The Smooth-Talking King of Coal—and Climate Change

The Climate WarBloomberg Businessweek

When Jim Rogers introduces himself to an audience—something the president, chairman, and chief executive of Duke Energy (DUK) does many times a month in speeches and panels around the country—he likes to start by explaining how much pollution it takes to generate power for 12 million people in five states. "We're the third-largest emitter of CO among corporations in America because we generate 70 percent of our electricity at 20 coal-fired plants," he says. "Of all the companies in the world, we're the 12th-largest emitter of CO. I share these numbers with you not to brag, but to give you a sense of my special responsibility, the daunting job in front of me. And for you to understand why I have such passion about confronting the climate issue."