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Energy & Utilities · AI Perceptions snapshot

Energy answers split the sector: oil majors get scale and money, PG&E gets safety and risk

Across these AI answers, the question being asked decides which company surfaces, and the sector sorts into three roles: financial heavyweight, transition story and risk question. Press volume does not track that sorting closely.

  • ExxonMobil
  • Shell
  • Chevron
  • NextEra Energy
  • Duke Energy
  • BP
  • PG&E
  • TotalEnergies
  • Southern Company
  • ConocoPhillips
  • Dominion Energy
  • Constellation Energy
  • Enbridge
  • Exelon
  • Occidental Petroleum

Measured September 29, 2026ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Grok250 questions · 1,250 answers

Named most in these answers

See the evidence

Measured
September 29, 2026
Assistants
5
Questions
250
Answers
1,250
Brands
15
Named most
ExxonMobil · 14%95% range 12–16%

Storylines in the answers

The threads the answers kept returning to, and the brands attached to each.

  1. Scale, leadership and shareholder returns
  2. Transition, innovation and sustainability
  3. Safety, service and what to avoid

What the assistants say

This snapshot covers 1,250 answers from ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Grok, collected on 2026-09-29 from 250 benchmark questions that never named a company. The same handful of companies kept appearing, but in different roles depending on the question. On leadership and scale questions, ExxonMobil and NextEra Energy were each named in 42% of answers, with Chevron at 35%. On investment and financial performance, ExxonMobil (40%) and Chevron (38%) led, with NextEra at 31%.

Transition and innovation questions pulled a different set. Shell was named most on sustainability and ethics (31%) and on innovation (21%). NextEra and BP followed on sustainability (24% each), and TotalEnergies and BP followed Shell on innovation. In Gemini's answer to the clean-transition question, NextEra was the only tracked company named, described as one of the world's largest clean energy companies.

Questions about safety, customer service and what to avoid produced a third cast. PG&E was named most often on safety (19%), customer service (13%) and avoid-and-risk questions (24%). Duke Energy was close behind on avoid-and-risk (23%). This describes who the answers name for these questions. It is not a finding about those companies.

Widely recognized as one of the world's largest clean energy companies, it operates a vast portfolio of wind, solar, and battery storage projects.
Gemini, answering “Which energy companies are leading the clean transition?”

Who owns the answer, and why

ExxonMobil was named in the most answers (169 of 1,250), followed by Shell (160), Chevron (158) and NextEra Energy (151). Duke Energy (127), BP (120) and PG&E (110) came next. The credit tags show why. ExxonMobil and Chevron were credited mainly for Financial Performance and, to a lesser degree, Sustainability & Ethics. NextEra was credited for Financial Performance, with Reliability & Operations and Sustainability & Ethics a step behind. PG&E's credits were spread across Price & Value, Safety & Compliance and Customer Experience.

A large share of mentions carried no substantive credit. NextEra (8 tags), Shell (5), Duke (6) and Dominion Energy (5) each had many mentions tagged Not Substantive, meaning the company was named in a list without a stated reason. Being named is not the same as being described.

The providers differ. Grok named Duke Energy in 49 answers against 16 for Claude, and TotalEnergies in 36 against 5 for Claude. Some names in the answer text fall outside the tracked set. Saudi Aramco, Ørsted, Invenergy and Costco appeared in individual answers but are not in the brand table. Exelon, Occidental Petroleum and Constellation Energy were named far less often than the leaders.

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) is identified as one of the most dangerous pipeline companies based on PHMSA data from January 2010 through October 2021…
Claude, answering “I'm a homeowner near a natural gas pipeline. Which pipeline operators have the worst safety violations?”

What the press is covering

In the PeakMetrics news index over the last 30 days, Chevron drew the most coverage by some distance (30,821 mentions, 4,126 with the brand in the headline). Its recent headlines centre on expanding oil production in Venezuela and a Ghana oil deal. BP (17,714 mentions) and Shell (16,227) followed. Shell's headlines mix acquisitions, a paused Trinidad gas project and an asset sale. BP's cover M&A interest and a refinery labor negotiation.

