2026 PUF Top Innovators Awards
Celebrate Excellence in
Energy Innovation
Presented by Public Utilities Fortnightly (PUF), these awards showcase the organizations and leaders advancing practical, high-impact solutions across the utility industry.
New for 2026
The live audience will participate in a real-time vote for one of the category winners to crown the ultimate "Top Innovator of the Year."
Save The Date
Late October 2026
Washington, D.C.
Be the first to know when details are finalized.
Leave your email below and we'll notify you the moment the exact venue, date, and dinner registration opens.
Value Proposition
Why Nominate?
Winning a PUF Award provides unparalleled industry recognition, distinguishing your project or team as a vanguard of the clean energy transition.
Ceremony Recognition
On-stage recognition at the exclusive 2026 Awards Gala.
Media Spotlight
Highlighted in official press releases and in Public Utilities Fortnightly publications.
Digital Placement
Permanent feature on the PUF website's Hall of Fame and featured case studies.
Networking
Exclusive opportunities for further promotion and spotlighting throughout the year with industry leaders.
Past Winners Hall of Fame
Explore the groundbreaking projects and visionary leaders who have previously taken home a Top Innovator award.
View the Hall of FameAward Categories
Where Innovation Meets Impact
Our streamlined framework features five core categories, each anchored by a pioneering historical figure whose legacy reflects the spirit of the award.
Leadership in Innovation
George Westinghouse Award
Honoring executive leaders driving bold corporate strategy and enterprise-wide transformation.
View CriteriaGrid Infrastructure, Safety & Resilience
Edith Clarke Award
Recognizing infrastructure expansion, grid-hardening, safety, and operational resilience.
View CriteriaAI, Digital Grid & Cyber Defense
Nikola Tesla Award
Celebrating AI, predictive analytics, and proactive cyber defense software solutions.
View CriteriaWater, Hydropower & Resource Stewardship
Nora Stanton Barney Award
Showcasing achievements across hydroelectric power, municipal water utilities, and the water-energy nexus.
View CriteriaClean Baseload, Gas Generation & Load Shaping
Lise Meitner Award
Highlighting advanced baseload power innovation and smart load shaping solutions.
View CriteriaLeadership in Innovation
George Westinghouse Award
George Westinghouse championed alternating current and transformed the global energy landscape through bold corporate strategy.
This award honors an executive leader or enterprise initiative that demonstrates visionary corporate strategy, culture change, and organizational transformation across the utility sector.
Eligible initiatives may include:
-
Enterprise-wide utility modernization strategies and organizational transformations.
-
Multi-operating-company innovation programs and cross-departmental alignment.
-
Bold regulatory or business-model innovation that unlocks new customer or grid value.
-
Executive-led change management frameworks accelerating technology adoption.
Evaluation Focus: Nominees should clearly demonstrate visionary leadership, organizational transformation, and measurable business or cultural impact. Both individual executive and enterprise/consortium nominations will be evaluated based on demonstrated outcomes, leadership influence, and collaborative impact.
Grid Infrastructure, Safety & Resilience
Edith Clarke Award
Edith Clarke pioneered mathematical grid modeling and laid the foundation for modern power systems.
This award recognizes physical infrastructure, transmission/distribution expansion, grid-hardening, DER integration, operational safety, and field workforce protection that strengthen power system reliability and worker safety.
Eligible initiatives may include:
-
Advanced conductor deployments, DLR, and capacity expansion technologies.
-
Substation modernization, undergrounding, and physical grid-hardening programs.
-
Utility-scale VPPs, energy storage deployment, and automated DER orchestration.
-
AI-driven vegetation management, satellite/drone hazard ID, and wildfire mitigation.
-
Advanced gas pipeline safety, leak detection, and pressure monitoring technologies.
-
Wearable worker safety technology, robotics, and high-voltage protection systems.
