I literally don’t know how I would get through the day without using electricity. I don’t even know how I would be telling you this without electricity. If you haven’t gotten the clue yet, electricity is arguably the most important utility in the world, and that’s not going to change any time soon. When looking for solid investments, the electric utilities industry is a great start because they provide excellent returns that aren’t likely to run out of juice. Here are the most notable companies who are doing it right.

I watch more than 5,000 publicly traded companies with my Portfolio Grader tool, ranking companies by a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. And this week, five hotel and leisure stocks in need of a vacation.

Here they are, in alphabetical order. Each one of these stocks gets an “A” or “B” according to my research, meaning it is a “strong buy” or “buy.”

American Electric Power (NYSE:AEP) owns numerous power companies across the United States. In the last year, AEP has posted a gain of 15%, compared to a gain of just 7% for the Dow Jones in the same time. AEP gets an “A” for operating margin growth and an “A” for earnings momentum in my Portfolio Grader tool. For more information, view my complete analysis of AEP stock.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) is an energy company that operates throughout the Americas. DUK stock is up 22% in the last 12 months. DUK gets an “A” for operating margin growth, a “B” for earnings momentum and a “B” for the magnitude in which earnings projections have increased over the past month in my Portfolio Grader tool. For more information, view my complete analysis of DUK stock.

FirstEnergy (NYSE:FE) is another holding company with eight energy subsidiaries in the U.S. A gain of 11% for FE in the last year has shareholders pleased with its initial purchase. FE stock gets a “B” for sales growth, an “A” for earnings growth, an “A” for earnings momentum and a “B” for its ability to exceed the consensus earnings estimates on Wall Street in my Portfolio grader tool. For more information, view my complete analysis of FE stock.

PPL (NYSE:PPL) is an energy holding company that has watched its stock value post a modest gain of 9% since last January. PPL gets an “A” for sales growth, an “A” for operating margin growth, a “B” for earnings growth, a “B” for its ability to exceed the consensus earnings estimates on Wall Street, a “B” for the magnitude in which earnings projections have increased over the past month and a “B” for cash flow in my Portfolio Grader tool. For more information, view my complete analysis of PPL stock.

Southern (NYSE:SO) owns power companies throughout the southeast of the U.S. In the last year, SO stock has jumped 19%, compared to smaller gains by the broader markets. SO stock gets a “B” for earnings momentum and a “B” for return on equity in my Portfolio Grader tool. For more information, view my complete analysis of SO stock.

Find out why energy will be the No. 1 trend in 2012.

Get more analysis of these picks and other publicly traded stocks with Louis Navellier’s Portfolio Grader tool, a 100% free stock rating tool that measures both quantitative buying pressure and eight fundamental factors.