JD Power Study Finds 64% of Electric Utility Customers Indicate Clean Energy is More Than an Environmental Priority
Overall Sustainability Index score rises, with highest scores in Western and Southern states
More than half of electric utility customers are concerned about future power availability
Utility support for EVs and charging infrastructure linked to higher overall customer satisfaction
TROY, Mich., July 29, 2026–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Even as electric utility customers express concern about future power availability, with slightly more than half (54%) saying they are concerned about whether enough power will be available in the future, support for clean energy is strong. In addition, nearly two-thirds (64%) of customers say economic, health and energy security benefits are more important than environmental concerns, according to the JD Power 2026 U.S. Sustainability Index,SM released today. The study also finds that electric utility brands perceived as sustainability leaders tend to earn higher overall customer satisfaction scores, suggesting that utilities take a closer look at where sustainability awareness is positioned within their overall customer satisfaction strategies.
“For many customers, sustainability is no longer just about being ‘green,'” said Ramah Vaughn, director of utilities intelligence at JD Power. “They support clean energy initiatives because they see tangible economic, health and energy security benefits. Utilities that set clear decarbonization goals, make sure customers know about them and back them up with visible actions like electric vehicle support, tend to earn higher customer trust—and higher overall satisfaction.”
Following are some key findings of the 2026 index:
Customer awareness of utility sustainability efforts continues to grow: Overall, 30% of electric utility customers say they are aware of whether their utility has declared a goal to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, up from 29% in 2025 and 22% in 2024. The overall Sustainability Index score for electric utilities evaluated in the study—which measures customer awareness, engagement and support for local utility climate initiatives—is 39 (on a 100-point scale).
Sustainability leadership closely tied to customer awareness of utility climate goals: All brands that rank highest on the Sustainability Index in their respective region also lead in customer awareness that their utility has a goal to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, underscoring the importance of setting clear decarbonization targets and communicating them effectively to build customer trust and confidence. Regionally, overall sustainability scores are highest among utilities in the western and southern U.S. states.
Sustainability performance and electric vehicle (EV) support linked to higher customer satisfaction: Brands with Sustainability Index scores at or above the industry average are more likely to achieve higher overall customer satisfaction scores, with 82% of these brands ranking high in satisfaction. By comparison, brands with below-average Sustainability Index scores are far less likely to achieve similarly strong satisfaction results. Additionally, utility customer support for EV and charging station purchases is associated with higher satisfaction, reinforcing the connection between visible sustainability actions and stronger customer relationships.
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Index Ranking
The Sustainability Index measures customer perceptions of sustainability for electric utilities in four geographic regions. The following utilities rank highest in their respective region:
To view the complete rank charts for each region, visit: http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2026071.
The Sustainability Index evaluates electric utility customers’ awareness, support and engagement for their local utility’s climate sustainability programs and goals. The index applies to electric utility brands that each serve 100,000 or more electric residential customers and 50,000 or more electric business customers. The 2026 index is based on responses from 75,703 business and residential electric utility customers and was fielded from May 2025 through May 2026.
For more information about the JD Power Sustainability Index, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/u-s-sustainability-index/.
About JD Power
JD Power delivers mission-critical data, analytics and intelligence that help businesses improve customer experience and operational performance with confidence and clarity. Using proprietary, comprehensive data–including millions of consumer interactions and authoritative automotive datasets–combined with advanced analytics, artificial intelligence and deep industry expertise, JD Power enables leaders to respond to market shifts, make smarter decisions and drive measurable performance improvements.
As an objective source of deep insight into real-world customer interactions with brands and products, JD Power provides the independent intelligence organizations need to anticipate change, strengthen customer engagement and advance growth. Learn more at JDPower.com.
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Contacts
Media Relations Contacts
Joe LaMuraglia, JD Power; East Coast; 714-621-6224; media.relations@jdpa.com
John Roderick; East Coast; 631-584-2200; john@jroderick.com
