Cascade Energy ranks No. 74 on PEOPLE’s 2026 Companies That Care list

Cascade Energy landed at No. 74 on the 2026 PEOPLE Companies That Care list in its first year of participation, earning national recognition for employee ownership, community engagement and energy-savings results. The Portland-based company says the honor reflects both worker feedback and its work helping clients cut energy use and emissions.

Why it matters: - Cascade Energy’s ranking puts a Portland-based employee-owned company on a national list that spotlights how employers treat workers, communities and the environment. - The recognition gives outside validation to Cascade Energy’s employee-ownership model, which the company ties to development, shared results and project choices. - The honor also highlights Cascade Energy’s role in helping industrial and commercial clients reduce energy use at a time when power demand is rising.

What happened: - Cascade Energy was named No. 74 on the 2026 PEOPLE Companies That Care list. - The list is presented by PEOPLE magazine and Great Place To Work. - This was Cascade Energy’s first year participating. - The company joined other honorees including Delta Air Lines, Wegmans Food Markets, Camden Property Trust, Publix and Salesforce. - CEO Dan Brown said the recognition matters because Cascade Energy is 100% employee-owned and the result reflects team feedback.

The details: - PEOPLE Companies That Care recognizes organizations that pair business success with care for employees, communities and the environment. - Rankings are based on confidential employee feedback and company-submitted documentation of workplace practices and corporate citizenship. - Cascade Energy says employee ownership influences career development investment, how business results are shared and which work the company accepts. - Employees volunteer at high school tech summit days. - Cascade Energy employees support the company’s partnership with iUrban Teen, which connects students from underrepresented communities to technology and engineering careers. - Employees also run Cascade Energy’s summer engineering internship program in Portland. - In 2025, Cascade Energy delivered 978.6 GWh in energy savings for industrial and commercial clients. - The company says that is enough electricity to power roughly 89,000 U.S. homes for a year. - That 2025 total put Cascade Energy 76% of the way toward its goal of saving 8,000 GWh by 2028. - Cascade Energy set that target to help ease strain on U.S. power grids as demand grows. - Cascade Energy is headquartered in Portland, Oregon. - The company provides energy management, sustainability and technology services to industrial and commercial organizations and utility partners. - Cascade Energy’s portfolio includes the Gazebo energy management software platform, Fresh Coast Climate Solutions and Yield Energy. - More information is available in the company’s announcement.

Between the lines: - The ranking suggests employee ownership can be a competitive advantage in workplace culture awards, especially when employee feedback drives the result. - The combination of community programs and measurable energy savings helps Cascade Energy present a broader impact story than a typical corporate recognition notice. - The company’s inclusion on a list focused on care may also help reinforce its brand with clients and recruits in energy and sustainability fields.

What's next: - Cascade Energy will need to keep delivering on both workplace culture and energy-savings goals to sustain this kind of recognition. - The company’s 2028 target leaves a sizable amount of savings still to capture, which could make future project execution and client growth important. - Continued employee-led outreach and internship programs could remain part of how Cascade Energy builds its talent pipeline and community profile.

The bottom line: - Cascade Energy’s No. 74 ranking signals that its employee-owned model and climate work are gaining national attention, not just internal praise.