Public utilities in the US sell energy, water, and gas. The nation’s basic utilities are listed here. Unlike many utilities globally, these services are privately owned, for-profit businesses. These companies stand out from the crowd because of how they operate and how quickly they respond to market changes. Utilities are more stable than equities due to their high level of demand.
These enterprises usually survive economic downturns. Due to their infrastructural needs, they need help throughout the economic expansion. These firms have high debt burdens due to their capital needs. Any debt-laden corporation is susceptible to fluctuations. However, investors usually benefit from these enterprises.
Power, water, gas, and telecommunications are all provided by public utilities. Understanding public utility companies and their operations is critical to comprehending the industry.
This blog post will look at the world’s leading public utility companies and their contributions. We’ll investigate their business practices, products, and history. We’ll also look at the businesses’ financial health and the influence of leadership on success and longevity.
Finally, we’ll look at the future expansion of public utilities as well as current and future issues. This blog article should help you comprehend public utilities and the finest firms.
You’ll learn about some of the most well-known figures in the public utility sector in this article. We’ll examine their work, history, and distinguishing characteristics in order to understand how they differ from their competitors.
What are utility companies?
Public utilities, such as electricity, gas, water, and phone service, are important parts of a community’s infrastructure. There are a lot of rules about these industries, and they have a big effect on the economy and people’s daily lives. In this article, we’ll look at the different public utilities companies, how they do business, and how they affect our lives.
Electric Utilities:
Electric utilities are responsible for generating, transmitting, and distributing electricity to homes and businesses. Some of the largest electric utility companies in the US include:
- Duke Energy Corporation
- NextEra Energy, Inc.
- Southern Company
- Exelon Corporation
- American Electric Power
- Xcel Energy Inc.
- Entergy Corporation
Natural Gas Utilities:
Natural gas utilities are responsible for the distribution of natural gas to homes and businesses. The largest natural gas utility companies in the US include:
- Southern Company Gas
- Sempra Energy
- Dominion Energy
- National Grid
- Enbridge Inc.
- ONE Gas, Inc.
Water Utilities:
Water utilities are responsible for the treatment and distribution of drinking water to homes and businesses. The largest water utility companies in the US include:
- American Water Works Company, Inc.
- Aqua America, Inc.
- California Water Service Group
- Connecticut Water Service, Inc.
- Middlesex Water Company
- York Water Company
Telecommunications Utilities:
Telecommunications utilities provide telephone, internet, and television services to homes and businesses. The largest telecommunications utility companies in the US include:
- AT&T Inc.
- Verizon Communications Inc.
- Comcast Corporation
- Charter Communications, Inc.
- CenturyLink, Inc.
Renewable Energy Utilities:
Renewable energy utilities generate electricity from renewable sources such as wind, solar, and hydropower. The largest renewable energy utility companies in the US include:
- NextEra Energy Resources
- Invenergy LLC
- Avangrid Renewables, LLC
- EDP Renewables North America LLC
- Pattern Energy Group, Inc.
Multi-Utilities:
Multi-utilities are companies that operate in more than one utility sector. The largest multi-utility companies in the US include:
- Dominion Energy
- Duke Energy Corporation
- NextEra Energy, Inc.
- Southern Company
- American Electric Power
Government-Owned Utilities:
Governments at the local or state levels own and run some utilities. Examples of government-owned utilities in the US include:
- Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
- New York Power Authority
- San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
- City of Tallahassee Utilities
Co-Operatives:
Co-operatives are utilities that are owned and operated by their customers. Examples of cooperative utilities in the US include:
- Basin Electric Power Cooperative
- Dairyland Power Cooperative
- Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc.
- Great River Energy
Private Equity-Owned Utilities:
Private equity-owned utilities are utilities that are owned and operated by private equity firms. Examples of private equity-owned utilities in the US include:
- Aqua America, Inc.
- Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.
- Liberty Utilities Co.
- Middlesex Water Company
Read: https://theshittymedia.com/what-companies-are-in-the-consumer-durables-field/What Companies Are in the Consumer Durables Field?
