital affiliations and in-system referrals, both of which tend to be more costly than independent practices.
"Wisconsin's healthcare trends should concern every family and employer in the state," said WMC Associate Vice President of Government Relations Rachel Ver Velde. "When patients and employers have fewer options, prices rise. Less competition contributes to an already unaffordable healthcare market."
Additionally, the new report adds to growing evidence that Wisconsin's healthcare market is failing patients and employers. Combined with previous CROWE research showing Wisconsin hospital prices are 26 percent higher than those in Illinois, the findings add urgency to reforms that promote competition, increase transparency, and help bring down healthcare costs.
Wisconsin's healthcare affordability crisis by the numbers:
* Wisconsin has the second-highest overall healthcare costs in the nation.
* Wisconsin's hospital costs rank fourth-highest nationally.
* Wisconsin has the nation's highest medical payments under workers' compensation.
* 93% of Wisconsin employers reported healthcare cost increases this year.
* 96% of employers support stronger hospital price transparency requirements.
"Healthcare remains one of the only major purchases consumers make without knowing the price beforehand," Ver Velde continued. "As costs continue to climb, Wisconsin should advance meaningful healthcare price transparency reforms that empower patients, strengthen competition, and bring much-needed accountability to the healthcare marketplace."
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REPORT: https://crowe.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/633/2026/10/HospitalConcentration.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.wmc.org/press-releases/new-report-reignites-push-for-healthcare-reform/
[Category: Business]
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October 13, 2026
New Report Reignites Push for Healthcare Reform
MADISON - A new report from the CROWE Center at UW-Madison found that Wisconsin's hospital market has become increasingly concentrated. The report highlights another alarming trend in Wisconsin's healthcare affordability crisis, where rising costs continue to put pressure on family budgets, employers, and the state's overall economic competitiveness.
The report analyzed inpatient hospital discharges between 2018 ... Show Full Article MADISON, Wisconsin, Oct. 14 (TNSrpt) -- Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce issued the following news release: * * * October 13, 2026 New Report Reignites Push for Healthcare Reform MADISON - A new report from the CROWE Center at UW-Madison found that Wisconsin's hospital market has become increasingly concentrated. The report highlights another alarming trend in Wisconsin's healthcare affordability crisis, where rising costs continue to put pressure on family budgets, employers, and the state's overall economic competitiveness. The report analyzed inpatient hospital discharges between 2018and 2025 to measure the level of hospital market concentration across Wisconsin, a metric commonly used to assess competition in the industry. Researchers found that seven of Wisconsin's eight hospital referral regions are now considered highly concentrated and that every region became more concentrated during the study period. Researchers concluded that the majority of the increase in concentration was driven by mergers and ownership changes rather than patient choice.
The CROWE report adds to a growing body of research showing Wisconsin's healthcare market continues to become more dominated by large health systems. Wisconsin has experienced an increase in hospital and physician practice mergers, leading to more physician-hospital affiliations and in-system referrals, both of which tend to be more costly than independent practices.
"Wisconsin's healthcare trends should concern every family and employer in the state," said WMC Associate Vice President of Government Relations Rachel Ver Velde. "When patients and employers have fewer options, prices rise. Less competition contributes to an already unaffordable healthcare market."
Additionally, the new report adds to growing evidence that Wisconsin's healthcare market is failing patients and employers. Combined with previous CROWE research showing Wisconsin hospital prices are 26 percent higher than those in Illinois, the findings add urgency to reforms that promote competition, increase transparency, and help bring down healthcare costs.
Wisconsin's healthcare affordability crisis by the numbers:
* Wisconsin has the second-highest overall healthcare costs in the nation.
* Wisconsin's hospital costs rank fourth-highest nationally.
* Wisconsin has the nation's highest medical payments under workers' compensation.
* 93% of Wisconsin employers reported healthcare cost increases this year.
* 96% of employers support stronger hospital price transparency requirements.
"Healthcare remains one of the only major purchases consumers make without knowing the price beforehand," Ver Velde continued. "As costs continue to climb, Wisconsin should advance meaningful healthcare price transparency reforms that empower patients, strengthen competition, and bring much-needed accountability to the healthcare marketplace."
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REPORT: https://crowe.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/633/2026/10/HospitalConcentration.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.wmc.org/press-releases/new-report-reignites-push-for-healthcare-reform/
[Category: Business]
Natural Resources Defense Council: FERC Rejects PJM's Plan to Protect Electricity Reliability and Consumer Bills From Data Centers
NEW YORK, Oct. 14 -- The Natural Resources Defense Council issued the following news release:
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FERC Rejects PJM's Plan to Protect Electricity Reliability and Consumer Bills from Data Centers
October 13, 2026
WASHINGTON D.C. - The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rejected PJM's Interim Resource Adequacy Service (IRAS), which would have required data centers to pay for their own new power supply and protected other customers from reliability issues when data centers demand more power than the grid can provide.
The following is a reaction from Claire Lang-Ree, advocate, Sustainable ... Show Full Article NEW YORK, Oct. 14 -- The Natural Resources Defense Council issued the following news release: * * * FERC Rejects PJM's Plan to Protect Electricity Reliability and Consumer Bills from Data Centers October 13, 2026 WASHINGTON D.C. - The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rejected PJM's Interim Resource Adequacy Service (IRAS), which would have required data centers to pay for their own new power supply and protected other customers from reliability issues when data centers demand more power than the grid can provide. The following is a reaction from Claire Lang-Ree, advocate, SustainableFERC Project, Climate & Energy, at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
"FERC's decision leaves the public exposed to rolling blackouts and higher bills caused by data center electricity demand. In denying PJM's proposal, FERC disregarded the White House's Ratepayer Protection Pledge, where major tech companies promised to pay for the infrastructure their data centers need. Instead of requiring data centers to bring their own new capacity, FERC's decision will force the public to continue paying for data center's power supply. FERC also ordered PJM to continue providing uninterrupted service to new data centers beyond what the grid can handle, further degrading reliability.
"PJM can, and should, redraft its IRAS rules to fix the technicalities FERC used to reject it and resubmit as soon as possible. At a minimum, PJM's rules must require data centers to bring their own supply, and not allow them to raise electricity costs or cause blackouts. As PJM works to address FERC's concerns, states still have a major opportunity to advance this concept through their own policies, unlocking reliable, affordable, and clean energy sources to meet the moment on powering growing energy demand."
Background:
PJM Interconnection is the regional transmission organization (RTO) that manages the transmission and wholesale electricity market for about 67 million people in thirteen states and Washington D.C. PJM officially filed the IRAS framework with FERC on August 13, 2026. IRAS is a PJM proposal that makes reliable power for data centers conditional. Learn more in this NRDC blog (https://www.nrdc.org/media/pjm-set-data-center-rules-now-states-must-protect-ratepayers).
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Established in 1970, NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) works to safeguard the earth, its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. Our team of more than 800 lawyers, policy experts, scientists, economists, and communications specialists work across the United States and around the world, from offices in Washington D.C., New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and Santa Monica, as well as a representative office in Beijing and affiliate offices in New Delhi (through NRDC's wholly owned for-profit subsidiary, NRDC India Private Limited) and London (through its UK-based partner NRDC International).
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Original text here: https://www.nrdc.org/press-releases/ferc-rejects-pjms-plan-protect-electricity-reliability-and-consumer-bills-data
[Category: Environment]
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FERC Rejects PJM's Plan to Protect Electricity Reliability and Consumer Bills from Data Centers
October 13, 2026
WASHINGTON D.C. - The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rejected PJM's Interim Resource Adequacy Service (IRAS), which would have required data centers to pay for their own new power supply and protected other customers from reliability issues when data centers demand more power than the grid can provide.
The following is a reaction from Claire Lang-Ree, advocate, Sustainable ... Show Full Article NEW YORK, Oct. 14 -- The Natural Resources Defense Council issued the following news release: * * * FERC Rejects PJM's Plan to Protect Electricity Reliability and Consumer Bills from Data Centers October 13, 2026 WASHINGTON D.C. - The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rejected PJM's Interim Resource Adequacy Service (IRAS), which would have required data centers to pay for their own new power supply and protected other customers from reliability issues when data centers demand more power than the grid can provide. The following is a reaction from Claire Lang-Ree, advocate, SustainableFERC Project, Climate & Energy, at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
"FERC's decision leaves the public exposed to rolling blackouts and higher bills caused by data center electricity demand. In denying PJM's proposal, FERC disregarded the White House's Ratepayer Protection Pledge, where major tech companies promised to pay for the infrastructure their data centers need. Instead of requiring data centers to bring their own new capacity, FERC's decision will force the public to continue paying for data center's power supply. FERC also ordered PJM to continue providing uninterrupted service to new data centers beyond what the grid can handle, further degrading reliability.
