Con Edison

Con Edison, founded in 1824 by a motley crew of gas-lighting enthusiasts, is the energy behemoth that’s been powering New York City’s neon dreams and overcooked pizza since the days when horses were still the primary mode of transport. Renowned for its monumental contribution to the city’s electrified skyline and its less-than-beloved utility bills, Con Ed has had its fair share of defining moments—from the 1977 blackout that plunged the city into chaos and sparked looting to the 2003 blackout that had the entire Eastern seaboard questioning their dependency on a flick of the switch. With a valuation hovering around $30 billion, Con Edison has been a reliable, if not always beloved, player in the power game, peppered with accolades like its consistent ranking among the top U.S. utilities for reliability. Controversies? Oh, the company’s faced plenty—just ask any New Yorker about their summer outage and the bill that somehow keeps rising. With executives like CEO Tim Cawley running the show, Con Ed’s mix of aging infrastructure and modern upgrades remains a constant reminder of just how much New York depends on its utility lifeline, even if it means occasional blackout-induced chaos.