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Rand Issues Commentary Commentary: Is Summer the New Winter? It Might Be for European Health Systems
SANTA MONICA, California, July 25 -- Rand issued the following commentary on July 24, 2026, by research leader Rob Romanelli:
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Is Summer the New Winter? It Might Be for European Health Systems
Ambulances are queuing. Patients are sitting for hours in overcrowded waiting rooms. Others, who have been lucky enough to have had an initial assessment, are lying on trolleys along corridors wondering when a doctor will see them. Scores of elective procedures are cancelled. The intercom system is flowing with the names of clinicians who are needed to assist with yet another critically ill patient.
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SANTA MONICA, California, July 25 -- Rand issued the following commentary on July 24, 2026, by research leader Rob Romanelli:
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Is Summer the New Winter? It Might Be for European Health Systems
Ambulances are queuing. Patients are sitting for hours in overcrowded waiting rooms. Others, who have been lucky enough to have had an initial assessment, are lying on trolleys along corridors wondering when a doctor will see them. Scores of elective procedures are cancelled. The intercom system is flowing with the names of clinicians who are needed to assist with yet another critically ill patient.Staff are overwhelmed, counting down the time until their shifts end, contemplating if they could even take another day of this.
This would be an all-too-familiar scene in many European hospitals in December or January, but it is also becoming an increasingly common scene in hospitals in the summer months, specifically during heatwaves, like the one that hit Europe in June.
In the span of three days, the UK broke three temperature records for the month of June, peaking at 37.3 C and exceeding the prior record set in 1976 at 35.6 C, a half century ago. On the mainland, temperature records for June were also shattered in France, Spain, and Switzerland.
July brought another heatwave, and more are predicted this summer. Is this the new normal for Europe, thanks to climate change?
The Copernicus Climate Change Service reports that between 1994 and 2024, global temperatures have risen by about 0.26 C per decade, meaning that the planet is now about 0.78 C warmer than it was 30 years ago. Europe, however, is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the planet, or about 0.53 C per decade, over the same period, which means that it is now warmer by about 1.59 C.
As the planet warms, heatwaves--periods of several consecutive days during which daily temperatures exceed a specific threshold--have become not only more frequent, but also more severe, longer lasting and covering wider geographic areas. The rapid onset of heatwaves, so called "heat spikes," are becoming more common too, according to some meteorologists. During the June heatwave some locations in the UK experienced temperature increases of 10 C in just two days.
The resulting health-related impacts are becoming apparent. According to the 2025 Lancet Countdown Report, heat-related mortality has increased globally from 4.9 to 7.1 per 100,000 persons between 1990 and 2021, a 45 percent rise. Again, Europe is taking the brunt, where heat-related mortality has increased from 2.1 to 8.3 per 100,000 persons during the same period, a rise of nearly 300 percent. One study estimates that among the half a million heat-related deaths per year globally, between 2000 and 2019, 36 percent were in Europe, despite the continent composing only about 9 percent of the global population.
During winter, we have come to expect a higher demand for health services due to acute respiratory illnesses or injuries, such as falls or motor vehicle accidents, resulting from icy weather conditions. But increasingly, heatwaves, and hotter temperatures more broadly, are associated with a higher demand for health services due to heat stress and exacerbations of chronic conditions, like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease, asthma, and frailty.
A recent study published by Oxford University, using more than 4 million patient records from general practices in England between 2007 and 2019, shows that very hot days (defined as >23 C) are associated with spikes in same-day health service utilization and mortality. The Climate Change Committee, in their recently released fourth independent assessment of UK climate risk, reports that by 2050 heat-related ED attendances and hospital admissions could triple, with costs potentially exceeding pound sterling4 billion. Another study from Portugal examining 12 million hospital records between 2000 and 2018 found that hospital admissions increased nearly 20 percent on heatwave days, with children being disproportionately affected.
These statistics should alarm national, regional and local bodies responsible for the funding, organization, and delivery of health services across Europe.
To remain resilient to the impacts of climate change, governments must take action. This includes not only ensuring that the system can absorb the increased demand for services but also that hospitals remain safe environments for patients.
In the UK, an estimated 90 percent of NHS hospital estates, which are largely composed of older buildings lacking centralized air-cooling systems, are at risk of overheating and vulnerable to heatwaves. This is true of many hospitals throughout Europe, even in wealthy countries like Germany. But even in countries where hospitals have centralized air-cooling, these systems cannot cope under extreme temperatures.