"PJM can, and should, redraft its IRAS rules to fix the technicalities FERC used to reject it and resubmit as soon as possible. At a minimum, PJM's rules must require data centers to bring their own supply, and not allow them to raise electricity costs or cause blackouts. As PJM works to address FERC's concerns, states still have a major opportunity to advance this concept through their own policies, unlocking reliable, affordable, and clean energy sources to meet the moment on powering growing energy demand."
Background:
PJM Interconnection is the regional transmission organization (RTO) that manages the transmission and wholesale electricity market for about 67 million people in thirteen states and Washington D.C. PJM officially filed the IRAS framework with FERC on August 13, 2026. IRAS is a PJM proposal that makes reliable power for data centers conditional. Learn more in this NRDC blog (https://www.nrdc.org/media/pjm-set-data-center-rules-now-states-must-protect-ratepayers).
* * *
Established in 1970, NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) works to safeguard the earth, its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. Our team of more than 800 lawyers, policy experts, scientists, economists, and communications specialists work across the United States and around the world, from offices in Washington D.C., New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and Santa Monica, as well as a representative office in Beijing and affiliate offices in New Delhi (through NRDC's wholly owned for-profit subsidiary, NRDC India Private Limited) and London (through its UK-based partner NRDC International).
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Original text here: https://www.nrdc.org/press-releases/ferc-rejects-pjms-plan-protect-electricity-reliability-and-consumer-bills-data
[Category: Environment]
National Council on Family Relations: Journal of Marriage and Family Issue Available
ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Oct. 14 -- The National Council on Family Relations issued the following news:
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New Journal of Marriage and Family Issue Available
Plus, Read New Journal Early-View Articles
October 12, 2026
Stay current on the latest research from NCFR's three scholarly journals: Journal of Marriage and Family (JMF), Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science (FR), and Journal of Family Theory & Review (JFTR).
Most Recent Journal Issues:
JMF October 2026 issue (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17413737/2026/88/5): Includes articles on family dynamics ... Show Full Article ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Oct. 14 -- The National Council on Family Relations issued the following news: * * * New Journal of Marriage and Family Issue Available Plus, Read New Journal Early-View Articles October 12, 2026 Stay current on the latest research from NCFR's three scholarly journals: Journal of Marriage and Family (JMF), Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science (FR), and Journal of Family Theory & Review (JFTR). Most Recent Journal Issues: JMF October 2026 issue (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17413737/2026/88/5): Includes articles on family dynamicsand transitions; gender, work, and family decisions; parental burnout; and more.
FR October 2026 issue (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17413729/2026/75/4): Features research on couple dynamics, parenthood, caregiving, intergenerational processes, and more.
JFTR September 2026 issue (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17562589/2026/18/3): Includes theoretical and methodological advances, scoping reviews, interdisciplinary perspectives, and more.
New Early-View Articles Published Online (Oct. 4-10):
Journal of Family Theory & Review:
* Conceptualizing Couple Financial Communication and Links to the Couple Relationship: A Literature Review -- Mahek Nirav Shah
Journal of Marriage and Family:
* Stress, Support, and Resilience During Wartime: A Dyadic Longitudinal Study of Parental Exhaustion (open access) -- Osnat Zamir, Ohad Szepsenwol, Tair Tager-Shafrir, Jessica L. Borelli
* Navigating Alignment and Misalignment Across Linked Lives: Intergenerational Relationships in Three-Generation Hong Kong Chinese Families (open access) -- Ke Ma, Rui Kang, Xue Bai
Family Relations:
* Reconstructing Fatherhood Under Constraint: Identity Work Among Nonresident Fathers (open access) -- Lital Yona
* Narcissistic Vulnerability and the Impostor Phenomenon: Toward a Developmentally Informed Model Rooted in Maladaptive Parenting (open access) -- Yosi Yaffe
* Adjustment Disorder Symptoms Among Parents of Soldiers in Mandatory Service During Wartime (open access) -- Miri Kestler-Peleg, Yael Doft
* Norm-Caregiving Practice Inconsistency and Depression in Middle-Aged Korean Women: Parents Versus In-Laws -- Ki Han Kwon, Heayoung Lim
* Cultivating Connection: How Social-Emotional Abilities Are Associated With Relationship and Family Well-Being in Married Adults -- Cheolwoo Park, Victor W. Harris
* Who Plans to Marry? Economic Security and Marital Intentions Among Never-Married Adults in Turkiye -- Aysenur Karakas Aydinbakar, Nilay Yoruk Toraman
* Healing Together: Changes in Psychosocial Responses Through Post-Earthquake Child-Parent Relationship Therapy -- Merve Nur Bozkurt Karali, Yasemin Ozkan, Dilsad Foto Ozdemir
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NCFR is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose members support all families through research, teaching, practice, and advocacy.
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Original text here: https://www.ncfr.org/news/new-journal-marriage-and-family-issue-available
[Category: Sociological]
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New Journal of Marriage and Family Issue Available
Plus, Read New Journal Early-View Articles
October 12, 2026
Stay current on the latest research from NCFR's three scholarly journals: Journal of Marriage and Family (JMF), Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science (FR), and Journal of Family Theory & Review (JFTR).
Most Recent Journal Issues:
JMF October 2026 issue (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17413737/2026/88/5): Includes articles on family dynamics ... Show Full Article ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Oct. 14 -- The National Council on Family Relations issued the following news: * * * New Journal of Marriage and Family Issue Available Plus, Read New Journal Early-View Articles October 12, 2026 Stay current on the latest research from NCFR's three scholarly journals: Journal of Marriage and Family (JMF), Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science (FR), and Journal of Family Theory & Review (JFTR). Most Recent Journal Issues: JMF October 2026 issue (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17413737/2026/88/5): Includes articles on family dynamicsand transitions; gender, work, and family decisions; parental burnout; and more.
FR October 2026 issue (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17413729/2026/75/4): Features research on couple dynamics, parenthood, caregiving, intergenerational processes, and more.
JFTR September 2026 issue (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/17562589/2026/18/3): Includes theoretical and methodological advances, scoping reviews, interdisciplinary perspectives, and more.
New Early-View Articles Published Online (Oct. 4-10):
Journal of Family Theory & Review:
* Conceptualizing Couple Financial Communication and Links to the Couple Relationship: A Literature Review -- Mahek Nirav Shah
Journal of Marriage and Family:
* Stress, Support, and Resilience During Wartime: A Dyadic Longitudinal Study of Parental Exhaustion (open access) -- Osnat Zamir, Ohad Szepsenwol, Tair Tager-Shafrir, Jessica L. Borelli
* Navigating Alignment and Misalignment Across Linked Lives: Intergenerational Relationships in Three-Generation Hong Kong Chinese Families (open access) -- Ke Ma, Rui Kang, Xue Bai
Family Relations:
* Reconstructing Fatherhood Under Constraint: Identity Work Among Nonresident Fathers (open access) -- Lital Yona
* Narcissistic Vulnerability and the Impostor Phenomenon: Toward a Developmentally Informed Model Rooted in Maladaptive Parenting (open access) -- Yosi Yaffe
* Adjustment Disorder Symptoms Among Parents of Soldiers in Mandatory Service During Wartime (open access) -- Miri Kestler-Peleg, Yael Doft
* Norm-Caregiving Practice Inconsistency and Depression in Middle-Aged Korean Women: Parents Versus In-Laws -- Ki Han Kwon, Heayoung Lim
* Cultivating Connection: How Social-Emotional Abilities Are Associated With Relationship and Family Well-Being in Married Adults -- Cheolwoo Park, Victor W. Harris
* Who Plans to Marry? Economic Security and Marital Intentions Among Never-Married Adults in Turkiye -- Aysenur Karakas Aydinbakar, Nilay Yoruk Toraman
* Healing Together: Changes in Psychosocial Responses Through Post-Earthquake Child-Parent Relationship Therapy -- Merve Nur Bozkurt Karali, Yasemin Ozkan, Dilsad Foto Ozdemir
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NCFR is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose members support all families through research, teaching, practice, and advocacy.
