Former Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers, a prominent leader in the energy industry, died on Tuesday at the age of 71.
Rogers was often quoted among his peers and was considered a luminary in utility industry circles. Duke Energy mourned the loss of the company’s former CEO by pointing out that he was the primary reason for the large coal utility’s switch to more renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Our industry has lost one of its most influential and extraordinary leaders,” said Lynn Good, the current chairman, president, and CEO of Duke Energy. “I was fortunate to work alongside Jim and see his dynamic leadership skill up close.”
Good said Rogers was “not afraid to tackle the hard questions,” and he did so with a “personable style that brought people together for positive solutions.”
Rogers presided over the company from 2006 to 2013, during a period of massive growth and change at Duke Energy.
Rogers became president and CEO immediately after the merger between Duke Energy and Cinergy in 2006. He retired as CEO in 2013, which was one year after Duke Energy merged with Progress Energy. The merger made Duke Energy the largest electric utility in the nation.
After he retired, Duke Energy pleaded guilty to criminal negligence in experiencing one of the largest coal ash spills in the nation’s history in 2014. The company is still trying to contain coal ash, which is the principal waste product from burning coal for electricity production.
The expense of dealing with coal ash is one of the principal reasons why the company has decided to switch out its entire coal fleet to burn natural gas, which doesn’t generate any solid waste, has much lower emissions, is far easier to maintain, and costs less because of the shale gas boom.
Duke Energy is headquartered in North Carolina, but it has affiliates all over the Southeast and Midwest. Good has continued the effort that Rogers started to switch the company from using coal to become a leading developer of renewable energy and natural gas. North Carolina, where Duke is Energy is headquartered, has become the second largest solar energy producer in the nation, after California.
Good has stated that President Trump’s focus on coal has not convinced the company to change its trajectory.
Rogers’ cause of death was not stated.