Best Companies In The Public Utilities Field 2023
1. Duke Energy
Duke Energy is a major provider of utility services in the United States. It serves around 7.5 million consumers in the United States and is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Duke Energy serves North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky.
Duke Energy first opened for business in 1904. After changing its name to Duke Power in 1924 and combining with several other energy firms in 1927, the company rose to prominence. During the first decades of the 20th century, it steadily grew its service area and number of employees by buying up smaller utilities.
2. American Electric Power
The electric utility American Electric Power (AEP) is among the country’s largest. In eleven different states, they serve nearly 5 million clients with electricity. They do all three things that are needed to get electricity to people: make it, send it, and give it out. Coal, natural gas, nuclear, solar, and hydroelectric electricity are only a few of the options in their range of producing sources.
AEP invests in wind and solar energy projects to make sure that they can keep making electricity for a long time. AEP is always investing in new technology to improve its services and fulfill its mission of providing dependable and cheap power to its clients.
AEP is a Fortune 500 power provider that has made it its mission to keep its customers’ electricity safe, dependable, and within their budgets. Coal-fired, natural gas-fired, nuclear, and hydroelectric power stations are all part of the broad fleet of electric generating units they own and operate. As a major power transporter in the United States, the corporation is a major player in the market.
3. Edison International
With a long history in the U.S. market, Edison International is a major power provider. Edison International’s headquarters are in Rosemead, California. More than 15 million customers in many states get electricity and other services from Edison International. It has over $12 billion in yearly sales and over 12,000 employees (as of 2013). Since the beginning of 2013, they have amassed a total of $41.44 billion in assets.
This firm has been a pioneer in both renewable energy and the sale of energy-efficient products. Edison International operates in the United States as well as other nations such as Chile, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
4. AT&T
AT&T Inc. is a global and multi-industry holding corporation based in the United States of America. Its headquarters are located in the Whitacre Tower in Dallas, Texas. In addition to providing services for broadband subscription television, it is the third largest service provider of mobile cell phones in the United States.
Comcast is the largest supplier of pay television services in the United States, while AT&T is the second largest provider of pay television services.
5. Verizon
Energy and water have always been the most popular utilities, but internet and TV services have also become more popular in recent years. This brings us to Verizon, a major provider of cellular broadband and TV services in the United States. Extreme levels of competition exist in this industry. Verizon’s reliability and service have helped it grow into one of the largest service providers in the United States.
The fact that the service has more than 143 million customers in the United States is indicative of this. Of course, this figure doesn’t account for consumers who also have a mobile phone plan or who have more than one Internet connection, but it’s still quite high.
6. Southern Company
The Atlanta-based Southern Company is the nation’s second-largest provider of public utility services. Alabama Power Company, Mississippi Power Company, Georgia Power Company, and Gulf Power Company are all subsidiaries of this conglomerate. Distribution of both electricity and natural gas is under Southern Company’s purview, and the company serves as a significant supplier of both forms of energy.
This business also invests heavily in energy R&D and advocates for the use of renewable energy sources like wind and solar.
7. Comcast
Comcast is the biggest cable company in the U.S. It offers a wide range of high-speed internet, TV, and phone services.
If you are searching for a reputable and cost-effective alternative in the field of public utilities, Comcast is a great choice to consider.
This communications giant has many different areas of business, such as books, home video, pay TV, sports management, VoIP phones, film production, broadband, and even broadcasting. The company was started in Tupelo, Mississippi, and is now based in Philadelphia. In 2021, the company made a cool $116.39 billion in sales.
8. The AES Corporation
AES Corp. does not sell electricity directly to consumers; rather, it operates power facilities around the country. Middlemen, such as the utility companies listed below, buy the electricity that power plants produce. The success of this company is not just in the United States. AES now makes and sells electricity in 14 other countries, including Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Jordan, Kazakhstan, and India.
This is a firm that has been devoted to innovation since its beginning in 1981, and it is always looking for new ways to deliver for both its customers and employees.
