James E. Rogers Jr.

James Eugene Rogers Jr.
Born	(1947-09-20) 20 September 1947 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Died	17 December 2018(2018-12-17) (aged 71) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, writer
Years active	1970s–2018
Known for	President and CEO of Duke Energy

James Eugene Rogers Jr. (September 20, 1947 – December 17, 2018) was a prominent American entrepreneur and writer. He held the positions of president and CEO at Duke Energy, the largest electric utility company in the United States, from April 2006 until July 1, 2013, and continued as Chairman of the Board until his retirement in December 2013. His publication, Lighting the World (released on August 25, 2015, by St. Martin's Press), explores the issue of providing electricity to over 1.2 billion individuals without access, promoting electricity as a fundamental human entitlement.

Early life

Born on September 20, 1947, in Birmingham, Alabama, Rogers spent much of his youth in Danville, Kentucky. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Kentucky in 1970 and later obtained a Juris Doctor degree there in 1974. Until his passing, Rogers resided in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife, Mary Anne (M.A.) Rogers.

Career

During his college years, Rogers worked full-time as a journalist for the Lexington Herald-Leader. His legal career included serving as a law clerk for the Supreme Court of Kentucky, working as Assistant Attorney General of Kentucky, and holding multiple legal positions at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He was also a partner at the Washington, D.C. branch of Dallas-based law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld and served as Executive Vice President for Interstate Pipelines at the Enron Gas Pipeline Group.

In 1988, Rogers assumed leadership roles as president, chairman, and CEO of PSI Energy. Between 1995 and 2006, he was President and CEO of Cinergy. In 2006, he facilitated the merger between Cinergy and Duke Energy and became CEO of the merged entity. Subsequently, he led the acquisition of Progress Energy, establishing the largest U.S. electric utility by market value. Rogers stepped down from his executive roles in 2013.

Throughout nearly a quarter-century as a utility chief executive, Rogers drove acquisitions and mergers that expanded Duke Energy into a global industry leader with operations spanning 17 countries across Africa, South Asia, Europe, and Central and Latin America. He consistently delivered shareholder returns averaging over 12% annually while focusing on long-term sustainable growth.

In 2014, Rogers joined Duke University as a Rubenstein Fellow to co-instruct a graduate course on renewable energy and improving energy access for underserved communities. He contributed to advisory boards including Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Invenergy, Broadscale, Energy Solar Association, Smart Electric Power Alliance; and held board membership with organizations such as The Aspen Institute, Brookings Institution, Asia Society, Nicholas Institute on Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University, Sustainable Energy for All (United Nations), and The Nature Conservancy. Additionally, he was on the board of directors for Fortune 500 company Cigna.

Rogers was a frequent speaker on topics related to energy accessibility, trends within the power sector, and renewable technologies at leadership forums and policy conferences. In 2009, Newsweek recognized him among the world’s 50 most influential individuals.

He passed away at age 71 due to sepsis while visiting relatives in Louisville.

Climate Change and Electrical Power

During Rogers' tenure, Duke Energy became notable for its commitment to sustainability, securing a spot on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index in both 2010 and 2011, and sustaining a nine-year ranking on the North America index. He championed capital allocation toward energy efficiency initiatives, renewable sources such as solar and wind power, modernization of electric infrastructure, cutting-edge technologies, and nuclear energy to foster economic development while advancing a low-carbon future. Under his guidance, Duke Energy invested $4 billion in wind and solar projects. Additionally, Rogers held the position of vice chairman at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and was instrumental as a founding participant in the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, advocating for comprehensive federal greenhouse gas regulations.

In 2011, alongside Joe Hale, Rogers co-established the Global Bright Light Foundation, an organization dedicated to delivering economically viable solar lighting solutions to underserved communities around the globe.

Other Corporate and Non-Profit Boards

Rogers led the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) as chairman during its pivotal 2009 endorsement of federal climate policy. He was the inaugural chairman of the Institute for Electric Efficiency and occupied leadership roles within the Alliance to Save Energy and the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency. His board service extended to entities such as the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, Nuclear Electric Institute, World Association of Nuclear Operators, Applied Materials, Duke Realty Corporation, Bankers Life Holding Corporation, Indiana National Bank, and Fifth Third Bancorp. Furthermore, he contributed to governance at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable, National Coal Council, National Petroleum Council, and American Gas Association.

As a former member of the US-China clean energy cooperation honorary committee (JUCCE), Rogers delivered addresses at prominent venues including the Aspen Institute, Brookings Institution, Clinton Global Initiative, and World Economic Forum. In 2012, he co-chaired the host committee for the Democratic National Convention held in Charlotte.

Awards

Rogers garnered numerous accolades throughout his career, including six honorary doctorates from universities across the United States. In 2011 alone, he was honored with the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® Lifetime Achievement Award and received the Jerry Award from the Charlotte Regional Partnership. The Charlotte Business Journal recognized him as Business Person of the Year that same year. Additionally, he earned the International Business Leadership Award from the Asia Society of Washington and the Business Excellence Award from the Committee of 100 for his role in strengthening U.S.-China commercial relations, alongside receiving the Global Executive Leadership Award from the U.S.-China Policy Foundation.

In 2013, Rogers was bestowed with both the Edison Electric Institute’s Distinguished Leadership Award and an honor from the United States Energy Association. His induction into the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame followed in 2014.

Power Engineering magazine named him as the most influential figure in power generation while Platts designated him energy industry's CEO of the Year. He was also listed among STEMconnector®'s top 100 CEO Leaders in STEM fields.

His contributions to community leadership were recognized through multiple honors such as being named Distinguished Honoree by Mecklenburg County Council’s Boy Scouts of America chapter, receiving NECO’s Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and earning various awards from organizations including Energy Daily, Hebrew Union College, NCCJ, Ronald McDonald House, Keystone Center, and American Jewish Committee.