Duke Energy has announced that Preston Gillespie, executive vice president, chief generation officer and enterprise operational excellence, will retire after 40 years with the company. Gillespie will remain at Duke Energy through March 1, 2027, and starting March 1, 2026, he will oversee the company’s decisions regarding new nuclear initiatives.
Harry Sideris, president and chief executive officer of Duke Energy, said: “Our customers rely on us for dependable, affordable energy, while a rapidly changing world demands greater speed, agility and innovation. The depth of leadership talent and thoughtful transition provides the continuity that allows the company to deliver today and invest for the future – supporting the growth we are delivering for our communities across our service territories.”
Sideris also expressed appreciation for Gillespie’s long service: “On behalf of everyone at Duke Energy, I want to thank Preston for his decades of dedicated service to the company. Over the course of 40-plus years, Preston has been an invaluable asset whose leadership and commitment have shaped our culture and driven our generation and operational excellence division to new heights. His unwavering focus on safety, performance and cost efficiency has set the standard for our industry and inspired those around him.”
Gillespie has managed operations of Duke Energy’s generating capacity exceeding 50,000 megawatts. He previously served as chief nuclear officer responsible for operating what is described as the nation’s largest regulated nuclear generating fleet. He began his career at Oconee Nuclear Station in 1986.
Effective March 1, 2026, Kelvin Henderson will become senior vice president, chief generation officer and enterprise operational excellence. Henderson currently serves as senior vice president and chief nuclear officer. In his new role he will manage Duke Energy’s portfolio of generation assets as demand grows while focusing on keeping customer costs low. Henderson brings more than three decades of experience in nuclear operations.
Steven Capps will take over as senior vice president and chief nuclear officer under Henderson’s supervision. Capps is currently responsible for new nuclear development and operations support at Duke Energy.
Duke Energy is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It serves about 8.6 million electric customers across six states including Florida through its electric utilities division; its natural gas utilities serve approximately 1.7 million customers in five states.
The company continues to invest in upgrades to its electric grid infrastructure along with cleaner energy sources such as natural gas, renewables like solar power, nuclear energy projects and energy storage solutions.
Further information can be found at duke-energy.com or through their social media channels including X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
