BRYN MAWR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 11, 2026--
Essential Utilities Inc. (NYSE: WTRG) announced today its inclusion on Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Charitable Companies. The recognition demonstrates how the company's mission extends beyond utility services, signifying industry leadership in corporate philanthropy through its Essential Foundation.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260311619413/en/
“Through our mission, Essential Utilities fulfills the basic needs of our customers by warming their homes and providing clean water,” said CEO and Chairman Christopher Franklin. “Complimenting that important work, our shareholders continue to provide substantial support for the communities we serve through the Essential Foundation. Our commitment to our communities begins with our dedicated team members who volunteer thousands of hours of their time. Coupled with our Foundation dollars – they continue to make an incredible impact in the areas we serve. I am so proud of the work we do with our communities, and we are honored to be recognized by Newsweek for our work.”
Essential celebrates this prestigious honor as it releases its latest Community Impact Report, spotlighting nearly $7.2 Million in community giving in 2025. More than 1,250 Essential volunteers spent 4,900 hours volunteering to support meaningful causes in their communities.
Each year, Essential gives back through various campaigns in line with the company’s mission, including:
Since 2020, when Aqua and Peoples Natural Gas merged and Essential Utilities expanded its corporate philanthropy, the company has donated more than $29 million across its 9-state service area and built hundreds of community partnerships.
America’s Most Charitable Companies 2026 is presented by Newsweek in collaboration with Statista, the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. You can see the full award list on Newsweek’s website.
About Essential Utilities
Essential Utilities, Inc. (NYSE:WTRG) delivers safe, reliable services that improve quality of life for individuals, families and entire communities. With a focus on water, wastewater and natural gas, Essential is committed to sustainable growth, operational excellence, a superior customer experience and premier employer status. We are advocates for the communities we serve, donating more than $4 million from the Essential Foundation each year, and are dedicated stewards of natural lands, protecting thousands of acres of forests and other habitats throughout our footprint. Operating as the Aqua and Peoples brands, Essential serves approximately 5.5 million people across 9 states. Essential is one of the most significant publicly traded water, wastewater service and natural gas providers in the U.S. Learn more at www.essential.co.
About Statista
Statista publishes hundreds of worldwide industry rankings and company listings with high-profile media partners. This research and analysis service is based on the success of statista.com, the leading data and business intelligence portal that provides statistics, business-relevant data, and various market and consumer studies and surveys.
Essential Utilities Honored Among America’s Most Charitable Companies 2026 by Newsweek; Announces Nearly $7.2 Million Community Giving in 2025
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Sky-high ticket prices won’t be the only thing emptying the wallets of soccer fans attending World Cup matches at some U.S. venues this spring.
Fans trying to get to MetLife Stadium from New York City can expect to shell out $150 for a round-trip train fare for each match, transportation officials confirmed Friday.
That’s nearly 12 times the regular $12.90 fare for the roughly 15-minute, 9-mile (14-kilometer) ride from Manhattan’s Penn Station to the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. On-site parking won’t be available for most fans, so New Jersey officials anticipate that around 40,000 fans will use mass transit for each match.
The home stadium for both the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets is set to host eight World Cup matches, including the tournament final on July 19. Group stage matches for soccer powerhouses Brazil, France, Germany and England, along with other nations, begin June 13.
New Jersey officials said the upcharge was necessary to cover the cost of hosting the World Cup on its return to the U.S. for the first time since 1994.
NJ Transit officials said they planned to spend $62 million transporting fans to and from the stadium over the duration of the tournament. Outside grants had defrayed only $14 million of those anticipated expenses. A fare increase was needed to cover the rest, according to NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri.
“This isn’t price gouging,” he told reporters Friday. “We’re literally trying to recoup our costs.”
Gov. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, called on FIFA, international soccer’s governing body, to cover the transportation costs.
“If it won’t, we will not be subsidizing World Cup ticket holders on the backs of New Jerseyans who rely on NJ TRANSIT every day,” she said in a statement.
But FIFA has bristled at the suggestion that it should shoulder New Jersey's transit costs. On Friday, it pointed to other U.S. host cities, including Los Angeles, Dallas and Houston, that are keeping their transit rates unchanged.
One notable exception is Boston, where express buses from various locations to Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL’s New England Patriots, will cost $95, officials announced this week.
Thousands of fans have also already snapped up $80 round-trip train tickets from the Massachusetts capital to the commuter rail station near the stadium, which is located in Foxborough, a town some 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Boston. That’s four times the $20 riders are normally charged for a round-trip ticket during game days and other special events at Gillette.
Meanwhile in Los Angeles, one-way fares will remain $1.75; in Atlanta, they’re locked at $2.50; in Houston, a single ride will still cost $1.25 and in Philadelphia the base fare for the subway will remain $2.90. Kansas City is running shuttles from locations around the city to Arrowhead Stadium that cost just $15 round trip.
Some of those cities have noted that the U.S. government has provided some $100 million in transit grants to provide enhanced bus and rail service during the games.
The soccer federation on Friday warned that New Jersey's transit pricing could have a “chilling effect."
It argued that no other global event has been asked to absorb the costs of “arbitrarily set” transit prices and noted that the agreements signed with World Cup host cities back in 2018 called for free transportation for fans to all matches.
“Elevated fares inevitably push fans toward alternative transportation options,” FIFA said in a statement. “This increases concerns of congestion, late arrivals, and creates broader ripple effects that ultimately diminish the economic benefit and lasting legacy the entire region stands to gain from hosting the World Cup.”
The huge fare increase has also drawn protest from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“Charging over $100 for a short train ride sounds awfully high to me,” the Democrat posted on X earlier this week. The surge pricing was first reported by sports outlet The Athletic.
Alternatives to taking the train to MetLife Stadium will also be pricey.
Shuttle buses with a capacity for about 10,000 riders will set off from the midtown Manhattan bus terminal and other locations for $80 roundtrip.
Some 5,000 parking spots at the nearby American Dream Mall are also being sold in advance, currently priced at $225.
MetLife Stadium has a huge parking lot, but for World Cup matches much of that space is being used for a fan village, shuttle buses, a staging area and FIFA staff, officials said.
When the stadium hosted the NFL's Super Bowl under similar conditions in 2014, New Jersey Transit struggled to accommodate an estimated 33,000 passengers leaving the game. Platforms at a train transfer station became jammed with passengers unable to get space on trains. Some waited for hours to get on board.
AP Sports Writer Mark Long in Gainesville, Florida, contributed to this report.
Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo
FILE - An NJ Transit train leaves the Secaucus Junction station in Secaucus, N.J., Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
FILE - PSG fans cheer before the start of the Club World Cup final soccer match between Chelsea and PSG in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)
FILE - Fans play with a ball outside the Metlife Stadium prior to the Club World Cup final soccer match between Chelsea and PSG in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith, File)
