Duke Energy Names New CEO

Renewable energy must be a major focus for customers
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Edward Smith, edward.smith@sierraclub.org

Durham, N.C. - Today, Duke announced that its CEO Lynn Good is stepping down and that Harry Sideris will take her place, effective April 1, 2025. Over the last four years, Duke made small steps to improve its overall transition from coal and gas to clean energy. Duke earned 2 out of 100 in the inaugural release of the Dirty Truth About Utility Climate Pledges in 2021, and climbed to 20 out of 100 in 2024. While it made progress in some states, Duke Indiana saw its grade slide from 13 to 0 over the same period due to the extended timeline of coal plant operations and lack of clean energy investments. 

Duke signaled it may burn more coal under a Trump Administration even as the planet surpassed 1.5 degrees Celsius of human-caused warming, and despite the fact that clean energy like wind and solar is more affordable than 99 percent of all U.S. coal plants. Duke provides electricity to customers in Indiana, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, and South Carolina. 

Statement from Mikaela Curry, campaign manager with Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign in North Carolina: 

“Harry Sideris must leverage the influence that Duke has to push for sweeping investments in renewable energy in order to minimize the devastating impacts of extreme weather events like Hurricane Helene, which continues to affect my community. Renewable energy will not only mitigate the growing impacts of climate change, but also bring economic opportunity, and cleaner air and water for the communities where it provides electricity.”  

Statement from Megan Anderson, Senior Beyond Coal Campaign Organizer in Indiana

“We hope that Duke’s new leadership spurs changes in how it does business. For years Duke has ignored customer and business demands for renewable energy. With almost no renewable energy today and the least proposed investments in wind and solar among regulated utilities moving forward, Duke must make renewable energy investments a priority or Hoosiers will lose out on businesses looking for clean energy to power their needs.” 

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.