The recent June heatwave is evidence of the consequences. As hospital ward temperatures rose upward of 36 C in parts of England, staff struggled to keep patients hydrated and in stabilized conditions. Medical imagining devices, like MRIs, and IT systems also failed to work, slowing down the flow of patients through the system and resulting in longer waiting times and cancelled appointments and treatments.
These incidences are costly. During a heatwave in June 2022, hospitals in London experienced an IT outage (PDF) due to cooling system failures at two of their data centers, leading to treatment delays and pound sterling1.5 million in additional costs to the English NHS.
Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a second edition of Heat-Health Action Plans, which is intended to serve as guidance document and an implementation framework, for responding to extreme heat as a public health threat. Within the HHAPs, the WHO emphasizes the need to build resilience into health systems.
Will European governments move at pace to protect its fragile health system infrastructure against climate change? This will likely require a substantial, long-term investment, but the cost of doing nothing is far greater.
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Rob Romanelli is a research leader at RAND Europe.
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Original text here: https://www.rand.org/pubs/commentary/2026/07/is-summer-the-new-winter-it-might-be-for-european-health.html
[Category: ThinkTank]
Jamestown Foundation Issues Commentary: Split in Russian Diaspora Deepens
WASHINGTON, July 25 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary on July 24, 2026, by analyst Kassie Corelli:
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Split in Russian Diaspora Deepens
Executive Summary:
* In the Russian emigrant press, a popular subject is the conflict between those who have left Russia and those who remain, even if these people hold the very same views.
* Russian emigrants hold different values and opinions, and it is possible to observe a split between political emigrants living in relatively safe EU countries and the overwhelming majority of Russians living in countries that have visa-free
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 25 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary on July 24, 2026, by analyst Kassie Corelli:
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Split in Russian Diaspora Deepens
Executive Summary:
* In the Russian emigrant press, a popular subject is the conflict between those who have left Russia and those who remain, even if these people hold the very same views.
* Russian emigrants hold different values and opinions, and it is possible to observe a split between political emigrants living in relatively safe EU countries and the overwhelming majority of Russians living in countries that have visa-freeagreements with Russia.
* This split is not only social and cultural but also quite practical. The lack of understanding by prominent oppositionists of the needs, problems, and risks of emigrants living in visa-free countries makes them easier prey for the Kremlin, both legally and psychologically.
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Last autumn, Senior Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA) Margarita Zavadskaya reported that the negative feelings inside Russia toward emigrants are not only the result of propaganda. Some of those left behind in Russia believe that those who departed "left them to solve the problems" by themselves. Some preach to those who remain in Russia from a position of moral superiority (in the Russian information space, this is called "the white coat"). Zavadskaya emphasized that "the sharpest pronouncements to those remaining in Russia, as a rule, are from people representing privileged groups unconnected to the post-war emigration," while "ordinary" emigrants continue to support their relatives and friends in Russia and stay in touch with them (Riddle, September 3, 2025).
Sociologist Anna Kuleshova shares this view. She notes that among those who emigrated after 2022, many travel regularly to Russia, maintain close ties with it, or even return and stay there (YouTube/@7x7, June 18). In interviews, Russian emigrants living in EU countries complain that European bureaucracy constantly worsens their situation, imposes restrictions on the use of banking services, and introduces additional checks on businesses (Radio Svoboda, January 7).
The problems of Russians living in EU countries have become a focus of "status" emigration. The situation of emigrants in non-visa countries, however, is more often ignored by opposition media. In the meantime, increasing numbers of Russians residing in these countries are experiencing pressure from targeted transnational repression from Russia regarding critics of the regime, and more "massive" pressure from the European Union related exclusively to their Russian citizenship (European Parliament, June 17). While such measures are intended to address legitimate concerns about Russian influence and security risks, they can also affect Russians who have left the country precisely because of their opposition to the Kremlin.