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Original text here: https://www.ncfr.org/news/new-journal-marriage-and-family-issue-available
[Category: Sociological]
Migration Policy Institute: Physicians in an Era of Changing Immigration Policy - The Case of Nephrology
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Migration Policy Institute issued the following report on Oct. 14, 2026, entitled "Physicians in an Era of Changing Immigration Policy: The Case of Nephrology."
Here are excerpts:
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Executive Summary
One in seven U.S. adults live with kidney disease, and nephrology--the specialty responsible for their care--faces a perfect storm: soaring demand from an aging population, projected physician shortages, and sweeping policy changes that threaten to reduce the supply of international medical graduates (IMGs) who have long sustained the field. IMGs are physicians ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Migration Policy Institute issued the following report on Oct. 14, 2026, entitled "Physicians in an Era of Changing Immigration Policy: The Case of Nephrology." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary One in seven U.S. adults live with kidney disease, and nephrology--the specialty responsible for their care--faces a perfect storm: soaring demand from an aging population, projected physician shortages, and sweeping policy changes that threaten to reduce the supply of international medical graduates (IMGs) who have long sustained the field. IMGs are physicianswho earned their medical degrees outside the United States, and they comprised 54 percent of practicing nephrologists in 2024, the largest share of any medical specialty. This substantial reliance on IMGs has helped nephrology partially meet growing workforce demands, as 37 million U.S. adults had chronic kidney disease as of 2023 and more than 866,000 had kidney failure as of 2025.
This report presents an analysis of workforce and demographic data from numerous sources to discuss the nephrologist workforce and the forces shaping nephrologists' entry into the U.S. health-care system. This look at dynamics in one highly specialized field offers a case study for how immigration and other policy changes are affecting the broader high-skill health-care workforce and access to health services in U.S. communities.
"This look at dynamics in one highly specialized field offers a case study for how immigration and other policy changes are affecting the broader high-skill health-care workforce and access to health services in U.S. communities."
Executive orders, regulatory changes, and proposed or enacted legislative actions under the second administration of President Donald Trump in 2025 and the first nine months of 2026 are poised to alter three policy domains critical to nephrology:
* Immigration policy changes that govern how IMGs enter, train, and remain in the United States. Changes include a final rule replacing the practice of admitting J-1 visa holders for a flexible duration of stay with a fixed period capped at four years (preliminarily blocked by a federal court in September 2026); a revised H-1B visa lottery that favors petitions offering higher wages; proposals for a new fee of $100,000 or more on certain new H-1B petitions; mandatory in-person visa renewals; and new screening procedures for visa applicants. These changes are already increasing processing times and are likely to reduce predictability for medical training programs and individual physicians.
* Health-care and education financing changes that determine institutional capacity to train and employ physicians, including IMGs, and could limit patient access to care. Changes include reduced federal matching rates for Emergency Medicaid under the budget reconciliation law commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and new federal student loan caps of $50,000 annually and $200,000 total that will affect access to medical education and subspecialty fellowship training.
* Public benefit eligibility changes that shape patient access to care. Changes include new Medicaid work requirements and recertification procedures; additional restrictions on immigrants' access to Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and Medicare; and new expansive rules regarding which immigrants can be deemed "public charges." In addition, modified confidentiality protections and expanded immigration enforcement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies could discourage immigrant patients from seeking health care.
Some of these policy changes are under legal review or have not been fully implemented, making any assessment of their full impact premature. However, taken together, these policy trajectories indicate potential workforce supply constraints that may exacerbate existing shortages, particularly in rural and underserved areas where IMGs are concentrated. These constraints will affect many Americans who need kidney care--not only the most vulnerable patients who depend on Medicaid, or immigrants who have lost access to benefits, but also privately insured patients, who are likely to face longer wait times, reduced access to specialists, and deteriorating quality of care.
Other key findings of this research include:
* A significant nephrologist shortage is projected by 2038, with no near-term domestic solution. The supply of nephrologists is projected to meet only 85 percent of demand by 2038. Because training a nephrologist requires a minimum of 13 years of education after high school, even substantial increases in medical school enrollment today would not produce new nephrologists well into the 2030s.
* The population of older Americans, nephrology's primary patient base, has grown and will continue to grow. Between 2010 and 2024, the population of adults ages 65 and older increased by 51 percent to more than 61.2 million, while the population under 65 grew by only 4 percent. Rates of kidney disease are substantially higher among older adults, and the prevalence of diabetes, a leading risk factor, continues to rise across all population groups.
* An aging physician workforce is contributing to projected nephrologist shortages. As of 2024, 32 percent of all U.S. physicians were age 60 or older. Among nephrologists, 31 percent were age 60 or older in 2023, up from 28 percent in 2014. Retirement-driven attrition will increase workforce shortages as demand from an aging patient population continues to rise.
* Nephrology relies on IMGs more than any other medical specialty. IMGs comprised 54 percent of practicing nephrologists and 61 percent of nephrology fellows in 2024. This reliance has grown substantially over the past two decades: IMGs accounted for less than 40 percent of practicing nephrologists in 2004, but their share has continued to grow as interest in nephrology has declined among U.S. medical graduates.
* U.S. medical graduates are increasingly choosing other subspecialties, making IMGs an essential resource for kidney care. In the most recent fellowship match, only 89 U.S. allopathic and 74 U.S. osteopathic candidates applied for nephrology fellowship positions. The proportion of fellowship positions left unfilled through the match rose from 5.9 percent in 2010 to 33.5 percent in 2026, reflecting declining interest among U.S. medical graduates.
* IMG nephrologists play a key role in providing care to underserved communities. As of 2023, 72 percent of U.S. counties lacked a nephrologist, with shortages concentrated in nonmetropolitan and rural areas. Among nephrologists practicing in nonmetropolitan and rural settings, 67 percent of IMGs provided care in federally designated Medically Underserved Areas, compared with 55 percent of U.S. medical graduates.
* Nearly half of incoming nephrologists are noncitizens whose training and practice opportunities are shaped by immigration policy changes. In 2025, 43 percent of nephrology fellows were noncitizens, including 26 percent on J-1 visas, 10 percent on H-1B visas, and 7 percent who were legal permanent residents (i.e., green-card holders). Policy changes affecting visa duration, visa renewal, or adjustment of status could therefore significantly affect the international nephrology pipeline.
* India is the single largest source of IMG nephrologists, and future physician migration from that country may now be at risk. Indian-born physicians accounted for approximately 14 percent of U.S. nephrologists and 5 percent of all physicians nationwide in 2023. Recent visa data suggest that obtaining a U.S. visa has become more difficult for Indian applicants: J-1 visa issuances for all Indian nationals (not only IMGs) fell 36 percent in April-June 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, and as of January 2026, H-1B visa interview appointments in India were already being scheduled for 2027.
* The United States has been losing its global competitive edge in attracting international health-care talent. The share of foreign-trained physicians practicing in the United States versus other developed countries fell from 48 percent to 36 percent between 2010 and 2023, according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Countries such as Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, which offer more predictable immigration pathways and a comparable quality of life, are attractive alternatives for skilled health-care workers.
The findings of this study, while focused on one specialized medical workforce, have implications relevant to stakeholders both in and beyond the nephrology field. These include professional medical societies such as the American Society of Nephrology and other specialty organizations that track workforce trends and are considering policy engagement; policymakers seeking evidence on how immigration, health-care financing, and benefit eligibility policies affect the health-care workforce; hospital administrators and graduate medical education program directors navigating an uncertain policy environment; and immigration policy analysts, researchers, advocates, and funders interested in how immigration and benefits restrictions affect access to care in underserved communities.
Conclusion and Implications
Policy changes introduced by the Trump administration that affect the pipeline of medical subspecialists, including nephrologists, have proceeded at a rapid pace in 2025 and 2026. These restrictions affect not only immigrant physicians (many of whom work on J-1, H-1B, and O-1 visas) but also other health professionals who previously had temporary legal protection (such as Temporary Protected Status). Changes have been advanced through a wide array of policy instruments, including executive orders, administrative regulations, agency guidance, and legislation, each with different levels of durability and legal authority. Some changes have not yet been fully implemented, while others are being contested in the courts. As a result, it remains to be seen what their full impacts will be on IMGs and other health-care professionals' ability to enter and practice in the United States, patients' access to nephrology care, and the financial stability of institutions in which IMGs study, do research, and practice.