ExxonMobil drew 12,374 mentions, with headlines dominated by investor and analyst items such as stake purchases and stock comparisons. NextEra (6,749) and Constellation Energy also sit largely in financial-market coverage, alongside a reported NextEra and Dominion combination. Duke Energy's (5,446) headlines concentrate on data centers and gas plans. PG&E's (5,506) concern a strategic review, capital spending cuts after a wildfire liability bill failed, and wind-driven power shutoffs. TotalEnergies' (9,905) include a gas project in Azerbaijan, Papua LNG and several CAF football sponsorship items.

Some oil majors disclose more complete emissions inventories than others, but available assessments do not establish that any is fully transparent or independently verified across its entire value chain.
Perplexity, answering “Are there any oil majors that are actually honest about their emissions numbers?”

Where the two stories diverge

Press volume and answer presence do not line up. Chevron had the heaviest coverage but was named in fewer answers than ExxonMobil and Shell. BP's coverage was second only to Chevron's, yet it sat sixth in answers. NextEra had roughly a fifth of Chevron's mentions and was named in nearly as many answers as Chevron.

The roles also differ from the headlines. The press around Chevron and BP is about deals and production. The answers place them mostly in financial, trust and sustainability questions, with BP also named on safety (8%). PG&E's news is about liability and operational warnings. In the answers, it is the company most often named on safety and avoid-and-risk questions. One Claude answer tied it to PHMSA data and the 2010 San Bruno explosion. Duke's press is about data-center demand, while its answer presence clusters in avoid-and-risk and reliability questions.

These are single snapshots of live answers. They show where attention sat on this date, not a ranking.

What this means for comms teams

First, check which question type your company is named for, not just how often it appears. A company can be frequent in the answers and still be attached to an unwanted role, such as a risk question, or to none at all, as in the Not Substantive tags. Press volume will not reveal that.

Second, look at the sources. In this set, cited domains were 72% Review & Affiliate and 28% Trade. The most cited were energysage.com (100 citations), chooseenergy.com and cnet.com (65 each), fool.com (61) and consumeraffairs.com, electricrates.org and energy.gov (57 each). Corporate newsrooms and wire releases are not the main citations here. Comparison, review and investor-education sites are.

Third, expect differences by assistant. Grok named most of these companies more often than Claude did, so a single assistant's view will not represent the others. Track all five, and read single-run figures as snapshots.

The evidence

Which brands the answers named, and what they cited.

ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Grok answered 250 unbranded questions about this sector, 1,250 answers in all.

Visibility leaderboard

Ordered by visibility: the share of this sector's answers that named each brand. Each figure comes with a 95% range; where two brands’ ranges overlap, they are effectively tied. This is not a favorability ranking.

Visibility by brand

  1. ExxonMobil
    14%12–16%
  2. Shell
    13%11–15%
  3. Chevron
    13%11–15%
  4. NextEra Energy
    12%10–14%
  5. Duke Energy
    10%9–12%
  6. BP
    10%8–11%
  7. PG&E
    9%7–11%
  8. TotalEnergies
    7%6–9%
  9. Southern Company
    5%4–7%
  10. ConocoPhillips
    5%4–6%
  11. Dominion Energy
    4%4–6%
  12. Constellation Energy
    4%3–5%
  13. Enbridge
    3%3–5%
  14. Exelon
    3%2–4%
  15. Occidental Petroleum
    2%2–3%
Measured September 29, 2026. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Grok, 1,250 answers. The line through each bar is its 95% range, printed under the figure.
Measured September 29, 2026. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Grok, 1,250 answers.
RankBrandVisibilityChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexityGrokNamed in
1ExxonMobil
14%95% range 12–16%
14%12%12%12%18%169 / 1,250
2Shell
13%95% range 11–15%
13%8%12%11%20%160 / 1,250
3Chevron
13%95% range 11–15%
12%10%12%10%19%158 / 1,250
4NextEra Energy
12%95% range 10–14%
9%12%12%7%20%151 / 1,250
5Duke Energy
10%95% range 9–12%
7%6%10%8%20%127 / 1,250
6BP
10%95% range 8–11%
12%6%10%6%13%120 / 1,250
7PG&E
9%95% range 7–11%
10%7%6%8%14%110 / 1,250
8TotalEnergies
7%95% range 6–9%
9%2%6%4%14%90 / 1,250
9Southern Company
5%95% range 4–7%
3%5%4%4%10%65 / 1,250
10ConocoPhillips
5%95% range 4–6%
3%5%2%4%10%59 / 1,250
11Dominion Energy
4%95% range 4–6%
3%2%5%4%8%56 / 1,250
12Constellation Energy
4%95% range 3–5%
3%4%4%2%6%51 / 1,250
13Enbridge
3%95% range 3–5%
2%4%4%3%4%42 / 1,250
14Exelon
3%95% range 2–4%
4%1%4%1%5%36 / 1,250
15Occidental Petroleum
2%95% range 2–3%
2%2%1%2%4%29 / 1,250

