West
Alaska hits back at insurers accused of using ‘woke’ underwriting to reshape energy policy as ANWR reopens
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EXCLUSIVE: The state of Alaska sent warning letters Monday to four major insurance firms, saying their climate-related policies may violate state insurance and consumer-protection laws by creating an uneven playing field for energy projects.
The news comes as Alaska’s congressional delegation led a successful effort to disapprove – or overturn – Biden-era restrictions placed on energy exploration in Section 1002 of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) on Thursday, effectively lifting those restrictions.
Alaska Attorney General Stephen Cox and Commerce Commissioner Julie Sande warned AIG, Zurich, Chubb and The Hartford that some of their policies may conflict with state rules designed to protect Alaska’s status as a leading investment destination, particularly for energy production.
“Alaska’s insurance code is built on a central premise: underwriting decisions must rest on risk, and that means no discrimination based on extra-legal political, environmental, or long-range policy commitments,” the beginning of each of the four letters read.
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The Alaska pipeline parallels the famous ‘ice-road-trucker’ Dalton Hwy in Alaska. (Lance King/Getty Images)
“And where the insurance code doesn’t reach, our consumer-protection statute prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices, which could include misrepresentations of compliance with Alaska law in contractual dealings.”
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy told Fox News Digital his administration is taking a close look at “friction points” that may make it harder to build things in the Last Frontier.
“With respect to how our projects get insured, we’re concerned that some of the underwriting standards being applied today—particularly broad Arctic exclusions and long-range climate-driven policy restrictions—may be shutting out responsible Alaska projects for reasons that have nothing to do with actual risk,” he said.
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Dunleavy said the letters are foremost meant to start a dialogue with the four insurers so that he and officials in Juneau can better understand their policies and underwriting criteria – and clear up any “misconceptions about our state.”
In the state’s letter to AIG CEO Peter Zaffino, Alaskan officials wrote of “substantial concerns” about the insurer’s treatment of the state’s oil and gas sector, amid documentation it published committing to “phasing out” underwriting of existing operation insurance risks and halting new investments for clients deriving 30% or more revenue from coal or oil-sands by 2030.
The company also cited a 2050 net-zero greenhouse gas emissions standard for its policies in a separate document footnoted in the letter.
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“AIG’s net-zero underwriting goal necessarily will result in emissions requirements that do not appear to be tied to short-term actuarial risk within the policy period,” Juneau’s letter read.
“AIG’s goal appears to be an effort to reshape a lawful sector according to AIG’s long-term environmental commitments.”
In a sentiment expressed to The Hartford, Juneau officials wrote that, “when an insurer adopts blanket exclusions based on geography or on long-range public policy objectives untethered to risk, those exclusions function as de-facto prohibitions on investment.”
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In its letter to Zurich’s North America executive Kristof Terryn, Alaska also cited a reported “net-zero” goal of 2050, writing that “whatever the merits of those commitments, Alaska law requires insurers to treat insureds with like risk characteristics alike and to base underwriting decisions on risk—not on corporate climate-policy preferences or extra-legal standards developed to “[l]imit… average temperature increases” in line with the Paris Agreement,” citing a company document.
It warned that Zurich in the future may run afoul of the Alaska Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Act, but stressed “we do not reach that conclusion here, but it is part of our broader review.”
Alaska took issue with Chubb’s March 2025 announcement that it would no longer underwrite oil and gas projects in International Union for the Conservation of Nature management categories one through four – which it noted included ANWR.
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Cox and Sande wrote that the underwriting prohibition on ANWR is one that “uniquely affects Alaska” and that “Alaska has invested years of planning and permitting work to open responsible opportunity in the ANWR… no other state faces this kind of prohibition.”
Consumers’ Research executive director Will Hild told Fox News Digital that the situation reveals “woke capitalism masquerading as risk management.”
“[I]t threatens jobs, consumers, and President Trump’s energy agenda. Consumers’ Research applauds the Alaska delegation for standing up to these woke insurers and defending Alaskan consumers from political ideology.”
As a response to potential criticisms from a macro level, Juneau officials said Alaska is home to modern transmission systems, well-trained operators and “robust” environmental protection rules.
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ANWR is shown. (Fox News/On The Record)
In prior statements, Chubb CEO Evan Greenberg assured observers that his company will continue supporting energy development through its underwriting.
“We’re continuing to insure oil and gas because the world needs energy,” Greenberg said. “We don’t yet have great alternatives to gas and oil. And it would be irresponsible of us not to continue to insure those in a responsible way.”
