A group of insurance companies that pools its assets, enabling them to provide an amount of insurance substantially more than can be provided by individual companies to ensure large risks such as nuclear power stations. Pools may be formed voluntarily or mandated by the state to insure risks that cannot be covered in the voluntary market such as coastal properties subject to hurricanes. (See Beach and windstorm plans; Fair access to insurance requirements plans/FAIR plans; Joint underwriting association/JUA)