In November 2025, the European Commission called upon Serbia to tighten its visa regime for Russian citizens, declaring that Russians obtaining Serbian citizenship and thereby the possibility of visa-free entry into the European Union "threaten European security" (Deutsche Welle-Russian Service, November 5, 2025). In June, the Balkan service of Radio Liberty presented evidence that Serbia allegedly issued passports to a record number of Russian citizens. The article provides the names of oligarchs close to the Kremlin who received Serbian citizenship via an "accelerated procedure," that is, upon the president's decision that this was "in the interests of Serbia." At the same time, the text notes that a Serbian passport can allegedly be obtained in just three years, and therefore "perhaps even more Russian citizens have received Serbian citizenship as part of the standard naturalization procedure" (Radio Slobodna Evropa, June 10). As independent Serbian media have repeatedly noted, the article does not show the whole picture. The problem of issuing Serbian citizenship to persons close to Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime, including those under sanctions, does exist and has been described in both the independent Serbian and Russian-language press (Istories.media, April 16, 2025).
Reports on this topic emphasized that this procedure has nothing to do with naturalization in the usual sense. Immigration lawyers note that before applying for Serbian citizenship, immigrants must have resided in the country legally for at least six years--three years with a temporary residence permit and three years with a permanent one (Istories.media, April 16, 2025). According to the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the total number of Russians receiving citizenship in 2024 decreased from 532 to 188, and the "growth" mentioned in the article concerns only an "accelerated procedure" (Telegram/@volna_srbjia, June 8). The article confuses these procedures, and the previously mentioned European Commission document calling for a reduction in the issuance of citizenship to Russians does not mention the accelerated procedure at all.
In response to calls from the European Commission to limit naturalization for emigrants from Russia, Serbian authorities are imposing an unofficial ban on issuing passports to all Russians--including those who have already renounced their Russian citizenship. As a result, dozens of people are forced to remain stateless for years, possessing neither Russian citizenship nor Serbian (The Moscow Times, May 22, 2025). At the same time, no restrictions are being introduced on acquiring citizenship through the simplified procedure.
Under such circumstances, it is not surprising that even Russians inclined to be pro-European, living under such pressure, are starting to feel negatively about the West (Facebook/alexander.kynev, July 2). Russian propaganda is taking maximum advantage of this situation, averring that Serbia plans to introduce a visa regime with Russia and cut the issuance of residence permits by half (Izvestiya, May 28). Neither assertion is true, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has denied them publicly (Forbes.ru, June 2).[1]
At the same time, practice shows that dependence on a Russian passport makes emigrants a convenient target for recruitment by Russian intelligence services, since, in this case, their ability to legalize themselves in another country depends on Russia (see EDM, February 9). Many Russian emigrants' desire to obtain another passport means they seek to break with Russia and build their own lives independently. Paradoxically, however, these attempts are hindered by both Moscow and the countries they seek to live in.
Many in the mainstream Russian opposition, which declares itself the representative of anti-war Russians, simultaneously ignores this situation and makes little to no effort to speak up to the European Commission for anti-war emigrants from "third countries." Lobbying for "gray" passports for victims of transnational repression concerns only people living in the European Union. It does not affect visa-free countries where hundreds of thousands of Russians live (Meduza, June 26). As a result, many of these individuals feel abandoned and betrayed by Europe and their former like-minded associates, making them easy targets for Russian intelligence services both psychologically and legally.
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Kassie Corelli is an analyst with The Jamestown Foundation.
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Original text here: https://jamestown.org/split-in-russian-diaspora-deepens/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Ifo Institute Warns of Structural Weakness in Investment in Germany
MUNICH, Germany, July 25 -- ifo Institute issued the following news release on July 24, 2026:
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ifo Institute Warns of Structural Weakness in Investment in Germany
The willingness of German industry to invest remains weak overall. That's according to several surveys by the ifo Institute. "The weakness in investment reveals a structural problem in German industry. The lack of momentum in major industries such as mechanical engineering and the automotive industry cannot be offset by rising investment in dynamic sectors such as the pharmaceutical or semiconductor industries. That puts a strain
... Show Full Article
MUNICH, Germany, July 25 -- ifo Institute issued the following news release on July 24, 2026:
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ifo Institute Warns of Structural Weakness in Investment in Germany
The willingness of German industry to invest remains weak overall. That's according to several surveys by the ifo Institute. "The weakness in investment reveals a structural problem in German industry. The lack of momentum in major industries such as mechanical engineering and the automotive industry cannot be offset by rising investment in dynamic sectors such as the pharmaceutical or semiconductor industries. That puts a strainon the industry's growth prospects," says Oliver Falck, Director of the ifo Center for the Economics of Innovation and Digital Transformation.
