FLORENCE, Italy, 19 and 20 October – HS Orka, Plan-B Net Zero, Equinor, Petrotec Group and Itera have won the 2026 CHARGE Awards, the first and only program dedicated to recognizing outstanding energy brands. The winners were announced at Teatro del Sale in Florence on the evening of 19 October, after the first day of CHARGE Europe 2026.
The conference took place on 19 and 20 October at the Baker Hughes Florence Learning Center, in partnership with Baker Hughes, under the theme “Building the agile energy brand in a disrupted world.” Over two days, brand, marketing and communications leaders from across the energy sector explored what it takes to build a brand that can respond, adapt and earn trust under sustained pressure, from affordability and geopolitical risk to grid expansion and the pace of change.
The 2026 CHARGE Awards winners
The World’s Best Green Brand: HS Orka
The World’s Best Challenger Brand: Plan-B Net Zero
The World’s Best Employer Brand: Equinor
The World’s Best Established Brand: Petrotec Group
B2B Energy Innovator of the Year: Itera
The winners were chosen by an independent jury of senior energy and brand leaders, including past winners, academics, researchers, brand agencies, and practitioners from organizations such as Brandpie, DNV, EDP, Siegel+Gale, Landor, and KIRT x THOMSEN. The ceremony was hosted by SOCAR Türkiye, the sponsor of the CHARGE Awards.
What the jury said
HS Orka: “A refreshing, human-centred brand that successfully connects renewable energy with communities. Authentic storytelling rooted in Icelandic culture creates a grounded and trustworthy brand. Sustainability sits at the core of a brand that feels respectful, resilient and genuinely community-focused.”
Plan-B Net Zero: “The brand narrative is engaging and successfully encourages audiences to buy into the vision. The submission presents an exciting concept with significant potential in digital energy management. It is a compelling mission backed by a strong sense of purpose.”
Equinor: “A very strong submission that demonstrated exceptional strength in a competitive category. The brand demonstrates excellent culture alignment and overall brand strength.”
Petrotec Group: “A comprehensive brand transformation that stood out in the category. It was one of the highest-scoring brands overall, recognised for its genuine differentiation and exceptional strategic execution. It is a standout example of a brand strategy that is fully integrated with business strategy. The creative execution demonstrates a rare ability to make industrial engineering genuinely desirable.”
Itera: “Itera shows excellent positioning for a broad service business, with a fresh and positive brand image. The submission successfully connects commercial success with a wider societal mission. A strong people-focused approach to sustainability came through clearly.”
“Brand strength is quickly becoming one of the clearest signals of how well an energy company can adapt, and this year’s winners proved it. They combine ambition with authenticity, and they put people at the centre of the story. We’re delighted to celebrate them in Florence and can’t wait to continue the conversation in Houston,” said Prof. Fridrik Larsen, CEO CHARGE/brandr.
Rising Stars in Energy Branding
The evening also recognized the 2026 Rising Stars in Energy Branding, emerging professionals shaping how the industry communicates the energy transition. The award is sponsored by Brandpie, and Will Bosanko, CEO EMEIA at Brandpie, presented plaques to the Rising Stars attending in Florence.
Michael Trontzos, Vice President Marketing, Re18
Karla Mlakar, Head of Marketing & Communication, Kelag International
Sultana Rahman, Head of Product Marketing, YourParkingSpace
Rebecca Emelie Arntsen, Communication Manager, Vårgrønn
Emily Clayton, Senior Marketing Executive, SmartestEnergy
Zenobia Sayed, Founder, At The Power Table Podcast, and Strategy Consultant, Deloitte
The 2026 finalists
This year’s finalists represented a strong cross-section of the European energy sector, including CESI, Ignitis Group, Zelestra, MET Group, Ocean Winds and EDP.
What’s next
The conversation continues at CHARGE North America 2027, taking place at The Ion in Houston on 16 and 17 March 2027.
About CHARGE
CHARGE is the conference, awards, and community platform dedicated to brand, marketing, and communications in the energy sector. Founded by Prof. Fridrik Larsen, CHARGE runs annual conferences in Europe and North America, the CHARGE Awards, and a year-round community for energy brand leaders. Find out more at charge.events.