Duke Energy on January 15, 2026 announced executive vice president, chief generation officer and enterprise operational excellence, Preston Gillespie's decision to retire after 40 years of dedicated service to the company. To support a smooth transition, Preston will remain on board through March 1, 2027, and beginning March 1, 2026, will have responsibility for guiding the Company's critical decision about new nuclear. Gillespie's leadership has included responsibility for the safe, reliable and efficient operations of Duke Energy's fleet generating capacity of over 50,000 megawatts.
He previously served as Duke Energy's chief nuclear officer. In this role, he was responsible for the safe and efficient operation of the nation's largest regulated nuclear generating fleet in the nation. He joined the company in 1986 as an assistant engineer at Oconee Nuclear Station, where he earned his senior reactor operator license and held positions in a variety of roles in engineering and operations.
New Leadership Appointments ? Effective March 1, 2026; Kelvin Henderson will be appointed senior vice president, chief generation officer and enterprise operational excellence and will join the company's senior management committee, reporting to Sideris. Henderson currently serves as senior vice president and chief nuclear officer.
As chief generation officer, Henderson will manage a vast portfolio of generation assets as the company expands to meet growing energy demand while keeping costs to customers as low as possible. With more than 35 years of nuclear experience, including the last five years as chief nuclear officer at Duke Energy, Kelvin brings extensive expertise to his new position. Steven Capps will assume the role of senior vice president and chief nuclear officer, reporting to Henderson.
Capps is currently senior vice president, new nuclear development and operations support. He has served in a variety of roles at Duke Energy for over three decades, where he has held significant leadership roles within the nuclear division.