Evaluation Focus: Nominees should demonstrate technical novelty, measurable reliability/resilience/safety gains, and clear potential for replication across grid operations and field workforce practices.
AI, Digital Grid & Cyber Defense
Nikola Tesla Award
Nikola Tesla's revolutionary architectures laid the groundwork for the modern grid.
This award honors deep-tech software, machine learning applications, predictive analytics, and pioneering cybersecurity architectures that protect critical utility infrastructure and transform decision-making from reactive to proactive.
Eligible initiatives may include:
-
AI-driven wildfire, storm, and extreme-weather early-warning intelligence.
-
Computer vision and satellite/drone analytics for automated asset inspection.
-
Predictive maintenance platforms for transformers, feeders, and heavy assets.
-
Zero-trust security frameworks implemented across utility SCADA and OT environments.
-
Automated cyber threat detection, monitoring, and incident response platforms.
-
Secure supply-chain and device-authentication protocols for smart grid assets.
Evaluation Focus: Nominees should demonstrate technological boldness, predictive accuracy, and actionable operational integration into existing utility workflows.
Water, Hydropower & Resource Stewardship
Nora Stanton Barney Award
Nora Stanton Barney, one of the first U.S. women to earn a civil engineering degree, shaped modern municipal water and aqueduct infrastructure.
This award celebrates innovations across hydroelectric power generation, municipal water utilities, dam/aqueduct modernization, and the Water-Energy nexus.
Eligible initiatives may include:
-
Hydroelectric asset modernization, pumped-storage expansion, and turbine efficiency upgrades.
-
Advanced leak-detection, AMI software, and smart municipal water delivery platforms.
-
Environmental remediation, water-quality chemistry, and watershed protection initiatives.
-
Hydro-flow predictive analytics and generation dispatch algorithms.
Evaluation Focus: Nominees should demonstrate resource efficiency, hydraulic or environmental performance improvements, and sustainable infrastructure stewardship.
Clean Baseload, Gas Generation & Load Shaping
Lise Meitner Award
Lise Meitner co-discovered nuclear fission, paving the way for continuous, carbon-free baseload power.
This award honors advancements in baseload power innovation (Nuclear, Advanced Gas, Geothermal, Hydrogen) OR consumer software (TOU, Demand Response, EE) that shapes load to match clean generation.
Eligible initiatives may include:
-
Advanced nuclear (SMR/fission), engineered geothermal, and high-efficiency thermal generation.
-
Gas utility decarbonization, hydrogen blending, and carbon capture (CCUS) projects.
-
Time-of-Use (TOU) pricing engines, behavioral energy efficiency, and load-shaping platforms.
-
EV managed charging and residential automated demand response programs.
Evaluation Focus: Nominees should demonstrate clear carbon-abatement impact, continuous baseload availability, or measurable customer demand-flexibility outcomes.
Who Should Apply?
Eligibility & Requirements
Nominations are welcome from anyone who has played a pivotal role in driving forward solutions that contribute to a carbon-free energy system. We encourage all utilities and industry partners to showcase their transformative efforts.
-
Target Nominees
PUF Top Innovators Award nominees may include individuals, individual companies, or multi-stakeholder consortia collaborating to advance shared industry outcomes:
- Utilities & System Operators: Investor-owned utilities (IOUs), public power authorities, municipal utilities, electric cooperatives, transmission operators, and gas distribution utilities.
- Technology Pioneers & Startups: Technology providers, software platforms, hardware manufacturers, and venture-backed energy startups (including EIP portfolio companies).
- Consortia & Partnerships: Collaborative initiatives involving utilities, technology vendors, research institutions, engineering firms, regulators, or community stakeholders.
- Individual Leaders: CEOs, CTOs, CISOs, Chief Engineers, and program directors whose vision and leadership drive transformational change.
-
Timeframe
We are looking for projects and initiatives active within the last 18 months.
