Join Jeff Hughes for an insightful evening on October 8
Hughes and special guests will discuss “The Role of Utilities in an Uncertain Future” before engaging in a reception from 6-8 p.m. at Wilkinson Auditorium.
Jeff Hughes—an expert on energy finance, regulation and governance—joined Duke University this month as the campus’s fifth Climate Leader in Residence (CLIR). The CLIR program brings top thought leaders to Duke to share insights and expertise, sparking discussion and action to advance climate solutions.
Hughes, who earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering, has worked in local and state government positions in the utility and environmental field for the past three decades. Most recently, he completed a six-year term on the North Carolina Public Utilities Commission, the state agency tasked with regulating the financial operations of investor-owned utilities and developing the state’s energy transition and decarbonization plans.
The Pratt School of Engineering and the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability will host Hughes, although his contributions to teaching and learning, research and external engagement will span programs and people across the university.
“I am excited to join Duke in the new role and am particularly looking forward to working with a new generation of innovators to develop strategies and solutions for addressing future climate change challenges,” said Hughes.
During the 18-month residency, Hughes will help develop and refine educational offerings for Duke University students interested in energy finance, engineering and governance, contributing to course design and instruction, student research and field experiences and mentoring. He will engage with students and faculty at the new Master of Engineering in Climate and Sustainability Engineering program at Pratt and at the Master of Environmental Management program at the Nicholas School of the Environment—among others.
He will also support Duke faculty in identifying high-impact opportunities to convene energy finance, regulation, engineering, and governance professionals to share knowledge and codevelop solutions for climate challenges.
Prior to his term as a commissioner, Hughes directed the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Environmental Finance Center, an applied research, training and advising program that provides utility finance and governance support to local and state governments across the country. Earlier in his career, he worked on the environmental finance and water policy teams at RTI International and served as the utilities director for Chatham County, N.C.
Sara Oliver, director of the Master of Engineering in Climate and Sustainability Engineering program at Pratt, co-nominated Hughes as a resident with Luana Lima, Gendell Family Assistant Professor of the Practice at the Nicholas School.
“Jeff Hughes’ career has spanned engineering, public policy, economics and finance, which has given him a holistic, pragmatic perspective on the complexities of the energy transition and other climate challenges,” noted Oliver. “We are training engineering leaders of the future who must work across disciplines to innovate and scale climate solutions. Hughes is ideally suited to help our ambitious students understand the legal, governance, policy and institutional landscapes that they’ll need to navigate as climate changemakers.”
Among other projects, Hughes will collaborate with Oliver, Lima and the student experience team at the Nicholas Institute on a new multidisciplinary practicum course for graduate students, anticipated to launch in spring 2026. The course will match small groups of students with practitioners to identify and address current climate engineering, finance, and governance challenges.
“It is a great honor for us to welcome back home to Duke, Jeff Hughes, our newest Climate Leader in Residence,” remarked Jerry Lynch, Vinik Dean of the Pratt School of Engineering. “His unique blend of leadership in climate finance, policy and technology will be invaluable in equipping our students with the foundation to become impactful climate innovators ready to accelerate the energy transition.”
About Duke’s Climate Leaders in Residence Program
Launched in 2024, the CLIR program leverages leaders’ experience, expertise and networks as they collaborate with Duke faculty and staff on pragmatic climate research and initiatives that could lead to significant change in the near future. They also enrich Duke students’ learning through mentorship, teaching and other activities.
The CLIR program advances the aims of the Duke Climate Commitment, which unites the university’s education, research, operations and public service missions to address climate challenges. The program is funded this year by the Presidential Climate Action and Innovation Fund, an endowment established by the Nicholas Family in support of the Duke Climate Commitment. The Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability oversees the CLIR program.