In addition to data from the German Federal Statistical Office, the ifo researchers analyzed data from the ifo Business Surveys and current investment projects posted online. According to their analysis, the majority of companies planned less investment in 2025 than in the previous year, and the willingness to invest also remains weak overall for 2026. However, there are currently signs of increased investment activity in key areas.
In the automotive industry, development is being driven primarily by investments made by individual large companies in the field of electric mobility; in the pharmaceutical industry, investment projects are focused primarily on expanding research and production capacities in promising therapeutic areas. In metal production as well, both the number of investment projects and the volume of investment exceed expectations. "The manufacture of other transport equipment stands out in particular. This reflects the sharp increase in orders for military technology," says ifo researcher Amanda Woodman Deza.
According to the ifo researchers, a sustainable turnaround would, above all, require improvements to the conditions for existing companies and support for disruptive innovations, particularly in high-tech industries. Crucial factors are clear political strategies and conditions for, among other things, decarbonization and digitalization, which are not subject to daily political shifts. "The industry needs planning security. Otherwise, it won't generate the momentum needed to improve the competitive position of German companies again," says Falck.
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24 July 2026 Facts
Investments by German Industry: Current Developments Through July 2026
Official investment statistics from the German Federal Statistical Office are released with a significant delay. To map the latest industrial investment activity, the ifo Institute is therefore adopting an innovative approach. An AI-based web crawler searches publicly available sources, such as company websites and media reports, for information on ongoing and planned investment projects.
Learn more (https://www.ifo.de/en/facts/2026-07-24/investments-german-industry-current-developments-through-july-2026)
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2026 Monograph (Authorship)
Investitionstatigkeit der Industrie in Deutschland - Struktur und Ausblick
Anita Dietrich, Oliver Falck, Christian Pfaffl, Amanda Woodman Deza
Industriedynamiken in Deutschland - Teil 6
Learn more (https://www.ifo.de/en/publications/2026/monograph-authorship/investitionstatigkeit-der-industrie-deutschland-struktur-und)
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Original text here: https://www.ifo.de/en/press-release/2026-07-24/ifo-institute-warns-structural-weakness-investment-germany
[Category: ThinkTank]
Center of the American Experiment Issues Commentary: When They Say It's Not About the Fraud, It's About the Fraud
MINNETONKA, Minnesota, July 25 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary on July 24, 2026, by policy fellow Matt Dean:
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When They Say It's Not About the Fraud, It's About the Fraud
Walz Denies Reality as CMS Stops Paying Minnesota's Sketchy Invoices First
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Governor Tim Walz's baffling response to the latest federal deferral of $199 million in Medicaid payments only make things worse for a state trying to go a day without reminding the rest of the country that crooks steal
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MINNETONKA, Minnesota, July 25 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary on July 24, 2026, by policy fellow Matt Dean:
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When They Say It's Not About the Fraud, It's About the Fraud
Walz Denies Reality as CMS Stops Paying Minnesota's Sketchy Invoices First
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Governor Tim Walz's baffling response to the latest federal deferral of $199 million in Medicaid payments only make things worse for a state trying to go a day without reminding the rest of the country that crooks stealour lunch money. In a post on X, Walz responded to the latest withhold of federal funds: "it isn't about fraud - it's about cutting your health care so that Trump can afford tax cuts he gave to billionaires."
As H.L Mencken might have said, "When they say it's not about the fraud, it's about the fraud."
Governor Walz either believes that fraud is not real, or for whatever reason that it is not worth stopping. Trump wants better fraud checks before paying questionable invoices. Minnesota is the land of 10,000 sketchy invoices right now, so it makes sense that our Medicaid requests are getting audited for the third time this year.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator head Dr Mehmet Oz made it clear that his intent is to root out fraud by preventing it in the first place. Rather than "pay and chase" money to fraudsters (only to find that the money is spent by the time the crooks get caught) Oz is using investigators, AI and common sense to identify and stop payment for "funny looking requests."
According to the Administrator,
"CMS also reviewed Medicaid claims in 14 high-risk service areas in Minnesota. The review identified claims that require additional documentation, including expenditures linked to providers flagged through program integrity reviews and other claims with potential eligibility or billing concerns. CMS is deferring approximately $199 million in federal Medicaid payments while that review continues."
