Duke Energy has been named one of Fortune magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies for 2026, rising to third place among electric and gas utilities. This marks the company’s ninth consecutive year on the list and an improvement from last year’s fourth-place ranking.
Fortune ranks companies based on surveys of thousands of executives, directors, and industry analysts. The survey measures performance across nine reputation criteria, such as innovation, financial soundness, product quality, and global competitiveness.
Harry Sideris, president and CEO of Duke Energy, commented on the recognition: “This recognition reflects the trust we’ve earned from our customers by delivering reliable energy today, while forging into the future with innovative solutions, smarter grids, and next-generation technology, all while keeping costs as low as possible. I’m incredibly proud of our employees, whose leadership and commitment continue to move our company and the communities we serve forward as we meet this moment of growing energy demand.”
The company reported that its smart grid technology prevented 2.2 million customer outages in 2025. Nearly three-quarters of Duke Energy customers now benefit from self-healing grid systems designed to improve reliability.
Since 2016, Duke Energy Foundation together with Duke Energy and its employees have invested over $34 million in nonprofit organizations focused on community resilience and disaster relief efforts.
Looking ahead, Duke Energy plans to add more than 13 gigawatts of new generation capacity within five years—enough to power nearly ten million homes—and will invest over $35 billion in grid modernization projects aimed at supporting both reliability and decarbonization goals.
Duke Energy serves electric utility customers across six states—North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky—and provides natural gas services in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company is currently pursuing an energy transition strategy focused on upgrading infrastructure while maintaining service reliability for its customers.
For further information about Duke Energy’s operations or recent developments visit duke-energy.com or access updates through their social media channels including X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn or Facebook.
