"I actually can see a future where coal is not in the equation in 2050,â€ Rogers told reporters at an event in Washington...He argued that it’s unlikely that the United States will be able to develop and bring to scale carbon-capture-and-storage – often called "clean coalâ€ technology. "I think there’s no way we can scale in this country,â€ he said.


Shepherd also reported that the Duke CEO expressed concern about mountaintop removal mining.


"I’m under incredible pressure on moutaintop mining,â€ said Rogers. "Most of the coal we use in the southern part of the country is from mountaintop mining. I’m doing the math now and looking to determine my contracts and posing the question to my team, what if we made a policy decision that we’re not going to buy coal as a consequence of mountaintop mining.â€


Duke Power is the third largest generator of electricity in the country. According to the website ilovemountains.org, Duke Energy operates 8 power plants that purchase Appalachian coal from mountaintop removal sites. Some of the pressure Rogers is feeling has been brought on by protests at a number of these plants. Last spring KFTC members Mickey and Nina McCoy were arrested, along with activists from across the region, during a non-violent action at Duke's Cliffside Plant in North Carolina.


Unfortunately, Rogers' views about coal don't mean that he's become a strong advocate of clean, renewable energy. According to Shepherd's article, Rogers looks for nuclear power to become much more important in his company's future, along with solar, energy efficiency and "a little wind."