The same pattern has played out for years. Federal prosecutors have investigated providers in massive schemes involving autism services (EIDBI), housing stabilization, and related programs, with loss amounts in the tens and hundreds of millions. Walz's own Department of Human Services, under federal pressure, recently disenrolled more than 3,000 high-risk Medicaid providers after a revalidation process. Those are not Republican talking points. They are documented facts.
Dr. Oz is right. The old "pay and chase" model puts the crooks on easy street. It pays suspicious claims first, then spends years trying to claw the money back--if it can be found at all. That approach has failed Minnesota taxpayers and the legitimate recipients who rely on these programs. Stopping questionable payments upfront, demanding documentation, and holding states accountable for the federal dollars they spend is not radical. It is basic fiscal responsibility.
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Matt Dean is a Policy Fellow at Center of the American Experiment.
matt.dean@americanexperiment.org
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Original text here: https://www.americanexperiment.org/when-they-say-its-not-about-the-fraud-its-about-the-fraud-walz-denies-reality-as-cms-stops-paying-minnesotas-sketchy-invoices-first/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Center of the American Experiment Issues Commentary: Weed Worries - Middle and High Schoolers Will Now Learn About Cannabis Use This Fall
MINNETONKA, Minnesota, July 25 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary on July 23, 2026, by policy fellow Josiah Padley:
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Weed worries: Middle and high schoolers will now learn about cannabis use this fall
Minnesota's schools are required to teach about CPR, STDs, mental health, and, beginning this fall...cannabis.
Minnesota legalized cannabis in 2023 and sales began in 2025, leading the legislature to enact a requirement that middle and high schoolers learn about the dangers
... Show Full Article
MINNETONKA, Minnesota, July 25 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary on July 23, 2026, by policy fellow Josiah Padley:
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Weed worries: Middle and high schoolers will now learn about cannabis use this fall
Minnesota's schools are required to teach about CPR, STDs, mental health, and, beginning this fall...cannabis.
Minnesota legalized cannabis in 2023 and sales began in 2025, leading the legislature to enact a requirement that middle and high schoolers learn about the dangersof cannabis use during their health education. The new cannabis education course will inform students, whose parents and friends now have easy access to the drug, about the possible effects on brain development and overall health.
Cannabis use includes old-school marijuana blunts, vape pens, THC gummies, edibles, drinks, and other forms of consumption.
The Minnesota Prevention Alliance (MPA), a newly formed nonprofit that promotes drug abstinence education, won a Minnesota contract to develop a state-approved guidebook. The guidebook promotes a science-based approach to cannabis education. From KSTP:
"Ken Winters, a former University of Minnesota psychiatry professor and a research advisor for the foundation, said the guidebook was created because many schools are not teaching drug prevention in a way that meets the new standards."
""We realize a lot of schools maybe did drug prevention at a general level, but they weren't focusing enough on specific cannabis topics that the state said are going to be needed in part of any prevention education...With the cannabis topic, they're going to be learning about THC, the main intoxicant in the plant, and its impact on brain development, learning, and mental health," Winters said. "And then they're going to also be learning how do you adjust to the new environment in Minnesota, since it's legal for adults, and it's also medicalized.""
The guidebook highlights three curricula choices that adhere most closely to MDE's curricula requirements. Those three programs are Stanford Medicine's Smart Talk, the National Institute on Drug Abuse's Cannabis: The Facts You Need to Know, and Marijuana Prevention Plus' Marijuana Prevention Plus Wellness. It also includes supplemental curriculum pieces, several of which prompt students to discuss the harms of cannabis use with their peers and parents.
The abstinence-only approach that these materials take will likely confuse students whose parents and 18+ peers are now consuming cannabis products legally. American Experiment Policy Fellow David Zimmer argued that the well-intended cannabis education mandate is a paltry harm mitigation tactic, saying,
"I find it unfortunate that on one hand the state created an atmosphere of permissiveness with its 2023 "adult recreational cannabis" legislation, and on the other hand has to create curriculum to counter the impact of that very permissiveness. Given that decades of Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) have done little to dissuade teens from drug use, I don't think we should expect much success from this new curriculum either. The whole scene has a "do as I say, not as I do" feel to it - and we know how well that goes over with teens."
While it is certainly true that adolescent cannabis use has incredibly detrimental consequences for overall brain health, physical wellness, and emotional well-being, it remains to be seen if the new health class can successfully encourage students to choose abstinence.