9. Pinnacle West Capital Corporation
Pinnacle West Capital Corporation (PNW) is a holding company for public utilities. Its subsidiaries run regulated water and electricity operations in the United States.
APS serves central, northern, and southern Arizona, including the major cities of Phoenix and Tucson. In southeast Arizona, TEP’s retail electric service is regulated and serves the greater Tucson area. Pinnacle West is a New York Stock Exchange-listed S&P 500 corporation.
10. American Water Works Company, Inc.
American Water Works Inc., which serves about 24 million people, is the biggest publicly listed water and wastewater utility business in the United States. The corporation employs about 6,000 people and is based in Camden, New Jersey.
The American Water Works & Guarantee Company was established in 1886 as the American Water Works & Guarantee Company. In 1914, they were renamed American Water Works and Electric Company, and in 1947, they became American Water Works Inc. To facilitate the management, the corporation is divided into several subdivisions.
11. National Grid plc
In spite of its name, National Grid plc is a British firm; yet, it operates transmission networks all throughout the United States. In contrast to the majority of the other businesses on our list, National Grid didn’t come into being until the year 1990, so it’s fair to call it a relatively new corporation.
National Grid is now the most important gas distributor in the United Kingdom, and it is without a doubt one of the largest investor-owned utility companies anywhere in the world. It began its expansion into the American market by completing a number of purchases, most of which were located in the northeastern region of the country.
12. Xcel Energy, Inc.
Xcel Energy Inc. is a utility holding company that is publicly traded and has its headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the United States of America. It is the largest provider of both natural gas and power in the Midwestern United States.
Eight different states have control over the electric and natural gas utilities that are part of the corporation’s asset portfolio. It does so under the ticker code “XEL” on the New York Stock Exchange, which facilitates public trading.
13. Pacific Gas & Electric Company
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company, headquartered in California and operating throughout the state, serves about 5.5 million customers, making it the largest utility provider in the United States. Not only does the firm provide delivery services to an enormous number of clients, but it also brags about having some of the most outstanding statistics when it comes to the effectiveness of its electricity and the low number of power interruptions that occur each and every year.
The company’s annual revenue is a little over $20 billion, and it offers its clients both electricity and gas as a means of meeting their energy needs.
14. Aqua America, Inc.
This utility, as its name implies, offers water and wastewater services. The corporation is situated in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and it serves slightly more than 3 million people. While Aqua America is still in business, it is now branded as Essential Utilities. Following the acquisition of Peoples Natural Gas in 2018, the firm began using this name.
The latter was a Pittsburgh-based firm that was bought for a whopping $4.17 billion. This not only allowed Aqua America to enter the Pittsburgh market to sell water, but it also allowed them to begin exploring a future in the sale of gas. Essential Utilities employs about 3,200 people across Pennsylvania in the sale of gas and water services.
15. Dominion Energy
One of the largest municipally owned and operated utility companies in the country. The company’s main office is in Richmond, Virginia, and it serves more than 7.5 million customers in 15 states. The company has a large portfolio of renewable energy projects, with about 11 gigawatts of solar, wind, and energy storage capacity.
It also has a diverse portfolio of utility activities, including the production and distribution of both electricity and natural gas. It also offers a number of services that have to do with storing energy, responding to changes in demand, and designing and building microgrids.
Conclusion
In conclusion, public utility companies are important to modern society because they provide homes and businesses with essential services like electricity, gas, and water. There are only a few big companies in each sector of public utilities, and the government keeps an eye on them to make sure they provide safe, reliable, and affordable services.
Exelon, Duke Energy, and Southern Company are some of the largest electric companies in the US. Dominion Energy, Sempra Energy, and Enbridge are some of the largest gas companies. On the other hand, American Water Works, Aqua America, and California Water Service are some of the largest water companies in the US.
It’s important to keep in mind that companies in the public utilities field are going global. Several big players already have offices outside the US. People all over the world depend on these companies for important services.
Overall, public utility companies are a very important part of modern society, and we can’t live without the services they provide. Because of this, they will continue to be very important in the future as the need for energy, water, and gas grows.