CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Former chief executive officer of Duke Energy and Cinergy, Jim Rogers, has died at the age of 71.
The author of the 2015 book “Lighting the World,” passed Monday in Louisville, Ky.
Rogers was known to many in the business world as an ‘iconic’ business man.
He was one of the first leaders in the energy industry to speak on the necessity of making changes in the face of climate change. As the leader of Duke Energy from 2006 to 2013, Rogers focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and steered the company to more renewable energy – reducing carbon emissions by 31 percent since 2005 and investing up to $7 billion in wind and solar facilities across the nation.
After leaving Duke Energy, Rogers focused on the issue of how rural people in low-income nations could get access to clean, sustainable electricity.
Rogers accumulated several accolades throughout his career; including the most influential person in power generation by Power Engineering magazine in 2013, energy CEO of the year by Platts in 2013 as well and being inducted into the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame in 2014.
During his tenure, Rogers made Duke Energy the largest electric utility in the nation after a merger with Progress Energy.
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