ChubbFacts, a noted fact-check site supporting the insurance giant’s arguments in cases such as this, pushed back on claims of “wokeness” and other critiques, saying that it insured some of President Donald Trump’s legal cases, as well as oil companies, manufacturers, construction firms, and American farmers as a leading agricultural insurer—regardless of politics.”
“We’ve taken heat from climate activists for continuing to insure energy companies, but our focus never shifts,” the company wrote on ChubbFacts.com.
Fox News Digital reached out to media contact addresses for The Hartford, AIG, Zurich and Chubb for additional comment.
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Nevada
Nevada’s First And Largest Military Outpost Is Now A Historic State Park To Camp, Paddle, And Hike – Islands
Ever been utterly immersed in the American West to the point it feels as if a Pony Express rider may gallop by at any moment? Fort Churchill State Historic Park in northwestern Nevada retains this Old West feel, and rightfully so. It was established as the Silver State’s first military outpost in 1860, eventually becoming the largest as well.
Structural remnants of the adobe buildings that once served as barracks and soldiers’ quarters, among other uses, are still strewn across the arid, high-desert Nevada landscape. They served as a point of protection for pioneers, area settlers, miners, as well as the riders tasked with traversing the mountains and plains to deliver mail. The fort was also a military supply depot before being shuttered in 1869. Today, it provides a peek into America’s military past and the region’s history as a booming silver mining hub along with abundant outdoor adventure as a state park.
Outdoor adventures in the old west
A Nevada riverside haven full of Wild West history, Fort Churchill State Historic Park comprises 200 acres preserved with the help of the National Park Service in 1935. Camping and picnicking facilities, along with a museum and visitors’ center, were constructed while the adobe buildings were stabilized. Sagebrush, willows, and bluegrass thrive across the vast landscape while coyotes, mule deer, and foxes scamper through. Nevada’s wild horses have also been spotted grazing the land.
Cottonwood trees offer shade to campers near the 20 sites suited for either RVs or tents. Although no hook-ups are available, a fire ring, picnic table, and charcoal grill offer campers some amenities. Yelpers recommend the campground, citing the tranquil, wide-open space, photogenic structures, and the camp’s proximity to the ruins. They also share that the facilities are limited to pits in the ground or outhouses. Others appreciate the feeling of seclusion and privacy the abundant growth provides to some spots in the campground.
Through the park, the Carson River lazily runs its route to the Lahontan Reservoir — a full-day 15.8-mile journey by kayak or canoe for paddlers. Late-summer and into fall, the water may be too low to traverse, making spring and early summer ideal times for this trek. The Carson River is also a hidden Nevada fishing oasis teeming with trout if grabbing a pole over a paddle is preferred.
Fort Churchill Historic State Park offers a hike through history
Some 1.5 miles down the road from the abandoned adobe buildings, a two-story, fully intact and restored homestead built by Samuel Buckland in 1870 still stands, awaiting exploration by history buffs. Nearby, see replicas of Union soldiers along with authentic cannons, maps, and more from the fort’s heyday at the Colonel Charles McDermit Visitor Center. Occasionally, a train may rumble by on tracks that have existed since the fort’s founding.
Hike between the homestead, Buckland Station, and Fort Churchill along a riparian nature trail for 2.2 miles. It’s an easy one-mile wander through the ruins where you can check out the explanatory signage along the way. In the Samuel Buckland Campground between spots 13 and 14 is the Stewart Trail, another way to simply stretch your legs in some scenic spots.
Keep in mind, Fort Churchill State Historic Park rests at a 4,250-foot elevation, making evenings chilly most of the year. Temperatures range between summer’s smoldering 94-degree highs and evening lows swinging down to 58 degrees Fahrenheit. Just 30 minutes from one of Nevada’s most historic towns, Dayton, the best way to reach Fort Churchill is by flying into the Reno-Tahoe International Airport and driving 48 miles to the park. Campsites are $20 a night for out-of-state visitors or $15 for Nevada residents. Entry into the park itself is $10 for visitors or $5 for Nevadans. But the history lessons and outdoor experiences are, to be cliché, priceless.
New Mexico
APD: Pedestrian hit and killed in early morning crash
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Albuquerque police are investigating a fatal crash after a vehicle struck a pedestrian early Saturday morning.
Police said the crash happened near Central Avenue and Maple. The pedestrian died at the scene from their injuries.
Police continue to investigate the crash.
Stay with KOB 4 Eyewitness News and KOB.com for updates.
Oregon
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