-
Award Acceptance Requirement
An executive representative from the winning company or the individual awardee must be present to accept the award at the ceremony. For global nominees, a U.S.-based representative may accept the award on behalf of the organization or individual.
How to Apply
The Nomination Process
Submitting a nomination is straightforward. Nominations are open now and can be submitted directly via our secure online form.
1. Prepare Your Materials
Gather data on how your nominee demonstrated innovation, how the project can be replicated, current status, and challenges overcome.
2. Complete the Online Form
Access the form via this landing page. You'll answer qualitative questions mapped directly to our judging criteria. The form must be completed in a single session, so we recommend preparing your materials in advance.
3. Submit & Review
Submit your completed application before the final deadline. We will notify you if you are selected as a finalist, but ultimate winners will not be revealed until the night of the Gala.
The Winning Factors
Selection Process & Criteria
Nominations are evaluated using four core criteria to ensure a fair and rigorous evaluation process, recognizing that impact looks different across categories.
Business Impact & ROI
Quantifiable results demonstrating real-world value (e.g., cost savings, capacity added, uptime improved, emissions reduced, or safety incidents prevented).
Evaluation Focus
Technological Boldness
The degree to which the initiative represents a novel, forward-looking, or paradigm-shifting approach over standard incremental improvements.
Evaluation Focus
Scalability & Viability
The degree to which the model, technology, or framework can be easily adapted, replicated, or scaled across other utilities, regions, or markets.
Evaluation Focus
Category Alignment
Direct alignment with the category's specific strategic focus and the spirit of its historical figure anchor.
Evaluation Focus
The Judging Panel
The panel of judges is composed of selected energy executive leaders, technical subject matter experts, and Public Utilities Fortnightly editorial leadership to ensure a fair, impartial, and consistent evaluation process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about the nomination process? Find answers below or contact our team.
Ready to highlight industry excellence?
Nominations are currently open. Review the categories and submit your project to showcase your organization's achievements in Washington, D.C. this October.
Start Your NominationNeed technical help? Contact awards@fortnightly.com
2026 PUF Top Innovators Awards
Celebrate Excellence in
Energy Innovation
Presented by Public Utilities Fortnightly (PUF), these awards showcase the organizations and leaders advancing practical, high-impact solutions across the utility industry.
New for 2026
The live audience will participate in a real-time vote for one of the category winners to crown the ultimate "Top Innovator of the Year."
Save The Date
Late October 2026
Washington, D.C.
Be the first to know when details are finalized.
Leave your email below and we'll notify you the moment the exact venue, date, and dinner registration opens.
Value Proposition
Why Nominate?
Winning a PUF Award provides unparalleled industry recognition, distinguishing your project or team as a vanguard of the clean energy transition.
Ceremony Recognition
On-stage recognition at the exclusive 2026 Awards Gala.
Media Spotlight
Highlighted in official press releases and in Public Utilities Fortnightly publications.
Digital Placement
Permanent feature on the PUF website's Hall of Fame and featured case studies.
Networking
Exclusive opportunities for further promotion and spotlighting throughout the year with industry leaders.
Past Winners Hall of Fame
Explore the groundbreaking projects and visionary leaders who have previously taken home a Top Innovator award.
View the Hall of FameAward Categories
Where Innovation Meets Impact
Our streamlined framework features five core categories, each anchored by a pioneering historical figure whose legacy reflects the spirit of the award.
Leadership in Innovation
George Westinghouse Award
Honoring executive leaders driving bold corporate strategy and enterprise-wide transformation.
View CriteriaGrid Infrastructure, Safety & Resilience
Edith Clarke Award
Recognizing infrastructure expansion, grid-hardening, safety, and operational resilience.
View CriteriaAI, Digital Grid & Cyber Defense
Nikola Tesla Award
Celebrating AI, predictive analytics, and proactive cyber defense software solutions.
View CriteriaWater, Hydropower & Resource Stewardship
Nora Stanton Barney Award
Showcasing achievements across hydroelectric power, municipal water utilities, and the water-energy nexus.