Whether or not Minnesota's experiment in legalization proves foolhardy, cannabis consumption is a significant part of national pop culture, and temptation will always be just a few clicks away. With some level of exposure always present, students should be well-informed about the risks they take when consuming these products.
The MPA guidebook encourages teachers to modify the cannabis education program to successfully connect with different types of communities. Hopefully, relationship and community awareness will create norms that encourage these middle and high schoolers to pursue a sober-minded adolescence.
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Josiah Padley is a Policy Fellow at Center of the American Experiment.
josiah.padley@americanexperiment.org
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Original text here: https://www.americanexperiment.org/weed-worries-middle-and-high-schoolers-will-now-learn-about-cannabis-use-this-fall/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Center of the American Experiment Issues Commentary: NARUC - the Most Important Energy Affordability Conference You Never Heard of
MINNETONKA, Minnesota, July 25 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary on July 23, 2026, by policy fellow Darren Nelson:
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NARUC: the most important energy affordability conference you never heard of
I recently attended the most important energy affordability conference you probably never heard of. It was the Summer Policy Summit (SPS) in Minneapolis, hosted by NARUC. NARUC is the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, a $18 million 501(c)(4).
Association
"NARUC:
... Show Full Article
MINNETONKA, Minnesota, July 25 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary on July 23, 2026, by policy fellow Darren Nelson:
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NARUC: the most important energy affordability conference you never heard of
I recently attended the most important energy affordability conference you probably never heard of. It was the Summer Policy Summit (SPS) in Minneapolis, hosted by NARUC. NARUC is the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, a $18 million 501(c)(4).
Association
"NARUC:"represent the state public service commissions [PSCs] who regulate the utilities that provide essential services such as energy, telecommunications, power, water, and transportation and who have largely shaped the profile and substance of public utility regulation in America.""
Minnesota's Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is one of fifty commissions who constitute NARUC. PUC and PSC are the two most common titles for these commissions. One of the key things they all regulate are electricity rates, to some degree depending on competition.
"NARUC's Electricity Committee: "develops and advances policies that promote reliable, adequate, and affordable supply of electricity. ... State utility regulators are charged with 'keeping the lights on,' among other responsibilities.""
Conference
The 2026 conference started on Saturday afternoon of July 18, and finished on Wednesday morning of July 22. I was in attendance for the final two days. The top electricity themes were: affordability and reliability; clean energy transition; and hyper-scale date centers.
The predominate speakers I observed, at least in my day and a half at SPS, were: mainly public utility commissioners; followed next by utility C-suite executives; and data center energy influencers. Interestingly, the commissioners often went by the honorific "Honorable."
The conference was quite large and very professional. It had twenty eight sponsors, largely consultants, think tanks and trade associations, mostly from the renewables space. There was one nuclear energy sponsor, as well as several data center sponsors. Three of those latter ones were in the top four biggest spender categories: Amazon; Google and Microsoft.
Highlights
I took a copious amount of notes at the many sessions I attended. The topics were: extreme weather; data centers (DCs); clean energy transition (CET); and electricity affordability .
The session on extreme weather unquestionably accepted the presumption that climate change is human-driven and catastrophic, even though the UN backed away from the latter. The highlight was the head of Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) stating being thankful that, unlike electricity, natural gas was still fully reliable and largely affordable.
The first DC session tried to make things much more entertaining by treating it like a dating game show, between two female officials and two male DC negotiators. This approach was the highlight, as the statements made were 'motherhood' ones about community engagement, transparency and trust, along with community benefits outweighing the costs.
The session on federal intervention was about the recent "show cause order" by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The original concern was that FERC would try to bypass states on electricity in order to increase DC growth around the country, but that had subsided. The head of the Iowa PUC highlighted the great job FERC does in natural gas.
The second DC session, like most of the others, was largely positive about DCs. According to the head of Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), new research shows electricity inflation was lowered in most states by DCs. However, the Independent Market Monitor for PJM had the opposite conclusion and, thus, favored a "bring their own new generation" solution.
The session on the clean energy transition (CET) was a surprising one. This is because, in contrast to Xcel Energy's renewables jihad, the head of the NY Power Authority emphasised the importance of nuclear power and fossil fuels, especially to NYC. Solar and wind electricity generation are minuscule in that state, compared to that of hydro, nuclear and natural gas.
