Plainfield, In. — Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) has been named to Fortune magazine’s 2019 list of the World’s Most Admired Companies for the second year in a row. Duke Energy was ranked 5th among gas and electric utilities.
“Our people are working hard to enhance the customer experience, reduce carbon emissions and modernize the grid while keeping power reliable and affordable,” said Lynn Good, Duke Energy’s chairman, president and CEO. “We’re delivering on our commitments to customers, communities, investors and employees.”
In determining the industry rankings, approximately 3,750 executives, directors and industry analysts are independently surveyed and companies are rated on nine attributes: innovation, people management, use of corporate assets, social responsibility, quality of management, financial soundness, long-term investment, quality of products/services and global competitiveness.
Recent company performance highlights
- Delivering value to customers – Duke Energy’s 7.6 million electric customers continue to benefit from rates below the national average, while also receiving strong reliability.
- Providing value to shareholders – In 2018, Duke Energy delivered total shareholder return of 7.4 percent, which exceeded both the S&P 500 and the Philadelphia Utility Index.
- Reducing emissions rates – Since 2005, Duke Energy has reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 31 percent. By 2030, the company plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent from 2005 levels.
- Investing in renewable energy – Since 2007, Duke Energy has grown its renewable generation portfolio and now has more than 6,400 megawatts of wind, solar and biomass capacity – owned or under contract. Duke Energy is on track to meet its goal of owning or having under contract 8,000 megawatts (MW) of wind, solar and biomass capacity by 2020.
- Powering communities – Through its Powerful Communities program, the Duke Energy Foundation annually invests more than $30 million in charitable grants to bolster education, advance the workforce, safeguard nature and strengthen communities. Through the Duke Energy In Action program, employees and retirees annually volunteer more than 100,000 hours and donate millions of dollars to nonprofit organizations.