View CriteriaClean Baseload, Gas Generation & Load Shaping
Lise Meitner Award
Highlighting advanced baseload power innovation and smart load shaping solutions.
View CriteriaLeadership in Innovation
George Westinghouse Award
George Westinghouse championed alternating current and transformed the global energy landscape through bold corporate strategy.
This award honors an executive leader or enterprise initiative that demonstrates visionary corporate strategy, culture change, and organizational transformation across the utility sector.
Eligible initiatives may include:
-
Enterprise-wide utility modernization strategies and organizational transformations.
-
Multi-operating-company innovation programs and cross-departmental alignment.
-
Bold regulatory or business-model innovation that unlocks new customer or grid value.
-
Executive-led change management frameworks accelerating technology adoption.
Evaluation Focus: Nominees should clearly demonstrate visionary leadership, organizational transformation, and measurable business or cultural impact. Both individual executive and enterprise/consortium nominations will be evaluated based on demonstrated outcomes, leadership influence, and collaborative impact.
Grid Infrastructure, Safety & Resilience
Edith Clarke Award
Edith Clarke pioneered mathematical grid modeling and laid the foundation for modern power systems.
This award recognizes physical infrastructure, transmission/distribution expansion, grid-hardening, DER integration, operational safety, and field workforce protection that strengthen power system reliability and worker safety.
Eligible initiatives may include:
-
Advanced conductor deployments, DLR, and capacity expansion technologies.
-
Substation modernization, undergrounding, and physical grid-hardening programs.
-
Utility-scale VPPs, energy storage deployment, and automated DER orchestration.
-
AI-driven vegetation management, satellite/drone hazard ID, and wildfire mitigation.
-
Advanced gas pipeline safety, leak detection, and pressure monitoring technologies.
-
Wearable worker safety technology, robotics, and high-voltage protection systems.
Evaluation Focus: Nominees should demonstrate technical novelty, measurable reliability/resilience/safety gains, and clear potential for replication across grid operations and field workforce practices.
AI, Digital Grid & Cyber Defense
Nikola Tesla Award
Nikola Tesla's revolutionary architectures laid the groundwork for the modern grid.
This award honors deep-tech software, machine learning applications, predictive analytics, and pioneering cybersecurity architectures that protect critical utility infrastructure and transform decision-making from reactive to proactive.
Eligible initiatives may include:
-
AI-driven wildfire, storm, and extreme-weather early-warning intelligence.
-
Computer vision and satellite/drone analytics for automated asset inspection.
-
Predictive maintenance platforms for transformers, feeders, and heavy assets.
-
Zero-trust security frameworks implemented across utility SCADA and OT environments.
-
Automated cyber threat detection, monitoring, and incident response platforms.
-
Secure supply-chain and device-authentication protocols for smart grid assets.
Evaluation Focus: Nominees should demonstrate technological boldness, predictive accuracy, and actionable operational integration into existing utility workflows.
Water, Hydropower & Resource Stewardship
Nora Stanton Barney Award
Nora Stanton Barney, one of the first U.S. women to earn a civil engineering degree, shaped modern municipal water and aqueduct infrastructure.
This award celebrates innovations across hydroelectric power generation, municipal water utilities, dam/aqueduct modernization, and the Water-Energy nexus.
Eligible initiatives may include:
-
Hydroelectric asset modernization, pumped-storage expansion, and turbine efficiency upgrades.
-
Advanced leak-detection, AMI software, and smart municipal water delivery platforms.
-
Environmental remediation, water-quality chemistry, and watershed protection initiatives.
-
Hydro-flow predictive analytics and generation dispatch algorithms.
Evaluation Focus: Nominees should demonstrate resource efficiency, hydraulic or environmental performance improvements, and sustainable infrastructure stewardship.