"The effects will extend beyond IMGs themselves, rippling through the entire health-care system to affect a broad swath of American patients."
What is clear is that new rules affecting specialties such as nephrology that rely heavily on IMGs to fill fellowship and staff positions that would otherwise go unfilled are likely to have significant and wide-ranging consequences. The effects will extend beyond IMGs themselves, rippling through the entire health-care system to affect a broad swath of American patients, particularly those living with chronic diseases such as kidney disease, as well as hospitals, clinics, and their staff.
Training Takes Time: Why "Domestic Only" Will Not Work
Many of the regulatory changes have been justified as mechanisms to protect U.S. workers by reducing competition and raising wages. Yet those goals are fundamentally misaligned with the realities of specialties such as nephrology that have substantial, well-documented shortages that IMGs help offset.111 In fields experiencing genuine labor shortages, not labor market competition, restricting the workforce does not raise wages or improve opportunities for domestic workers; it leaves positions unfilled and patients without care. Delays in access to nephrology care can have life-threatening consequences for patients with kidney failure.
It takes more than a decade to educate and train a physician in the United States after high school. For instance, becoming a nephrologist takes 13 years after high school, and becoming a pediatric nephrologist takes 14 years, with many adding a year or more for advanced training. Even a large expansion of medical school enrollment today would not produce new nephrologists until well into the 2030s, and residency positions, not just medical school seats, remain a bottleneck. IMGs, by contrast, arrive having already completed medical school and often residency. Expanding domestic medical education and making nephrology more attractive to U.S. medical graduates are necessary steps, but on any timeline that matters to today's patients, these strategies would complement the retention of IMGs rather than substitute for it.
Who Will Likely Feel the New Policies' Effects?
The immigration and other policy changes examined in this report will have far-reaching consequences for patients, communities, and hospitals throughout the health-care system.
* Patients. The most vulnerable patients (those who depend on Medicaid or safety net institutions) are likely to feel the impact most acutely, but privately insured Americans will not be spared. As physician shortages deepen across the country, even patients with robust insurance coverage can expect longer wait times, reduced access to specialists, and deteriorating quality of care. Longer wait times delay diagnoses and treatment, and for patients with acute conditions, months-long waits can mean the difference between manageable illness and life-threatening complications. Wait times for physician appointments already average 31 days in major metropolitan areas--up 19 percent since 2022--and exceed 40 days in some specialties.112 Additional reductions in the physician workforce will only aggravate these delays.
* Underserved communities. Communities that have been classified as shortage areas for decades, despite the contributions IMGs disproportionately make to care in such areas, will face greater shortfalls in skilled staffing. As of 2023, 72 percent of U.S. counties did not have a nephrologist, and nearly half of U.S. counties lacked a cardiologist. Immigration restrictions could deepen these disparities and force some community hospitals and Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities to reduce services. Others will close departments or shut down entirely, creating health-care deserts.
* Hospitals and clinics. Cutbacks in Medicaid, ACA subsidies, and other changes will place increasing pressure on safety net hospitals, community hospitals, and rural facilities that depend on immigrant physicians. DHS has not exempted health-care facilities seeking to recruit a health-care professional on an H-1B visa from the hefty fees. If sponsoring a physician were to cost about $100,000, many facilities might be forced to operate with significantly fewer staff and distribute the workload across fewer physicians.
* Health-care workforce. The physicians who remain in the health-care system will face increased workloads, longer hours, and greater stress, worsening already high burnout rates and driving more physicians to leave clinical practice.
* Public health. Reduced access to primary care and preventive services will lead to more emergency department visits, more hospitalizations for preventable conditions, and worse population health outcomes overall. Both the health and financial consequences will be borne by patients, who will see health-care costs rise if manageable, less costly outpatient care is replaced by expensive emergency interventions.
America Is Already Losing Ground Globally
The policies discussed in this report take place alongside another troubling trend: The United States is already losing its global competitiveness in attracting physicians and other health-care professionals. Of all foreign-trained physicians practicing in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, the share practicing in the United States fell from 48 percent in 2010 to 36 percent in 2023.113 Countries such as Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom as well as EU Member States (e.g., Ireland and Germany), which offer more predictable immigration policies, streamlined pathways to domestic permits to practice, and a comparable quality of life, are attractive alternatives for skilled health-care workers.114
A less welcoming climate for immigrants, combined with the unpredictability of work and residency in the United States, is likely to accelerate this trend. IMGs considering where to practice will naturally gravitate toward countries that welcome them, offer stable pathways to permanent residency, and provide better living and work opportunities for their families.115 As health systems become increasingly global--for example, through the growth of medical tourism and greater reliance on internationally trained health-care professionals in many advanced economies116--the longstanding expectation that the United States has an upper hand in attracting health-care talent might no longer be a reality.
Immigration Policy as Health Policy
The United States has among the worst performing health systems among comparable countries, despite spending more per capita on health care.117 Expanded immigration restrictions threaten to worsen this standing. This situation illustrates a critical challenge in policymaking: Changes in one policy domain can trigger cascading consequences in seemingly unrelated areas.
The Trump administration's immigration policy focuses on limiting people from entering and remaining in the United States, but it is also reshaping health-care delivery in ways that policymakers may not have fully anticipated or intended. For patients in rural communities who cannot see a nephrologist, and for privately insured patients who face longer wait times for life-sustaining dialysis, immigration policy is health-care policy.
"IMGs considering where to practice will naturally gravitate toward countries that welcome them, offer stable pathways to permanent residency, and provide better living and work opportunities for their families."
* * *
View full report at: www.migrationpolicy.org/system/files/2026-10/mpi-immigration-nephrology-2026-final.pdf
[Category: International]
Here are excerpts:
* * *
Executive Summary
One in seven U.S. adults live with kidney disease, and nephrology--the specialty responsible for their care--faces a perfect storm: soaring demand from an aging population, projected physician shortages, and sweeping policy changes that threaten to reduce the supply of international medical graduates (IMGs) who have long sustained the field. IMGs are physicians ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Migration Policy Institute issued the following report on Oct. 14, 2026, entitled "Physicians in an Era of Changing Immigration Policy: The Case of Nephrology." Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary One in seven U.S. adults live with kidney disease, and nephrology--the specialty responsible for their care--faces a perfect storm: soaring demand from an aging population, projected physician shortages, and sweeping policy changes that threaten to reduce the supply of international medical graduates (IMGs) who have long sustained the field. IMGs are physicianswho earned their medical degrees outside the United States, and they comprised 54 percent of practicing nephrologists in 2024, the largest share of any medical specialty. This substantial reliance on IMGs has helped nephrology partially meet growing workforce demands, as 37 million U.S. adults had chronic kidney disease as of 2023 and more than 866,000 had kidney failure as of 2025.
This report presents an analysis of workforce and demographic data from numerous sources to discuss the nephrologist workforce and the forces shaping nephrologists' entry into the U.S. health-care system. This look at dynamics in one highly specialized field offers a case study for how immigration and other policy changes are affecting the broader high-skill health-care workforce and access to health services in U.S. communities.
"This look at dynamics in one highly specialized field offers a case study for how immigration and other policy changes are affecting the broader high-skill health-care workforce and access to health services in U.S. communities."
Executive orders, regulatory changes, and proposed or enacted legislative actions under the second administration of President Donald Trump in 2025 and the first nine months of 2026 are poised to alter three policy domains critical to nephrology:
* Immigration policy changes that govern how IMGs enter, train, and remain in the United States. Changes include a final rule replacing the practice of admitting J-1 visa holders for a flexible duration of stay with a fixed period capped at four years (preliminarily blocked by a federal court in September 2026); a revised H-1B visa lottery that favors petitions offering higher wages; proposals for a new fee of $100,000 or more on certain new H-1B petitions; mandatory in-person visa renewals; and new screening procedures for visa applicants. These changes are already increasing processing times and are likely to reduce predictability for medical training programs and individual physicians.
* Health-care and education financing changes that determine institutional capacity to train and employ physicians, including IMGs, and could limit patient access to care. Changes include reduced federal matching rates for Emergency Medicaid under the budget reconciliation law commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and new federal student loan caps of $50,000 annually and $200,000 total that will affect access to medical education and subspecialty fellowship training.
