Regulatory Compliance

PPL Electric Files Plan to Bill Data Centers Directly for Grid Upgrades

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PPL Electric Files Plan to Bill Data Centers Directly for Grid Upgrades

Allentown, Pa. – September 18, 2026 -- PPL Electric Utilities has filed a proposal with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to create a new billing mechanism that would directly assign certain transmission network upgrade costs tied to large energy users, including data centers, to those specific customers rather than spreading them across its 1.5 million residential and business accounts.

New rider replaces existing transmission charge without adding fees

The proposed Customer Protection Transmission Rider (CPTR) would replace the utility's current Transmission Service Charge (TSC). PPL Electric says the change does not introduce a new charge but instead restructures how transmission costs are recovered, making them visible as a dedicated line item on customer bills rather than embedded within supply charges.

ZS Named Leader in IDC MarketScape for Real-World Evidence Platforms

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ZS Named Leader in IDC MarketScape for Real-World Evidence Platforms

Evanston, Illinois – September 18, 2026 -- ZS has been named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Life Science R&D RWD/Real-World Evidence for Data Platforms, Technology Solutions, and Consulting Services 2026 Vendor Assessment (IDC #US54122226, August 2026).

The recognition marks ZS's second IDC MarketScape Leader designation in 2026, following its May 2026 placement as a Leader in the Worldwide Life Sciences R&D Strategic Consulting Services assessment (IDC #US53009826).

ZS reports 90% NPS and 97% retention across its real-world data and evidence engagements

IDC's assessment cited ZS's integrated Medical & Evidence practice, which links medical, real-world evidence and health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) strategies to speed decision-making. The firm connects evidence generation directly to downstream dissemination, supporting publications, congress strategies and field medical execution for life sciences clients.

AAOS Presses CMS to Reverse Orthopaedic Payment Cuts in 2027 Fee Schedule

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AAOS Presses CMS to Reverse Orthopaedic Payment Cuts in 2027 Fee Schedule

Washington – September 18, 2026 -- The American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) submitted a formal comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) opposing proposed payment cuts in the calendar year 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, warning the changes could accelerate consolidation among independent orthopaedic practices.

AAOS demands CMS preserve current work RVUs for major joint procedures

The letter urges CMS to maintain calendar year 2026 work relative value units (RVUs) for total shoulder, total hip, and total knee arthroplasty services, along with shoulder hemiarthroplasty. AAOS argues that reducing these values would compound years of what it calls inadequate payment updates and rising practice costs.

VPN.com CEO: AI Could Push Cybersecurity Costs to $3 Trillion

Atlanta and Washington – September 18, 2026 -- Global cybersecurity exposure tied to artificial intelligence could reach as much as $3 trillion, according to Michael Gargiulo, CEO of VPN.com, a company specializing in cybersecurity and domain name brand protection.

Palo Alto Networks flagged $1 trillion in cybersecurity debt

On a recent earnings call, Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora said approximately $1 trillion in global cybersecurity infrastructure must be modernized to counter automated threats that operate instantaneously.

ReDEFY Builds Salesforce Fixes for 6 CA Counties Before Pitching

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ReDEFY Builds Salesforce Fixes for 6 CA Counties Before Pitching

Herndon, Virginia – September 18, 2026 -- ReDEFY, a pure-play Salesforce consulting partner, has already built working Salesforce Environmental Health solutions for six large California counties ahead of the state's CERS NextGen deadline, without a signed contract in hand.

ReDEFY reverses the consulting sales cycle by delivering the product before the pitch

The firm's new campaign, "Built Before the Meeting," launches at Dreamforce 2026 in San Francisco, running September 15 to 17. Instead of discovery calls and slide decks, ReDEFY constructs a working Salesforce Industry Cloud solution for a prospect's specific problem before the first meeting occurs. The first public proof is live now at redefy.com, targeting California's 81 Certified Unified Program Agencies.

Inventor Anchors AI 'Constitution' to Base Blockchain Via Verified Smart Contract

Rock Hill, N.Y. – September 18, 2026 -- An independent inventor has deployed a verified smart contract on the Base blockchain that binds AI agents to a written constitution, with every governance action timestamped and publicly auditable. On September 8, Jánelle Marina Méndez Viera executed three linked transactions in 35 minutes: deploying an enforcement contract called the Guardian, anchoring a sealed founding proceeding to it, and adopting a constitution whose cryptographic fingerprint is now permanently recorded on-chain.

Lambda Signs White House Pledge on Data Center Ratepayer Protection

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Lambda Signs White House Pledge on Data Center Ratepayer Protection

San Francisco – September 18, 2026 -- Lambda, Inc., the AI cloud infrastructure provider known as the Superintelligence Cloud, has signed the White House Ratepayer Protection Pledge, committing to shield local electricity consumers from costs tied to its data center buildout.

Lambda commits to paying for its own power consumption

Under the pledge, Lambda backs policies requiring data center developers to cover the electricity their facilities consume rather than shifting costs to residential ratepayers. The company said it supports expanding grid generation capacity and maintaining reliable electric service as AI infrastructure demand accelerates nationally.

Freedom Tech DC Expands to AI, Energy Amid Crypto Policy Push

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Freedom Tech DC Expands to AI, Energy Amid Crypto Policy Push

Washington – September 18, 2026 -- The Bitcoin Policy Institute (BPI) and PubKey DC will host the fourth annual Freedom Tech DC summit on Sept. 22-23 at the National Press Club and PubKey DC, expanding the invite-only event's scope beyond Bitcoin and stablecoins into AI, data center development, energy grid resilience and national security.

Summit rebrand signals broader policy mandate for Bitcoin Policy Institute

Formerly known as the Bitcoin Policy Summit, the event's expansion reflects BPI's growth as it takes on freedom technology policy issues, builds out its leadership team, and becomes a founding partner in the State Department's new Freedom Tech Excellence Program.

Aurora Cannabis Rejects Curaleaf's ATM Complaint, Calls Hostile Bid Inadequate

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Aurora Cannabis Rejects Curaleaf's ATM Complaint, Calls Hostile Bid Inadequate

Edmonton – September 18, 2026 -- Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NASDAQ: ACB) (TSX: ACB) has dismissed Curaleaf Holdings' regulatory application to halt its at-the-market (ATM) share program, calling the move a distraction from an undervalued hostile takeover bid.

Aurora says its ATM program predates Curaleaf's bid by more than six months

The company confirmed its ATM program was publicly disclosed in February 2026, months before Curaleaf launched its hostile offer, and was designed to fund accretive acquisitions in Canada and the UK. Aurora said the program has been inactive for several weeks and had not been used for three years prior to February 2026.

Sunset World Group Partners With ECOCE to Meet Circular Economy Law

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Sunset World Group Partners With ECOCE to Meet Circular Economy Law

Cancún, Mexico – September 18, 2026 -- Sunset World Group will launch a formal partnership with recycling non-profit ECOCE on September 18, 2026, to align its hotel operations with Mexico's Circular Economy Law.

Sunset World Group commits to circular economy standards across its hotel portfolio

The agreement targets the integration of processes that meet the principles and standards set by the Circular Economy Law, covering resource use, waste reduction, and reintroduction of materials into production cycles. Sunset World Group operates six hotels across Cancun and Playa del Carmen.