Duke Energy has been named one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by Fortune magazine for 2026. The company rose to No. 3 among electric and gas utilities, up from No. 4 last year, marking its ninth consecutive year on the list.
The ranking reflects Duke Energy’s progress in modernizing its grid, meeting increasing customer demand, and managing significant changes in the energy sector. According to Fortune’s methodology, the annual rankings are determined through surveys of executives, directors, and industry analysts who assess companies across nine reputation criteria such as innovation, financial soundness, product quality, and global competitiveness.
“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,” said Harry Sideris, president and CEO of Duke Energy. “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.”
In recent years, Duke Energy has implemented smart grid technology that prevented 2.2 million customer outages in 2025 across its six-state service area. Nearly three-quarters of its customers now benefit from self-healing grid systems that reduce outage times.
Since 2016, the Duke Energy Foundation along with company employees have contributed over $34 million to nonprofits focused on community resilience and disaster relief efforts.
Looking ahead, Duke Energy plans to add more than 13 gigawatts of new generation capacity over five years—enough to power nearly 10 million homes—and invest over $35 billion in grid modernization projects aimed at improving reliability and supporting decarbonization efforts.
Duke Energy serves about 8.6 million electric customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky; it also provides natural gas services to approximately 1.7 million customers across several states. The company continues to invest in cleaner generation sources including renewables and energy storage.
More information can be found at duke-energy.com or through their social media channels.