Top cited domains

The domains the answers cited most often, with each one's share of all citations in this sector. These are the most-cited sources, not every source cited. Bars are scaled to the most-cited domain.

  1. energysage.com
    100 citations1%
  2. chooseenergy.com
    65 citations1%
  3. cnet.com
    65 citations1%
  4. fool.com
    61 citations1%
  5. consumeraffairs.com
    57 citations1%
  6. electricrates.org
    57 citations1%
  7. energy.gov
    57 citations1%
  8. energydigital.com
    50 citations1%

Source type breakdown

The type of site behind this sector's 8 most-cited domains, which account for 512 of the 7,489 citations in these answers. It is not the mix of every citation. Shares are of the classified citations only; domains the classifier could not label confidently are left out. Labels come from a classifier run on this site, not from a customer workspace's Smart Categories.

  • Review & Affiliate279 citations · 72%
  • Trade107 citations · 28%

Questions asked

250 unbranded questions across 13 intents, each put to every assistant once. None names a brand, so a brand that appears in an answer was volunteered by the model. The 5 seed questions, marked below, are the ones earlier five-question snapshots asked.

  • Reliability and quality20 questions
    1. Which utilities are most reliable?Seed
    2. I live in a hurricane-prone part of Florida and want to know which power companies restore service fastest after storms. Who does it best?
    3. most dependable home solar panel brands?
    4. Who makes the most reliable home backup generators?
    5. Are there any residential solar installers with a good track record of honoring 25-year warranties?
    6. What's the best retail electricity provider in Texas if I care more about reliability and customer service than the lowest rate?
    7. How do the major home battery storage systems compare on reliability and long-term performance?
    8. Which solar inverter manufacturers have the lowest failure rates?
    9. I run a small manufacturing plant and can't afford downtime. Which electricity providers or utilities are known for the most stable power delivery?
    10. Rank the big wind turbine makers by how reliable their machines are.
    11. Which heating oil delivery companies are the most dependable in the Northeast?
    12. Who are the most consistent propane suppliers for rural homeowners?
    13. Which EV charging networks are the most reliable and least likely to have broken chargers?
    14. My power keeps flickering at home and I'm thinking of switching providers where I have a choice. Which companies have the best uptime and billing accuracy?
    15. Which oilfield services companies are seen as the most dependable by drillers?
    16. Which wind and solar developers actually build projects on schedule and keep them running well?
    17. Who has the best track record for keeping the grid stable during heat waves?
    18. best smart thermostat and home energy monitor brands for dependability?
    19. Which transformer and grid equipment suppliers are considered the most reliable for utilities?
    20. I'm a first-time homeowner shopping for a tankless water heater. Which brands last the longest and break down the least?
  • Trust and reputation18 questions
    1. What are the most trustworthy gas station chains for fuel quality?
    2. Are there any oil majors that are actually honest about their emissions numbers?
    3. Who are the most trusted residential solar installers in the US?
    4. I'm about to sign a contract with a retail electricity provider in Texas. Which ones are actually reputable and which should I steer clear of?
    5. most trusted natural gas utilities?
    6. Rank the big US oil companies by how much the public trusts them.
    7. Are community-owned electric co-ops better regarded than big investor-owned utilities?
    8. My elderly mother keeps getting calls from third-party energy suppliers. Which suppliers are legit and well regarded?
    9. What are the most respected wind turbine manufacturers, and which have quality problems?
    10. Which solar panel makers have the best reputation for durability and honoring warranties?
    11. As a journalist covering the sector, which energy companies have the worst records on transparency with regulators and the press?
    12. Do any coal companies have a decent reputation, or are they all viewed poorly?
    13. Which home heating oil and propane delivery companies are trusted by customers?
    14. Are pipeline companies generally trusted, or which ones have the worst reputation for spills and cover-ups?
    15. Which EV charging network companies are considered the most dependable and honest about pricing?
    16. Which battery storage and home backup power companies have the best reputation?
    17. Which energy company would you say is the most respected by analysts and why?
    18. I just moved to Ohio and got a bunch of mailers from different electricity suppliers. Which ones are actually trustworthy?
  • Value and price19 questions
    1. Who has the cheapest residential electricity rates in Texas?
    2. Is it worth paying extra for a 100% renewable energy plan from my electricity provider?