* Public benefit eligibility changes that shape patient access to care. Changes include new Medicaid work requirements and recertification procedures; additional restrictions on immigrants' access to Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and Medicare; and new expansive rules regarding which immigrants can be deemed "public charges." In addition, modified confidentiality protections and expanded immigration enforcement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies could discourage immigrant patients from seeking health care.
Some of these policy changes are under legal review or have not been fully implemented, making any assessment of their full impact premature. However, taken together, these policy trajectories indicate potential workforce supply constraints that may exacerbate existing shortages, particularly in rural and underserved areas where IMGs are concentrated. These constraints will affect many Americans who need kidney care--not only the most vulnerable patients who depend on Medicaid, or immigrants who have lost access to benefits, but also privately insured patients, who are likely to face longer wait times, reduced access to specialists, and deteriorating quality of care.
Other key findings of this research include:
* A significant nephrologist shortage is projected by 2038, with no near-term domestic solution. The supply of nephrologists is projected to meet only 85 percent of demand by 2038. Because training a nephrologist requires a minimum of 13 years of education after high school, even substantial increases in medical school enrollment today would not produce new nephrologists well into the 2030s.
* The population of older Americans, nephrology's primary patient base, has grown and will continue to grow. Between 2010 and 2024, the population of adults ages 65 and older increased by 51 percent to more than 61.2 million, while the population under 65 grew by only 4 percent. Rates of kidney disease are substantially higher among older adults, and the prevalence of diabetes, a leading risk factor, continues to rise across all population groups.
* An aging physician workforce is contributing to projected nephrologist shortages. As of 2024, 32 percent of all U.S. physicians were age 60 or older. Among nephrologists, 31 percent were age 60 or older in 2023, up from 28 percent in 2014. Retirement-driven attrition will increase workforce shortages as demand from an aging patient population continues to rise.
* Nephrology relies on IMGs more than any other medical specialty. IMGs comprised 54 percent of practicing nephrologists and 61 percent of nephrology fellows in 2024. This reliance has grown substantially over the past two decades: IMGs accounted for less than 40 percent of practicing nephrologists in 2004, but their share has continued to grow as interest in nephrology has declined among U.S. medical graduates.
* U.S. medical graduates are increasingly choosing other subspecialties, making IMGs an essential resource for kidney care. In the most recent fellowship match, only 89 U.S. allopathic and 74 U.S. osteopathic candidates applied for nephrology fellowship positions. The proportion of fellowship positions left unfilled through the match rose from 5.9 percent in 2010 to 33.5 percent in 2026, reflecting declining interest among U.S. medical graduates.
* IMG nephrologists play a key role in providing care to underserved communities. As of 2023, 72 percent of U.S. counties lacked a nephrologist, with shortages concentrated in nonmetropolitan and rural areas. Among nephrologists practicing in nonmetropolitan and rural settings, 67 percent of IMGs provided care in federally designated Medically Underserved Areas, compared with 55 percent of U.S. medical graduates.
* Nearly half of incoming nephrologists are noncitizens whose training and practice opportunities are shaped by immigration policy changes. In 2025, 43 percent of nephrology fellows were noncitizens, including 26 percent on J-1 visas, 10 percent on H-1B visas, and 7 percent who were legal permanent residents (i.e., green-card holders). Policy changes affecting visa duration, visa renewal, or adjustment of status could therefore significantly affect the international nephrology pipeline.
* India is the single largest source of IMG nephrologists, and future physician migration from that country may now be at risk. Indian-born physicians accounted for approximately 14 percent of U.S. nephrologists and 5 percent of all physicians nationwide in 2023. Recent visa data suggest that obtaining a U.S. visa has become more difficult for Indian applicants: J-1 visa issuances for all Indian nationals (not only IMGs) fell 36 percent in April-June 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, and as of January 2026, H-1B visa interview appointments in India were already being scheduled for 2027.
* The United States has been losing its global competitive edge in attracting international health-care talent. The share of foreign-trained physicians practicing in the United States versus other developed countries fell from 48 percent to 36 percent between 2010 and 2023, according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Countries such as Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, which offer more predictable immigration pathways and a comparable quality of life, are attractive alternatives for skilled health-care workers.
The findings of this study, while focused on one specialized medical workforce, have implications relevant to stakeholders both in and beyond the nephrology field. These include professional medical societies such as the American Society of Nephrology and other specialty organizations that track workforce trends and are considering policy engagement; policymakers seeking evidence on how immigration, health-care financing, and benefit eligibility policies affect the health-care workforce; hospital administrators and graduate medical education program directors navigating an uncertain policy environment; and immigration policy analysts, researchers, advocates, and funders interested in how immigration and benefits restrictions affect access to care in underserved communities.
Conclusion and Implications
Policy changes introduced by the Trump administration that affect the pipeline of medical subspecialists, including nephrologists, have proceeded at a rapid pace in 2025 and 2026. These restrictions affect not only immigrant physicians (many of whom work on J-1, H-1B, and O-1 visas) but also other health professionals who previously had temporary legal protection (such as Temporary Protected Status). Changes have been advanced through a wide array of policy instruments, including executive orders, administrative regulations, agency guidance, and legislation, each with different levels of durability and legal authority. Some changes have not yet been fully implemented, while others are being contested in the courts. As a result, it remains to be seen what their full impacts will be on IMGs and other health-care professionals' ability to enter and practice in the United States, patients' access to nephrology care, and the financial stability of institutions in which IMGs study, do research, and practice.
"The effects will extend beyond IMGs themselves, rippling through the entire health-care system to affect a broad swath of American patients."
What is clear is that new rules affecting specialties such as nephrology that rely heavily on IMGs to fill fellowship and staff positions that would otherwise go unfilled are likely to have significant and wide-ranging consequences. The effects will extend beyond IMGs themselves, rippling through the entire health-care system to affect a broad swath of American patients, particularly those living with chronic diseases such as kidney disease, as well as hospitals, clinics, and their staff.
Training Takes Time: Why "Domestic Only" Will Not Work
Many of the regulatory changes have been justified as mechanisms to protect U.S. workers by reducing competition and raising wages. Yet those goals are fundamentally misaligned with the realities of specialties such as nephrology that have substantial, well-documented shortages that IMGs help offset.111 In fields experiencing genuine labor shortages, not labor market competition, restricting the workforce does not raise wages or improve opportunities for domestic workers; it leaves positions unfilled and patients without care. Delays in access to nephrology care can have life-threatening consequences for patients with kidney failure.
It takes more than a decade to educate and train a physician in the United States after high school. For instance, becoming a nephrologist takes 13 years after high school, and becoming a pediatric nephrologist takes 14 years, with many adding a year or more for advanced training. Even a large expansion of medical school enrollment today would not produce new nephrologists until well into the 2030s, and residency positions, not just medical school seats, remain a bottleneck. IMGs, by contrast, arrive having already completed medical school and often residency. Expanding domestic medical education and making nephrology more attractive to U.S. medical graduates are necessary steps, but on any timeline that matters to today's patients, these strategies would complement the retention of IMGs rather than substitute for it.
Who Will Likely Feel the New Policies' Effects?
The immigration and other policy changes examined in this report will have far-reaching consequences for patients, communities, and hospitals throughout the health-care system.
* Patients. The most vulnerable patients (those who depend on Medicaid or safety net institutions) are likely to feel the impact most acutely, but privately insured Americans will not be spared. As physician shortages deepen across the country, even patients with robust insurance coverage can expect longer wait times, reduced access to specialists, and deteriorating quality of care. Longer wait times delay diagnoses and treatment, and for patients with acute conditions, months-long waits can mean the difference between manageable illness and life-threatening complications. Wait times for physician appointments already average 31 days in major metropolitan areas--up 19 percent since 2022--and exceed 40 days in some specialties.112 Additional reductions in the physician workforce will only aggravate these delays.
* Underserved communities. Communities that have been classified as shortage areas for decades, despite the contributions IMGs disproportionately make to care in such areas, will face greater shortfalls in skilled staffing. As of 2023, 72 percent of U.S. counties did not have a nephrologist, and nearly half of U.S. counties lacked a cardiologist. Immigration restrictions could deepen these disparities and force some community hospitals and Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities to reduce services. Others will close departments or shut down entirely, creating health-care deserts.
