Duke Energy has announced a series of leadership changes in its generation and operational excellence organization as Preston Gillespie, executive vice president, chief generation officer and enterprise operational excellence, plans to retire after four decades with the company. Gillespie will remain at Duke Energy through March 1, 2027, and starting March 1, 2026, he will oversee the company’s decision-making process regarding new nuclear initiatives.
Harry Sideris, president and chief executive officer of Duke Energy, commented on the transition: “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 contributions: “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’s tenure included overseeing operations for more than 50,000 megawatts of generating capacity. He previously served as chief nuclear officer responsible for managing what is described as the nation’s largest regulated nuclear fleet. Gillespie joined Duke Energy in 1986 as an assistant engineer at Oconee Nuclear Station.
Effective March 1, 2026, Kelvin Henderson will become senior vice president, chief generation officer and enterprise operational excellence. Henderson is currently senior vice president and chief nuclear officer. In his new role he will manage a broad portfolio of generation assets amid rising energy demand while aiming to keep costs low for customers. Henderson brings over three decades of experience in nuclear energy.
Steven Capps will be appointed senior vice president and chief nuclear officer reporting to Henderson. Capps currently leads new nuclear development and operations support at Duke Energy with more than thirty years’ experience within various leadership roles in the company’s nuclear division.
Duke Energy serves about 8.6 million electric customers across several states including North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. The company also supplies natural gas to approximately 1.7 million customers in five states.
The utility continues efforts toward an energy transition by investing in upgrades to its electric grid infrastructure along with expanding cleaner power sources such as natural gas, renewables including solar power projects https://www.duke-energy.com/our-company/about-us/powering-the-future/solar-power, nuclear energy advancements https://www.duke-energy.com/energy-education/how-nuclear-power-works, and increased use of energy storage technologies https://www.duke-energy.com/our-company/about-us/powering-the-future/battery-storage.
For further information about these changes or ongoing projects at Duke Energy visit duke-energy.com or follow their updates on social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook.