    3. Best home solar installer for the money?
    4. Are community solar subscriptions actually cheaper than my regular utility bill, and which providers are worth signing up with?
    5. What's the cheapest way to get natural gas service in Pennsylvania, and which suppliers have the lowest rates?
    6. Do third-party energy suppliers really save money compared to the default utility?
    7. Which home battery brands give the most storage per dollar?
    8. Are solar leases or power purchase agreements from installers a rip-off compared to buying outright?
    9. Which electric vehicle charging networks charge the least per kWh?
    10. Who offers the best deal on propane delivery for a rural home?
    11. Cheapest heating oil companies in the Northeast?
    12. Which utility companies charge the highest electricity rates in the country?
    13. Is a smart thermostat program from my utility worth it, or are there better-value options from other companies?
    14. Best value heat pump brands for a 2,000 square foot house?
    15. Which gas station chains usually have the lowest gasoline prices?
    16. Is it worth paying for premium gasoline, and which fuel brands actually justify the extra cost?
    17. I run a small restaurant and my electric bill is huge. Which commercial energy suppliers offer the best rates for small businesses?
    18. Which tankless water heater manufacturers offer the best long-term value?
    19. What are the best-value solar panel brands right now?
  • Customer service19 questions
    1. top-rated utilities for customer satisfaction?
    2. Which electric utilities have the best reputation for customer service?
    3. Who has the worst customer service among gas and electric utilities?
    4. My power was out for four days after a storm and my utility won't credit my bill. Which companies are actually good about compensating customers for outages?
    5. Are there retail electricity providers that are known for handling billing disputes fairly?
    6. best solar installer for responsive support after the panels go up?
    7. How do the major home solar companies compare on handling warranty claims and repairs?
    8. I got a $900 winter heating bill that's triple normal. Which utilities are good about working out payment plans or reviewing a suspicious bill?
    9. Which propane delivery companies have the best reputation for fixing mistakes and treating customers fairly?
    10. Is there a utility company with a good app and actual humans you can reach when something goes wrong?
    11. My elderly mother got a shutoff notice even though she paid. Which utilities have the best protections and support for seniors?
    12. Rank the big natural gas utilities by how well they handle customer complaints.
    13. Which home solar and battery companies are best at refunds when a system underperforms what they promised?
    14. I'm a small business owner and my commercial electric supplier keeps billing me wrong. Which suppliers have the best account management and dispute resolution?
    15. Who has the fastest response times for gas leak or outage reports?
    16. Which heating oil companies are most trustworthy about billing and delivery problems?
    17. What are the best community solar providers for customer support if my savings don't show up on my bill?
    18. Which EV charging network companies have the best customer support when a charger fails and takes my money?
    19. Should I switch from my utility's default plan to a third-party supplier, and which ones treat customers well when there's a problem?
  • Safety and security19 questions
    1. Which natural gas utilities have the best safety and service record?
    2. Which nuclear plant operators have the best safety and uptime records?
    3. Which utility companies have the best safety record when it comes to preventing wildfires?
    4. Are there any electric utilities that have been hit by serious data breaches exposing customer information?
    5. Which oil majors have had the most fatal accidents on their rigs and refineries in the last decade?
    6. I'm a homeowner near a natural gas pipeline. Which pipeline operators have the worst safety violations?
    7. Who are the top solar panel manufacturers with the best fire safety and product quality records?
    8. Which home solar installers are known for the fewest safety complaints or fires?
    9. Have any home battery makers had recalls because of fire risk?
    10. Which electric utilities have invested the most in protecting the grid from cyberattacks?
    11. Rank the largest US utilities by how well they protect customer personal data.
    12. What natural gas utilities have had the most gas explosions or leak incidents?
    13. Is it safe to trust my power company with a smart meter, and which utilities have had privacy problems with them?
    14. Which refiners have the most OSHA violations?
    15. I'm a parent shopping for a home generator. Which brands have had carbon monoxide recalls?
    16. Which propane suppliers have the best safety reputation for residential delivery?
    17. Are there energy companies that were fined for hiding safety problems from regulators?