* Hospitals and clinics. Cutbacks in Medicaid, ACA subsidies, and other changes will place increasing pressure on safety net hospitals, community hospitals, and rural facilities that depend on immigrant physicians. DHS has not exempted health-care facilities seeking to recruit a health-care professional on an H-1B visa from the hefty fees. If sponsoring a physician were to cost about $100,000, many facilities might be forced to operate with significantly fewer staff and distribute the workload across fewer physicians.
* Health-care workforce. The physicians who remain in the health-care system will face increased workloads, longer hours, and greater stress, worsening already high burnout rates and driving more physicians to leave clinical practice.
* Public health. Reduced access to primary care and preventive services will lead to more emergency department visits, more hospitalizations for preventable conditions, and worse population health outcomes overall. Both the health and financial consequences will be borne by patients, who will see health-care costs rise if manageable, less costly outpatient care is replaced by expensive emergency interventions.
America Is Already Losing Ground Globally
The policies discussed in this report take place alongside another troubling trend: The United States is already losing its global competitiveness in attracting physicians and other health-care professionals. Of all foreign-trained physicians practicing in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, the share practicing in the United States fell from 48 percent in 2010 to 36 percent in 2023.113 Countries such as Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom as well as EU Member States (e.g., Ireland and Germany), which offer more predictable immigration policies, streamlined pathways to domestic permits to practice, and a comparable quality of life, are attractive alternatives for skilled health-care workers.114
A less welcoming climate for immigrants, combined with the unpredictability of work and residency in the United States, is likely to accelerate this trend. IMGs considering where to practice will naturally gravitate toward countries that welcome them, offer stable pathways to permanent residency, and provide better living and work opportunities for their families.115 As health systems become increasingly global--for example, through the growth of medical tourism and greater reliance on internationally trained health-care professionals in many advanced economies116--the longstanding expectation that the United States has an upper hand in attracting health-care talent might no longer be a reality.
Immigration Policy as Health Policy
The United States has among the worst performing health systems among comparable countries, despite spending more per capita on health care.117 Expanded immigration restrictions threaten to worsen this standing. This situation illustrates a critical challenge in policymaking: Changes in one policy domain can trigger cascading consequences in seemingly unrelated areas.
The Trump administration's immigration policy focuses on limiting people from entering and remaining in the United States, but it is also reshaping health-care delivery in ways that policymakers may not have fully anticipated or intended. For patients in rural communities who cannot see a nephrologist, and for privately insured patients who face longer wait times for life-sustaining dialysis, immigration policy is health-care policy.
"IMGs considering where to practice will naturally gravitate toward countries that welcome them, offer stable pathways to permanent residency, and provide better living and work opportunities for their families."
* * *
View full report at: www.migrationpolicy.org/system/files/2026-10/mpi-immigration-nephrology-2026-final.pdf
[Category: International]
Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis: Rising LNG Costs Strengthen the Case for Vietnam to Prioritize Domestic Renewables for Energy Security
LAKEWOOD, Ohio, Oct. 14 (TNSbrep) -- The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis issued the following news release:
* * *
Rising LNG costs strengthen the case for Vietnam to prioritize domestic renewables for energy security
New LNG-fired power would cost more than Vietnam's average electricity tariff, while solar and wind can deliver power at less than half the government's ceiling price for LNG-fired electricity
-
October 14, 2026 (IEEFA Asia): A new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) finds that domestic solar and wind could meet Vietnam's ... Show Full Article LAKEWOOD, Ohio, Oct. 14 (TNSbrep) -- The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis issued the following news release: * * * Rising LNG costs strengthen the case for Vietnam to prioritize domestic renewables for energy security New LNG-fired power would cost more than Vietnam's average electricity tariff, while solar and wind can deliver power at less than half the government's ceiling price for LNG-fired electricity - October 14, 2026 (IEEFA Asia): A new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) finds that domestic solar and wind could meet Vietnam'srapidly growing electricity demand more quickly and economically than liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fired generation.
Vietnam's revised Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8) targets 22.5 gigawatts (GW) of LNG-fired capacity by 2030. If all of it were developed, IEEFA estimates the required LNG imports could cost USD15.5-23.6 billion annually, increasing the country's energy import bill by around 66-106%.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the 2026 Middle East conflict have demonstrated how geopolitical events can rapidly affect global energy supplies and prices. Although Vietnam imports only a limited share of its LNG directly from the Persian Gulf, its reliance on the spot market leaves it critically exposed to global LNG price fluctuations.
"Vietnam cannot control geopolitical disruptions or global LNG prices, but it can control how exposed its power system is to them," says report co-author Paige Nguyen, IEEFA's Director, Asia. "Greater reliance on imported LNG risks exposing Vietnam to higher electricity costs and supply disruptions. Prioritizing domestic renewable energy would help the country meet growing demand while strengthening its energy security."
Rising fuel and construction costs undermine the case for LNG
Higher LNG prices, rising construction costs and longer equipment lead times are weakening the economics of new gas-fired generation.
Since the outbreak of the Middle East conflict, the Japan-Korea Marker (JKM) spot LNG price has averaged USD18.74 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) through the end of August 2026, compared with just below USD12.00/MMBtu between January 2024 and the start of the conflict. For a 1,500 megawatt (MW) power plant, comparable in size to PetroVietnam Power's recently commissioned Nhon Trach 3 and 4 complex, the country's first to run exclusively on LNG, this price increase would raise annual fuel costs by around 50%, from approximately USD716 million to USD1.07 billion.
Rising construction costs compound these pressures. Observed capital costs for utility-scale combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plants have increased from around USD700-1,000 per kilowatt (kW) in the early 2020s to around USD2,100-2,500/kW currently.
Taken together, IEEFA's analysis estimates that current LNG-fired generation costs range from VND3,780 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to VND4,860/kWh (USD140-180 per megawatt-hour [MWh]). This is 14-46% above Vietnam's ceiling tariff for LNG-fired electricity of VND3,327/kWh (USD129.60/MWh). Even this ceiling is well above the national average retail electricity price of VND2,204/kWh (USD84/MWh).
"Vietnam has already seen the financial consequences of high fuel prices. When rising generation costs cannot be passed on to consumers, the financial burden falls on state utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN), which had accumulated losses of around USD1.7 billion by the end of 2024," says report co-author Grant Hauber, IEEFA's Strategic Energy Finance Advisor, Asia. "Expanding gas-fired generation risks adding to these financial pressures, particularly if global fuel prices remain elevated."
The changing economics are already prompting some investors to reconsider LNG projects. In March 2026, Vingroup JSC, Vietnam's largest private conglomerate, proposed replacing its planned 4.8GW LNG power project in Hai Phong with a portfolio of solar, wind, and battery storage, citing surging LNG prices.
Renewables offer a cheaper, faster route to new electricity supply
Domestic solar and wind offer a substantially lower-cost alternative to LNG-fired generation. IEEFA estimates the current levelized cost of utility-scale solar in Vietnam at VND1,328-1,625/kWh and onshore wind at VND1,026-1,412/kWh -- around 51-60% and 58-69% below the VND3,327/kWh LNG electricity ceiling, respectively.
"Unlike gas-fired power, solar and wind require no ongoing fuel expenditure, giving Vietnam greater certainty over long-term electricity costs," says Nguyen. "As renewable costs keep falling and gas-fired power becomes more expensive, that widening cost gap should be central to Vietnam's future power investment decisions."
Beyond their cost advantage, renewables can be deployed more quickly and in stages, allowing new capacity to come online as demand grows. Solar projects can become operational in as little as six months, while wind farms can begin generating electricity around one year after construction begins. In contrast, shortages of gas turbines and transformers are extending equipment lead times for new gas-fired plants to 48-60 months, before accounting for construction periods of 30-36 months. These delays could push commissioning of proposed projects well into the 2030s.
Vietnam has already demonstrated its ability to scale up renewable energy rapidly. Between 2018 and 2023, generous 20-year feed-in tariffs (FiTs) helped increase Vietnam's installed solar and wind capacity from virtually zero to more than 21GW.
"Vietnam enters the next phase of its power sector development with a significant renewable energy advantage. The country has already demonstrated that solar and wind can be deployed rapidly and at scale," notes Hauber. "The current policy challenge is to capture the cost advantage of renewable energy while providing sufficient certainty to mobilize capital at the pace required."
