“I know that we—the American people—have the ability: to lead the world; to meet today’s energy challenges; to cross the bridge to a cleaner, more secure world; and most importantly, to leave our grandchildren with a place where they can thrive.” – Jim Rogers at the 2012 Democratic National Convention
After welcoming and thanking all those who helped make the 2012 Democratic National Convention possible in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jim Rogers, co-chair of the Charlotte Host Committee at the Convention, began his address by proclaiming that he was not there as a, “Democrat, Republican, policy pundit, or CEO,” but rather, he was there as a concerned grandfather. Rogers continued with his speech by calling for a more broad based long-term effort toward a future of affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy. He went on to state that, “energy is more than a partisan issue. It’s an American issue. And a global issue.”
Jim Rogers’s commitment to identifying and implementing better practices for cleaner and more efficient energy sources has made him a leading figure in not only the energy industry, but the entire environmental movement. As chairman, president, and CEO of Duke Energy, one of the nation’s leading energy providers, Rogers’s prestigious career in the world of energy and politics began after being hired as an Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, where he advocated for the state’s consumers in gas, electric, and telephone rate cases. He was then appointed to Deputy General Counsel for litigation and enforcement for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and Executive Vice President of interstate pipeline for the Enron Gas Pipeline Group. After joining PSI Energy as the company’s chairman, president, and CEO in 1988, he served as chairman and CEO of Cinergy for more than 11 years before its merger with Duke Energy.
In addition, Rogers has been recognized as one of the most outspoken and respected figures worldwide in the energy industry. In 2011, Rogers was awarded the Asia Society of Washington’s International Business Leadership Award, as well as U.S.-China Policy Foundation’s Global Executive Leadership Award for his work with China to help strengthen the relationship between the two nations, and bring energy to the forefront of global issues. Rogers has testified more than 20 times before U.S. Congressional Committees, has spoken at international forums such as the United Nations General Assembly, the World Economic Forum, the Clinton Global Initiative, and in 2009, Newsweek named him one of “The 50 Most Powerful People in the World.”
Rogers has also done extensive civic work in his current hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, co-chairing the city’s $82 million campaign to construct a new cultural campus in uptown Charlotte, and by co-chairing Charlotte’s committee to bring the 2012 Democratic National Convention to the city.
Duke Energy has been the largest electric power holding company in the United States for years, supplying energy to approximately 7 million U.S. customers, and was recently named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America for the seventh consecutive year. With Jim Rogers leading the way, not only does Duke Energy have a bright future ahead of them, but the rest of the world, and especially his grandchildren do as well.