Duke Energy will not be ringing in the New Year with their Chief Executive Officer, Jim Rogers. This is as he is retiring at the end of December. Jim has been at the helm of the utility company for seven years. This is a an accomplishment rarely seen as the average tenure for a CEO is usually 5 1/2 years.

For 25 years Rogers was a Chief Executive Officer in the energy industry. However, this man was no ordinary CEO. He was very influential in his field and championed many causes, especially in the area of energy efficiency and emission control.

Under his leadership, Duke Energy innovated the save-a-watt program in 2009, which received the approval of the North Carolina state. To date, the program has helped to save a significant amount of energy, reflecting the annual usage of more than 300,000 homes.

Rogers’ leadership has also seen to the launch of a program by Duke Energy to install solar arrays on the rooftops of homes in North Carolina. This move was instrumental in helping the company to achieve its green energy mandate years ahead of its schedule.

In 2009, Rogers was listed among the top 50 most influential people in the world. When he retires in December, he will leave a legacy that will be unmatched for years to come.