Redirecting Vietnam's power plan toward domestic renewables
To capitalize on the cost and energy security advantages of domestic renewables, the report identifies four priorities for Vietnam's power sector:
* Shift a greater proportion of near-term power supply development toward domestic renewable energy, which would reduce the additional LNG imports required. As renewable energy and storage capacity expand, some planned LNG projects may prove unnecessary.
* Reassess the scale and sequencing of LNG development by regularly reviewing the 22.5GW LNG target against changing fuel prices, construction costs, equipment availability, project timelines, and Vietnam's longer-term power needs.
* Accelerate investment in grid infrastructure, energy storage, and power system flexibility, which would help reduce congestion and curtailment and enable greater integration of renewable energy.
* Establish a stable and bankable framework for private investment through transparent procurement and pricing mechanisms, such as revised FiTs and competitive renewable energy auctions, and by expanding the existing Direct Power Purchase Agreement (DPPA) framework.
This IEEFA report forms part of the Clean Energy Perspectives on Security and Resilience project, led by Climate Strategies in partnership with the Stanley Center for Peace and Security.
Read the report: Vietnam's energy security depends on accelerating its clean energy transition (https://ieefa.org/sites/default/files/2026-10/IEEFA%20Report_Vietnam%E2%80%99s%20energy%20security%20depends%20on%20accelerating%20its%20clean%20energy%20security_Oct2026_1.pdf)
* * *
Original text here: https://ieefa.org/articles/rising-lng-costs-strengthen-case-vietnam-prioritize-domestic-renewables-energy-security
[Category: Energy]
* * *
Rising LNG costs strengthen the case for Vietnam to prioritize domestic renewables for energy security
New LNG-fired power would cost more than Vietnam's average electricity tariff, while solar and wind can deliver power at less than half the government's ceiling price for LNG-fired electricity
-
October 14, 2026 (IEEFA Asia): A new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) finds that domestic solar and wind could meet Vietnam's ... Show Full Article LAKEWOOD, Ohio, Oct. 14 (TNSbrep) -- The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis issued the following news release: * * * Rising LNG costs strengthen the case for Vietnam to prioritize domestic renewables for energy security New LNG-fired power would cost more than Vietnam's average electricity tariff, while solar and wind can deliver power at less than half the government's ceiling price for LNG-fired electricity - October 14, 2026 (IEEFA Asia): A new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) finds that domestic solar and wind could meet Vietnam'srapidly growing electricity demand more quickly and economically than liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fired generation.
Vietnam's revised Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8) targets 22.5 gigawatts (GW) of LNG-fired capacity by 2030. If all of it were developed, IEEFA estimates the required LNG imports could cost USD15.5-23.6 billion annually, increasing the country's energy import bill by around 66-106%.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the 2026 Middle East conflict have demonstrated how geopolitical events can rapidly affect global energy supplies and prices. Although Vietnam imports only a limited share of its LNG directly from the Persian Gulf, its reliance on the spot market leaves it critically exposed to global LNG price fluctuations.
"Vietnam cannot control geopolitical disruptions or global LNG prices, but it can control how exposed its power system is to them," says report co-author Paige Nguyen, IEEFA's Director, Asia. "Greater reliance on imported LNG risks exposing Vietnam to higher electricity costs and supply disruptions. Prioritizing domestic renewable energy would help the country meet growing demand while strengthening its energy security."
Rising fuel and construction costs undermine the case for LNG
Higher LNG prices, rising construction costs and longer equipment lead times are weakening the economics of new gas-fired generation.
Since the outbreak of the Middle East conflict, the Japan-Korea Marker (JKM) spot LNG price has averaged USD18.74 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) through the end of August 2026, compared with just below USD12.00/MMBtu between January 2024 and the start of the conflict. For a 1,500 megawatt (MW) power plant, comparable in size to PetroVietnam Power's recently commissioned Nhon Trach 3 and 4 complex, the country's first to run exclusively on LNG, this price increase would raise annual fuel costs by around 50%, from approximately USD716 million to USD1.07 billion.
Rising construction costs compound these pressures. Observed capital costs for utility-scale combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plants have increased from around USD700-1,000 per kilowatt (kW) in the early 2020s to around USD2,100-2,500/kW currently.
Taken together, IEEFA's analysis estimates that current LNG-fired generation costs range from VND3,780 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to VND4,860/kWh (USD140-180 per megawatt-hour [MWh]). This is 14-46% above Vietnam's ceiling tariff for LNG-fired electricity of VND3,327/kWh (USD129.60/MWh). Even this ceiling is well above the national average retail electricity price of VND2,204/kWh (USD84/MWh).
"Vietnam has already seen the financial consequences of high fuel prices. When rising generation costs cannot be passed on to consumers, the financial burden falls on state utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN), which had accumulated losses of around USD1.7 billion by the end of 2024," says report co-author Grant Hauber, IEEFA's Strategic Energy Finance Advisor, Asia. "Expanding gas-fired generation risks adding to these financial pressures, particularly if global fuel prices remain elevated."
The changing economics are already prompting some investors to reconsider LNG projects. In March 2026, Vingroup JSC, Vietnam's largest private conglomerate, proposed replacing its planned 4.8GW LNG power project in Hai Phong with a portfolio of solar, wind, and battery storage, citing surging LNG prices.
Renewables offer a cheaper, faster route to new electricity supply
Domestic solar and wind offer a substantially lower-cost alternative to LNG-fired generation. IEEFA estimates the current levelized cost of utility-scale solar in Vietnam at VND1,328-1,625/kWh and onshore wind at VND1,026-1,412/kWh -- around 51-60% and 58-69% below the VND3,327/kWh LNG electricity ceiling, respectively.
"Unlike gas-fired power, solar and wind require no ongoing fuel expenditure, giving Vietnam greater certainty over long-term electricity costs," says Nguyen. "As renewable costs keep falling and gas-fired power becomes more expensive, that widening cost gap should be central to Vietnam's future power investment decisions."
Beyond their cost advantage, renewables can be deployed more quickly and in stages, allowing new capacity to come online as demand grows. Solar projects can become operational in as little as six months, while wind farms can begin generating electricity around one year after construction begins. In contrast, shortages of gas turbines and transformers are extending equipment lead times for new gas-fired plants to 48-60 months, before accounting for construction periods of 30-36 months. These delays could push commissioning of proposed projects well into the 2030s.
Vietnam has already demonstrated its ability to scale up renewable energy rapidly. Between 2018 and 2023, generous 20-year feed-in tariffs (FiTs) helped increase Vietnam's installed solar and wind capacity from virtually zero to more than 21GW.
"Vietnam enters the next phase of its power sector development with a significant renewable energy advantage. The country has already demonstrated that solar and wind can be deployed rapidly and at scale," notes Hauber. "The current policy challenge is to capture the cost advantage of renewable energy while providing sufficient certainty to mobilize capital at the pace required."
Redirecting Vietnam's power plan toward domestic renewables
To capitalize on the cost and energy security advantages of domestic renewables, the report identifies four priorities for Vietnam's power sector:
* Shift a greater proportion of near-term power supply development toward domestic renewable energy, which would reduce the additional LNG imports required. As renewable energy and storage capacity expand, some planned LNG projects may prove unnecessary.
* Reassess the scale and sequencing of LNG development by regularly reviewing the 22.5GW LNG target against changing fuel prices, construction costs, equipment availability, project timelines, and Vietnam's longer-term power needs.
* Accelerate investment in grid infrastructure, energy storage, and power system flexibility, which would help reduce congestion and curtailment and enable greater integration of renewable energy.
* Establish a stable and bankable framework for private investment through transparent procurement and pricing mechanisms, such as revised FiTs and competitive renewable energy auctions, and by expanding the existing Direct Power Purchase Agreement (DPPA) framework.
This IEEFA report forms part of the Clean Energy Perspectives on Security and Resilience project, led by Climate Strategies in partnership with the Stanley Center for Peace and Security.