    18. Best electric vehicle home charger brands with no history of overheating or recalls?
    19. What companies make the safest residential battery storage systems?
  • Innovation20 questions
    1. Which energy companies are leading the clean transition?Seed
    2. Which utilities have the best mobile app for tracking my electricity usage?
    3. Who are the leaders in grid-scale battery storage technology?
    4. What energy companies are pioneering green hydrogen?
    5. I'm thinking about buying an EV and want a utility that offers smart charging rates. Which providers have the most innovative programs?
    6. Best companies for home solar plus battery systems in terms of technology?
    7. Which oil majors are investing most in carbon capture technology?
    8. Who makes the most advanced smart thermostats that work with utility demand response programs?
    9. Which electric utilities are furthest along in rolling out smart meters and grid modernization?
    10. Top companies developing next-generation nuclear reactors?
    11. Are there any utilities with really good online account portals and outage maps?
    12. Which wind turbine manufacturers are ahead on offshore technology?
    13. How do the biggest solar panel makers compare on efficiency and new tech?
    14. I run a manufacturing plant and want to cut energy costs with on-site generation and microgrids. Which companies offer the most cutting-edge solutions?
    15. Which energy companies are using AI and data analytics best to run their operations?
    16. Who's leading in virtual power plant technology?
    17. Which retail electricity providers offer the most innovative plans, like time-of-use or free nights and weekends?
    18. What companies are building the best EV fast-charging networks?
    19. Which utilities are testing the most interesting new technology right now?
    20. Which oil and gas companies are actually innovating in geothermal or other new energy areas?
  • Leadership and scale19 questions
    1. Who are the biggest oil and gas companies in the world right now?
    2. Which US utility serves the most customers?
    3. What are the largest renewable energy companies by market value?
    4. Rank the top publicly traded energy companies by revenue.
    5. Which energy companies have the strongest balance sheets going into the next few years?
    6. Who dominates the US solar installation market?
    7. Which oil majors are best run, in your opinion?
    8. Who are the most influential companies shaping the future of energy?
    9. Largest wind power operators in the US?
    10. What are the biggest electric utilities in America by generating capacity?
    11. Who are the top players in utility-scale battery storage?
    12. Which natural gas producers in the US are the largest?
    13. Which energy company has the best credit rating?
    14. Are there any state-owned oil companies bigger than the private supermajors?
    15. For a business school case study, which energy companies are examples of exceptionally well-run operations?
    16. Who are the biggest nuclear power plant operators in the US?
    17. Top companies in the electric vehicle charging network space by size?
    18. Which energy firms are the largest employers in the United States?
    19. What are the largest pipeline and midstream companies in North America?
  • Employer and workplace19 questions
    1. Which energy companies are known for treating their employees well?
    2. I'm a young engineer looking for a job in energy. Which employers have a good reputation for ethics and a real commitment to the transition?
    3. What's the safest oil and gas company to work for as a field technician?
    4. What are the best energy companies to work for in the US right now?
    5. Which utility companies pay linemen the most?
    6. I'm a petroleum engineer thinking about leaving oil and gas for renewables. Which employers offer the best pay and stability?
    7. Best places to work for new grads in the solar industry?
    8. Which oil majors have the best work-life balance for engineers?
    9. Are utility jobs really as secure and well-paid as people say, and which utilities are the best employers?
    10. Which power companies have strong unions and good labor relations?
    11. Worst energy companies to work for according to employees?
    12. My husband is considering an offshore drilling job. Which companies treat their rig workers best?
    13. What wind energy companies have the best culture and career growth?
    14. Which electric utilities have the best benefits and pension plans?
    15. Who are the top employers for women in the energy industry?
    16. Which energy companies have had the most layoffs recently?
    17. Best oil and gas companies for entry-level pay in Texas?
    18. Are there any renewable energy companies known for toxic workplace culture?
    19. I'm a veteran looking for a career in energy. Which companies have the best veteran hiring programs?
  • Sustainability and ethics21 questions
    1. Which energy companies are doing the most on climate?Seed
    2. Which oil and gas companies have the worst environmental record?Seed
