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 with Duke Energy through March 1, 2027, and from March 1, 2026, he will focus on guiding 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 thanked Gillespie for his long tenure at Duke Energy: “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 career included overseeing safe operations of more than 50,000 megawatts in generating capacity. He previously served as chief nuclear officer at Duke Energy where he managed what is described as the nation’s largest regulated nuclear generating fleet. Gillespie began his career 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 at Duke Energy. In his new role he will oversee a broad portfolio of generation assets as Duke Energy works to meet growing energy demand while aiming to keep costs low for customers.
Steven Capps will take over as senior vice president and chief nuclear officer reporting to Henderson. Capps is now senior vice president of new nuclear development and operations support at Duke Energy.
Duke Energy serves approximately 8.6 million electric utility customers across six states including Florida. The company owns about 55,100 megawatts of energy capacity nationwide and supplies natural gas services to about 1.7 million customers in several states.
The company continues its efforts toward an energy transition by investing in grid upgrades and cleaner forms of power such as natural gas, nuclear energy production (including expansion), renewables like solar or wind power, as well as energy storage solutions. More information can be found on their official website duke-energy.com or through their news center.