Read the report: Vietnam's energy security depends on accelerating its clean energy transition (https://ieefa.org/sites/default/files/2026-10/IEEFA%20Report_Vietnam%E2%80%99s%20energy%20security%20depends%20on%20accelerating%20its%20clean%20energy%20security_Oct2026_1.pdf)
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Original text here: https://ieefa.org/articles/rising-lng-costs-strengthen-case-vietnam-prioritize-domestic-renewables-energy-security
[Category: Energy]
EBC Water Resources Committee Announces New Leadership Team Member
BROOKLINE, Massachusetts, Oct. 14 -- The Environmental Business Council of New England issued the following news:
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EBC Water Resources Committee Announces New Leadership Team Member
October 13, 2026
EBC is pleased to announce that Madelyn Dwyer, Project Engineer with EBC Member Dewberry has joined the Leadership Team of the EBC Water Resources Committee. Please join EBC in welcoming Madelyn to this position.
The members of the Water Resources Committee's Leadership Team meet routinely to discuss water resources trends and identify topics for future EBC programs.
Madelyn Dwyer, Project ... Show Full Article BROOKLINE, Massachusetts, Oct. 14 -- The Environmental Business Council of New England issued the following news: * * * EBC Water Resources Committee Announces New Leadership Team Member October 13, 2026 EBC is pleased to announce that Madelyn Dwyer, Project Engineer with EBC Member Dewberry has joined the Leadership Team of the EBC Water Resources Committee. Please join EBC in welcoming Madelyn to this position. The members of the Water Resources Committee's Leadership Team meet routinely to discuss water resources trends and identify topics for future EBC programs. Madelyn Dwyer, ProjectEngineer, Dewberry, 99 Summer St #700, Boston, MA 02110, 617-695-3400 | mdwyer@dewberry.com
Madelyn's Bio:
Madelyn is a Project Engineer at Dewberry who supports the planning, design, and delivery of municipal water, wastewater, stormwater, and flood mitigation projects across the Greater Boston area. Her experience includes sewer separation, CSO control, infiltration and inflow remediation, and flood resiliency projects, where she provides hydraulic modeling, GIS analysis, cost estimating, design support, and construction administration services. Madelyn earned both her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Master of Science in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering from Tufts University in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
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Original text here: https://ebcne.org/news/ebc-water-resources-committee-announces-new-leadership-team-member-8/
[Category: Environment]
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EBC Water Resources Committee Announces New Leadership Team Member
October 13, 2026
EBC is pleased to announce that Madelyn Dwyer, Project Engineer with EBC Member Dewberry has joined the Leadership Team of the EBC Water Resources Committee. Please join EBC in welcoming Madelyn to this position.
The members of the Water Resources Committee's Leadership Team meet routinely to discuss water resources trends and identify topics for future EBC programs.
Madelyn Dwyer, Project ... Show Full Article BROOKLINE, Massachusetts, Oct. 14 -- The Environmental Business Council of New England issued the following news: * * * EBC Water Resources Committee Announces New Leadership Team Member October 13, 2026 EBC is pleased to announce that Madelyn Dwyer, Project Engineer with EBC Member Dewberry has joined the Leadership Team of the EBC Water Resources Committee. Please join EBC in welcoming Madelyn to this position. The members of the Water Resources Committee's Leadership Team meet routinely to discuss water resources trends and identify topics for future EBC programs. Madelyn Dwyer, ProjectEngineer, Dewberry, 99 Summer St #700, Boston, MA 02110, 617-695-3400 | mdwyer@dewberry.com
Madelyn's Bio:
Madelyn is a Project Engineer at Dewberry who supports the planning, design, and delivery of municipal water, wastewater, stormwater, and flood mitigation projects across the Greater Boston area. Her experience includes sewer separation, CSO control, infiltration and inflow remediation, and flood resiliency projects, where she provides hydraulic modeling, GIS analysis, cost estimating, design support, and construction administration services. Madelyn earned both her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Master of Science in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering from Tufts University in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
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Original text here: https://ebcne.org/news/ebc-water-resources-committee-announces-new-leadership-team-member-8/
[Category: Environment]
EBC Emerging Contaminants Committee Announces New Ascending Professional Representative
BROOKLINE, Massachusetts, Oct. 14 -- The Environmental Business Council of New England issued the following news:
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EBC Emerging Contaminants Committee Announces New Ascending Professional Representative
October 13, 2026
The EBC Emerging Contaminants Committee is pleased to announce that Heidi Pickard, Management Specialist and PFAS Subject Matter Expert with EBC Member CDM Smith, has joined the Leadership Team as an Ascending Professional Representative. In this role, Heidi will provide the Committee with insight into EBC's Ascending Professionals community and Committee, as well as thought ... Show Full Article BROOKLINE, Massachusetts, Oct. 14 -- The Environmental Business Council of New England issued the following news: * * * EBC Emerging Contaminants Committee Announces New Ascending Professional Representative October 13, 2026 The EBC Emerging Contaminants Committee is pleased to announce that Heidi Pickard, Management Specialist and PFAS Subject Matter Expert with EBC Member CDM Smith, has joined the Leadership Team as an Ascending Professional Representative. In this role, Heidi will provide the Committee with insight into EBC's Ascending Professionals community and Committee, as well as thoughtleadership on the Emerging Contaminants industry.
Please join EBC in welcoming Heidi to the Committee! Please see below for more information.
Heidi Pickard, PhD, Management Specialist, PFAS Subject Matter Expert
CDM Smith, 75 State Street, Suite 701, Boston, MA 02109, 617-452-6000 | pickardhm@cdmsmith.com
Heidi's Bio:
Dr. Heidi Pickard is a chemist and environmental engineer with over 12 years of academic and professional experience in environmental chemistry, forensic analyses, and fate and transport of emerging contaminants, with a focus on PFAS. She received her Masters from Memorial University of Newfoundland and her PhD in Environmental Engineering from Harvard University. Heidi is a Management Specialist and PFAS Subject Matter Expert at CDM Smith, supporting site investigation projects and R&D work. She previously worked as a consultant at Ramboll supporting clients on litigation matters, due diligence evaluations, and site investigation projects. Heidi has co-authored over 20 publications related to PFAS and has researched everything from the atmospheric chemistry and long-range transport of PFAS to remote regions, to the fate, transport and accumulation of PFAS at AFFF-impacted sites and in agricultural ecosystems.
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Original text here: https://ebcne.org/news/ebc-emerging-contaminants-committee-announces-new-ascending-professional-representative-2/
[Category: Environment]
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EBC Emerging Contaminants Committee Announces New Ascending Professional Representative
October 13, 2026
The EBC Emerging Contaminants Committee is pleased to announce that Heidi Pickard, Management Specialist and PFAS Subject Matter Expert with EBC Member CDM Smith, has joined the Leadership Team as an Ascending Professional Representative. In this role, Heidi will provide the Committee with insight into EBC's Ascending Professionals community and Committee, as well as thought ... Show Full Article BROOKLINE, Massachusetts, Oct. 14 -- The Environmental Business Council of New England issued the following news: * * * EBC Emerging Contaminants Committee Announces New Ascending Professional Representative October 13, 2026 The EBC Emerging Contaminants Committee is pleased to announce that Heidi Pickard, Management Specialist and PFAS Subject Matter Expert with EBC Member CDM Smith, has joined the Leadership Team as an Ascending Professional Representative. In this role, Heidi will provide the Committee with insight into EBC's Ascending Professionals community and Committee, as well as thoughtleadership on the Emerging Contaminants industry.
Please join EBC in welcoming Heidi to the Committee! Please see below for more information.
Heidi Pickard, PhD, Management Specialist, PFAS Subject Matter Expert
CDM Smith, 75 State Street, Suite 701, Boston, MA 02109, 617-452-6000 | pickardhm@cdmsmith.com
Heidi's Bio:
Dr. Heidi Pickard is a chemist and environmental engineer with over 12 years of academic and professional experience in environmental chemistry, forensic analyses, and fate and transport of emerging contaminants, with a focus on PFAS. She received her Masters from Memorial University of Newfoundland and her PhD in Environmental Engineering from Harvard University. Heidi is a Management Specialist and PFAS Subject Matter Expert at CDM Smith, supporting site investigation projects and R&D work. She previously worked as a consultant at Ramboll supporting clients on litigation matters, due diligence evaluations, and site investigation projects. Heidi has co-authored over 20 publications related to PFAS and has researched everything from the atmospheric chemistry and long-range transport of PFAS to remote regions, to the fate, transport and accumulation of PFAS at AFFF-impacted sites and in agricultural ecosystems.
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Original text here: https://ebcne.org/news/ebc-emerging-contaminants-committee-announces-new-ascending-professional-representative-2/
[Category: Environment]