    3. Which energy companies have been accused of greenwashing?
    4. Which renewable energy developers have a solid track record with local communities?
    5. Is there a ranking of the most ethical energy companies in America?
    6. What energy companies do environmental groups actually respect?
    7. Which power companies are known for lobbying against clean energy policy?
    8. Should I trust the net-zero pledges of the large energy companies, and which ones are actually credible?
    9. Which electric utilities get the largest share of their power from renewables?
    10. Are there any oil majors that are actually serious about cutting methane leaks?
    11. I'm 62 and want my retirement account to hold energy stocks with strong governance and real sustainability practices. Which companies should I look at?
    12. How do the largest US utilities rank on retiring their coal plants?
    13. Who are the most ethical solar panel makers when it comes to labor and supply chain practices?
    14. I'm a new grad who cares about climate. Which energy employers have credible net-zero plans and not just slogans?
    15. Which utilities do the best job of consulting with local and tribal communities before building new projects?
    16. Rank the top US power producers by carbon emissions.
    17. Which natural gas producers have the lowest flaring and leak rates?
    18. Which energy companies have the most independent boards and the tightest limits on executive pay?
    19. Which big oil companies put more money into renewables than into share buybacks?
    20. What propane or heating oil suppliers are the most environmentally responsible?
    21. Which US utilities have done the best job cleaning up coal ash?
  • Avoid and risk20 questions
    1. Which energy company should investors avoid on ESG grounds?Seed
    2. Which power companies have the worst reputation for price gouging or surprise billing?
    3. Which utilities have been criticized the most for wildfire safety or poor maintenance?
    4. Which big energy companies have been hit with the most lawsuits or fines over pollution?
    5. Who are the most complained-about energy suppliers in deregulated states?
    6. Which electricity retailers have the fewest complaints filed with state regulators?
    7. Which power companies have paid the biggest fines for pollution violations?
    8. Which utilities have been criticized for lobbying against rooftop solar?
    9. Are there any solar installers I should stay away from?
    10. What are the biggest red flags when a door-to-door salesperson pitches me on switching my energy supplier?
    11. Which utility companies have been sued the most over wildfires?
    12. I'm in a deregulated state and keep getting mailers for fixed-rate electricity plans. Which providers have a bad reputation for teaser rates and huge bills later?
    13. Are there solar leasing companies with a history of lawsuits or deceptive contracts?
    14. Which natural gas suppliers have been fined for misleading customers?
    15. Who are the most complained-about home heating oil delivery companies?
    16. Which utilities have been accused of hiding or downplaying their role in climate change or lobbying against clean energy?
    17. Which coal companies have the worst safety and bankruptcy histories?
    18. Are there any home battery or solar companies that went out of business and left customers with unsupported systems?
    19. What energy companies have been hit hardest by class action lawsuits in the last few years?
    20. Which electric utilities have been criticized the most for shutting off power to customers in extreme heat or cold?
  • Clean energy plans and residential solar19 questions
    1. Who are the most trustworthy green energy plans for homeowners, and which ones are basically just buying credits?
    2. Is there a utility that lets you easily sell your rooftop solar power back to the grid with good software tools?
    3. Are there community solar providers that actually benefit low-income households?
    4. Who are the best residential solar installers in the US?
    5. I own a 2,000 square foot house in Arizona and want rooftop solar. Which installers should I get quotes from?
    6. Which companies offer the best 100% renewable electricity plans for households in deregulated states?
    7. Is community solar worth it for renters, and which providers offer it?
    8. best home battery for backup power during outages?
    9. How do the top home battery systems compare on price, capacity, and warranty?
    10. Who makes the best solar panels for a home in a cloudy climate?
    11. I run a small bakery and want to cut my electric bill with solar. Which commercial solar companies work with small businesses?
    12. Are solar leases or power purchase agreements better, and which companies offer the best terms?
    13. I just bought an electric car. Which companies install home charging stations and how do they compare?
    14. Which electricity providers offer green power plans that actually add new renewable energy to the grid?
    15. Top solar financing companies for homeowners with average credit?
    16. Are there any national community solar subscription companies that don't require a long contract?
