The 10 Most Influential Energy Companies of 2026

The TIME100 Companies: Industry Leaders list for 2026 highlights several energy companies making significant strides, particularly in response to the burgeoning demands of artificial intelligence and data centers. Schneider Electric, a French energy giant, is at the forefront of tackling the immense heat generated by AI chips, collaborating with semiconductor leader Nvidia to publish blueprints for efficient cooling and powering of advanced AI systems in data centers. This focus is critical, as approximately 30% of Schneider's business now stems from data center infrastructure, including a substantial $1.9 billion cooling contract with U.S. operator Switch. The article also showcases innovative solutions for data center energy. Redwood Materials, a company specializing in battery recycling, launched Redwood Energy to repurpose old EV batteries into large-scale energy storage systems. Its first major installation in Nevada currently powers a 12-megawatt data center with over 800 second-life battery packs, marking the largest deployment of its kind globally. Simultaneously, NextEra, the world's largest electric utility by market cap, is responding to rising U.S. electricity demand by building new power infrastructure and exploring new business models, including a partnership with Google to construct new power plants directly alongside data centers. Furthermore, the startup Emerald AI is addressing the global power demand driven by AI by developing software to intelligently shift electricity demand. By orchestrating when and where AI workloads run based on grid conditions and performance requirements, Emerald AI aims to unlock the existing U.S. grid's capacity for new flexible loads. The company, backed by Nvidia, recently announced a plan to unite major power companies to build AI facilities that can adapt to grid challenges, positioning itself as a crucial intermediary between energy and AI infrastructure.