Clean Baseload, Gas Generation & Load Shaping
Lise Meitner Award
Lise Meitner co-discovered nuclear fission, paving the way for continuous, carbon-free baseload power.
This award honors advancements in baseload power innovation (Nuclear, Advanced Gas, Geothermal, Hydrogen) OR consumer software (TOU, Demand Response, EE) that shapes load to match clean generation.
Eligible initiatives may include:
-
Advanced nuclear (SMR/fission), engineered geothermal, and high-efficiency thermal generation.
-
Gas utility decarbonization, hydrogen blending, and carbon capture (CCUS) projects.
-
Time-of-Use (TOU) pricing engines, behavioral energy efficiency, and load-shaping platforms.
-
EV managed charging and residential automated demand response programs.
Evaluation Focus: Nominees should demonstrate clear carbon-abatement impact, continuous baseload availability, or measurable customer demand-flexibility outcomes.
Who Should Apply?
Eligibility & Requirements
Nominations are welcome from anyone who has played a pivotal role in driving forward solutions that contribute to a carbon-free energy system. We encourage all utilities and industry partners to showcase their transformative efforts.
-
Target Nominees
PUF Top Innovators Award nominees may include individuals, individual companies, or multi-stakeholder consortia collaborating to advance shared industry outcomes:
- Utilities & System Operators: Investor-owned utilities (IOUs), public power authorities, municipal utilities, electric cooperatives, transmission operators, and gas distribution utilities.
- Technology Pioneers & Startups: Technology providers, software platforms, hardware manufacturers, and venture-backed energy startups (including EIP portfolio companies).
- Consortia & Partnerships: Collaborative initiatives involving utilities, technology vendors, research institutions, engineering firms, regulators, or community stakeholders.
- Individual Leaders: CEOs, CTOs, CISOs, Chief Engineers, and program directors whose vision and leadership drive transformational change.
-
Timeframe
We are looking for projects and initiatives active within the last 18 months.
-
Award Acceptance Requirement
An executive representative from the winning company or the individual awardee must be present to accept the award at the ceremony. For global nominees, a U.S.-based representative may accept the award on behalf of the organization or individual.
How to Apply
The Nomination Process
Submitting a nomination is straightforward. Nominations are open now and can be submitted directly via our secure online form.
1. Prepare Your Materials
Gather data on how your nominee demonstrated innovation, how the project can be replicated, current status, and challenges overcome.
2. Complete the Online Form
Access the form via this landing page. You'll answer qualitative questions mapped directly to our judging criteria. The form must be completed in a single session, so we recommend preparing your materials in advance.
3. Submit & Review
Submit your completed application before the final deadline. We will notify you if you are selected as a finalist, but ultimate winners will not be revealed until the night of the Gala.
The Winning Factors
Selection Process & Criteria
Nominations are evaluated using four core criteria to ensure a fair and rigorous evaluation process, recognizing that impact looks different across categories.
Business Impact & ROI
Quantifiable results demonstrating real-world value (e.g., cost savings, capacity added, uptime improved, emissions reduced, or safety incidents prevented).
Evaluation Focus
Technological Boldness
The degree to which the initiative represents a novel, forward-looking, or paradigm-shifting approach over standard incremental improvements.
Evaluation Focus
Scalability & Viability
The degree to which the model, technology, or framework can be easily adapted, replicated, or scaled across other utilities, regions, or markets.
Evaluation Focus
Category Alignment
Direct alignment with the category's specific strategic focus and the spirit of its historical figure anchor.
Evaluation Focus
The Judging Panel
The panel of judges is composed of selected energy executive leaders, technical subject matter experts, and Public Utilities Fortnightly editorial leadership to ensure a fair, impartial, and consistent evaluation process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about the nomination process? Find answers below or contact our team.
Ready to highlight industry excellence?
Nominations are currently open. Review the categories and submit your project to showcase your organization's achievements in Washington, D.C. this October.
Start Your NominationNeed technical help? Contact awards@fortnightly.com