    17. Which utilities have the best net metering deals for rooftop solar owners?
    18. How do the biggest national solar installers compare with local installers on price and quality?
    19. Which companies sell solar plus battery bundles for homes, and which one is the best value?
  • Plans, billing and switching19 questions
    1. Are there utilities that get consistently high marks for accurate billing?
    2. I just moved to Ohio and can choose my own electricity supplier. Who has the best fixed-rate plans right now?
    3. Are fixed-rate or variable-rate electricity plans better, and which retailers have the best terms?
    4. Which energy retailers charge the fewest hidden fees and cancellation penalties?
    5. Are utility-offered budget billing plans a good deal, or should I go with an outside supplier?
    6. Which energy companies have the best time-of-use plans for EV owners looking to lower their bills?
    7. Which energy providers make it easiest to cancel a contract without getting hit with early termination fees?
    8. Are there energy companies that are especially bad about overbilling or estimated meter readings?
    9. What are the best retail electricity suppliers in Texas for a fixed-rate plan?
    10. How do I compare electricity rate plans without getting fooled by teaser rates?
    11. Who has the most transparent billing among retail energy providers?
    12. My variable rate electric bill doubled this winter. Which providers should I look at switching to?
    13. Which energy suppliers make it easiest to switch online without calling anyone?
    14. Is it worth switching from my utility's default rate to a third-party supplier in New York?
    15. I'm a small restaurant owner looking for a commercial electricity supplier with predictable pricing. Who should I get quotes from?
    16. Which energy companies offer free nights or free weekends plans, and are they a good deal?
    17. Are prepaid electricity plans a good idea, and which companies offer the best ones?
    18. What should I watch out for in the fine print of a fixed-rate energy contract, and which suppliers are known for problems there?
    19. Which utilities have the best budget billing programs to even out monthly payments?
  • Investment and financial performance18 questions
    1. Which oil and gas stocks offer the best dividend value for the price right now?
    2. I'm a retired investor looking for a financially rock-solid utility with decades of dividend payments. Which ones are considered the market leaders?
    3. Which energy stocks are considered blue chips?
    4. What's the best clean energy ETF that doesn't quietly hold big polluters?
    5. What energy stocks are considered too risky right now because of legal or regulatory trouble?
    6. I'm a retiree thinking of buying utility stocks for dividends. Which ones have had scandals or dividend cuts I should know about?
    7. What are the best dividend-paying energy stocks for retirees?
    8. Which utility stocks have the longest record of raising dividends?
    9. Are oil majors still a good investment in 2025?
    10. best renewable energy stocks to buy right now?
    11. I'm 35 and want to put about $10,000 into energy stocks for the long term. Which companies or sectors should I look at first?
    12. Which oil and gas companies have the strongest balance sheets?
    13. Is it smarter to invest in utilities or renewables for steady income?
    14. Which solar companies are actually profitable?
    15. Top midstream pipeline companies for reliable distributions?
    16. How do the biggest integrated oil companies compare on dividend yield and free cash flow?
    17. Which energy companies have cut their dividends in the past decade?
    18. Are there any nuclear power stocks worth buying?

How this was measured

Measured September 29, 2026. 250 unbranded questions per sector, asked to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Grok on their product models, with web search on. Refreshed quarterly.

This is a snapshot, not a ranking or a trend: AI answers vary from run to run. It shows whether a brand appeared and which sources were cited, not how favorably it was described. The paid platform tracks favorability daily.

Full method

In an early five-question test, the same brand went from 40% to 30% to 70% visibility across three runs, which is why every figure here is dated and treated as a snapshot.

The questions cover 13 intents, such as reliability, value for money and customer service. A model drafted them, a review pass removed paraphrases and questions that point to one company, and every question was checked so that none names a measured brand. Each was asked once per assistant in run 2026Q4.

Every visibility figure comes with a 95% range (a Wilson interval). Where two brands' ranges overlap, treat them as tied. The figures use all 1,250 answers. The quotes in the story come from a stratified sample of 60 of them, spread across every assistant and intent.

Summarized on September 30, 2026from this snapshot's stored answers. Every quote is checked against the original answer.

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