The electricity affordability session brought together the big two topics of CET and DCs. The 'white elephant in the room,' of unreliable and expensive renewables in an age of unprecedented demand growth, was ignored. Instead, hyper-scale DCs are expected to help 'leapfrog' the affordability problem through more-than-offsetting economies of scale.
Resolutions
NARUC passed a number of non-binding, but influential, resolutions on the last day of the conference, and the day after. The following excerpts from two of those are at apparent odds:
"Whereas preserving state commission discretion to evaluate all relevant facts in a transparent evidentiary record supports effective and robust state regulation and gives state regulators the ability to help ensure safe, reliable, and affordable utility service over the long-term;"
"Whereas U.S. electricity prices are increasing, creating growing affordability concerns for residential, commercial, and industrial customers across the country;"
The chart below, from Dr. Janice Beecher of Michigan State University, confirms the second quote above and, therefore, calls into question the first quote above.
[View chart in the link at bottom.]
Stories
Not long ago, a public utilities commissioner spoke right before I did, at an event for inquisitive but impressionable students, regarding data centers. The commissioner, a conservative appointee, confidently asserted electricity is a natural monopoly. Orthodox and heterodox economics, along with American history and overseas reforms, suggest otherwise.
Far more recently, I spoke with a commissioner, after a long day at the NARUC conference, regarding public utilities regulation. The commissioner, a degreed economist, expressed a strong belief that electricity was in fact a "public good."
A case could be made that electricity fits the mainstream definition of "natural monopoly," but not a very strong case. The same could not be said of "public good," which is defined by textbook economics in terms of non-excludable supply and non-rivalrous demand, where:
"Non-excludability means that the cost of keeping non-payers from enjoying the benefits of the good or service is prohibitive."
Non-rivalry means "non-payers could [consume a good or service] without increasing the cost or diminishing anyone else's [benefit]."
Conclusion
There is a race going on between affordability-enhancing data centers and unaffordability-driving renewables. The evidence for the former is mounting, with some signs of waning resistance. The evidence for the latter is also mounting, with no signs of waxing denial.
And it increasingly seems to be, given their worldviews and real-world results, that NARUC and the PUCs are ill equipped to independently referee this race "without fear or favor."
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Darren Nelson is a Policy Fellow at Center of the American Experiment.
darren.nelson@americanexperiment.org
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Original text here: https://www.americanexperiment.org/naruc-the-most-important-energy-affordability-conference-you-never-heard-of/
[Category: ThinkTank]
America First Policy Institute Issues Commentary to Carolina Journal: Future of Rural N.C. Won't Be Built by Degrees Alone
WASHINGTON, July 25 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following excerpts of a commentary on July 24, 2026, by Kevin Daniels, executive director of the North Carolina state chapter, to the Carolina Journal:
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The Future of Rural N.C. Won't be Built by Degrees Alone
When people think of North Carolina, they often picture two places: the Research Triangle that encompasses Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill; or the booming skyline of Charlotte.
But anyone who truly knows our state understands that North Carolina's strength isn't found only in its biggest cities. It lives in our
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 25 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following excerpts of a commentary on July 24, 2026, by Kevin Daniels, executive director of the North Carolina state chapter, to the Carolina Journal:
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The Future of Rural N.C. Won't be Built by Degrees Alone
When people think of North Carolina, they often picture two places: the Research Triangle that encompasses Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill; or the booming skyline of Charlotte.
But anyone who truly knows our state understands that North Carolina's strength isn't found only in its biggest cities. It lives in oursmall towns, farming communities, and rural counties where hard work and grit still define a person's character.
For too long our education system has sent rural students one message: If you don't earn a four-year college degree, you've somehow fallen behind.
That message has done a disservice to countless young Americans.
The truth is simple: not every student is destined for college, and they shouldn't have to be. Success should never be measured by whether someone walks across a university stage. It should be measured by whether they are equipped to build a meaningful career, support a family, and contribute to their community.
To read the full article, click here (https://www.carolinajournal.com/opinion/the-future-of-rural-nc-wont-be-built-by-degrees-alone/).
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Kevin Daniels, Executive Director AFPI-North Carolina
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Original text here: https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/the-future-of-rural-nc-wont-be-built-by-degrees-alone
[Category: ThinkTank]
