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Exelon Corporation

Regulated Electric and Gas UtilitiesFounded 2000
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Founders

Who Founded Exelon?

Corbin A. McNeill Jr., John W. Rowe · Founded 2000 · HQ today: Chicago, Illinois

Who founded Exelon?

Exelon was founded by Corbin A. McNeill Jr., John W. Rowe in 2000. It is now led by Calvin G. Butler Jr..

Founders
Corbin A. McNeill Jr., John W. Rowe
Founded
2000
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois
Number of founders
2
Current CEO
Calvin G. Butler Jr. (since 2022)
Where was Exelon founded?
Exelon was founded in Chicago, Illinois in 2000.
When was Exelon founded?
Exelon was founded in 2000.
Who started Exelon?
Exelon was founded by Corbin A. McNeill Jr. and John W. Rowe.
How old is Exelon?
Exelon is 26 years old as of 2026.

Founding Story

Exelon's oldest roots predate the electric light: BGE began in 1816 as the Gas Light Company of Baltimore. ComEd traces back to the Chicago Edison Company, founded in 1887, which Samuel Insull ran from 1892 and grew by buying out rivals until it became Commonwealth Edison in 1907. PECO dates to 1881 and became the Philadelphia Electric Company in 1902. Exelon itself was created in October 2000 when PECO Energy merged with Unicom, ComEd's parent, then added BGE through the 2012 Constellation merger and Pepco Holdings in 2016.

Corbin A. McNeill Jr.

Co-founder 2000

Background

A U.S. Naval Academy graduate and former Navy nuclear submarine officer, McNeill led nuclear operations at several utilities before joining PECO, where he was credited with improving the performance of its nuclear plants.

Role at Exelon Corporation

Corbin McNeill was chairman and CEO of PECO Energy and negotiated its 2000 merger with Unicom that created Exelon. He served as Exelon's co-CEO and chairman after the deal, combining PECO's nuclear operating expertise with ComEd's large reactor fleet before retiring in 2002. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).

John W. Rowe

Co-founder 2000

Background

A lawyer with degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Rowe previously led Central Maine Power and New England Electric System before joining Unicom in 1998.

Role at Exelon Corporation

John Rowe was chairman and CEO of Unicom when it merged with PECO Energy in 2000. He became Exelon's co-CEO and then sole CEO, leading the company until 2012 and building it into the largest U.S. nuclear operator before the Constellation merger.

John W. Rowe was born in 1945 in Dodgeville. Education: University of Wisconsin Law School.

John William Rowe was born in 1945 and died on September 24, 2022. Under him Exelon had the largest market capitalization in the US electric utility industry.

Exelon Corporation: CEO & Leadership History

Full timeline →

Calvin G. Butler Jr.

President and Chief Executive Officer

2022 – Present

His background running BGE from 2014 to 2019 and Exelon Utilities shaped a strategy built around reliability, regulatory relationships and affordability programs such as the Customer Relief Fund.

Jeanne Jones

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

2022 – Present

Leads investor guidance and balance sheet management.

Christopher Crane

Former President and CEO

2012 – 2022

He reshaped Exelon from a hybrid generator and utility into two focused companies.

Keep researching Exelon

Who Founded Exelon? FAQ

When was Exelon Corporation created and what merger brought it into existence?

Exelon was formed in October 2000 through the merger of PECO Energy Company of Philadelphia and Unicom Corporation, parent of Chicago's Commonwealth Edison.

What was the founding history of Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) in Chicago?

Commonwealth Edison traces its roots back to 1887 when the Chicago Edison Company was established, backed by Thomas Edison's electric lighting patents. Under the leadership of utility leader Samuel Insull, Chicago Edison consolidated dozens of small power suppliers into Commonwealth Edison in 1907, pioneering central-station electricity generation and modern utility regulation.

What was the founding heritage of PECO Energy Company in Philadelphia?

PECO Energy Company was founded in 1881 as the Brush Electric Light Company of Philadelphia, before consolidating into the Philadelphia Electric Company (PECO) in 1902. PECO constructed major historic hydroelectric and coal stations, including the Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River in 1928.

Who was Samuel Insull and how did his early business model shape modern electric utilities?

Samuel Insull, the longtime leader of ComEd in the early 20th century, transformed the electric utility industry by introducing the 'load factor' concept (balancing industrial daytime power use with residential nighttime lighting), pioneering mass rural electrification, and advocating for state-regulated regional utility monopolies in exchange for universal service obligations.

How did Corbin McNeill and John Rowe orchestrate the founding merger of Exelon in 2000?

Corbin McNeill (CEO of PECO Energy) and John Rowe (CEO of Unicom) structured the merger of equals that formed Exelon in 2000. McNeill and Rowe served as co-CEOs initially, combining ComEd's large Chicago retail customer base with PECO's low-cost nuclear operating expertise to create a utility leader.

What was the founding origin of Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE)?

BGE is the nation's first gas utility, founded in 1816 by Rembrandt Peale and a group of local investors as the Gas Light Company of Baltimore. BGE manufactured and piped coal gas to illuminate the streets of Baltimore before expanding into electric service in the late 19th century.

What historic role did the Potomac Electric Power Company (Pepco) play in Washington, D.C.?

Pepco was chartered by Congress in 1896 to electrify the streetcars, federal government buildings, monuments, and residences of the nation's capital. Over more than a century, Pepco expanded across Washington, D.C. and Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland.

How did the historical utilities combine their legacies into today's modern Exelon platform?

Through sequential mergers, PECO and ComEd forming Exelon in 2000, acquiring BGE via Constellation in 2012, and acquiring Pepco Holdings (Pepco, Delmarva Power, Atlantic City Electric) in 2016, Exelon united over two centuries of American utility history into a single integrated grid operator.

Who founded Exelon?

It was founded by corporate executives John Rowe (CEO of Unicom) and Corbin McNeill (CEO of PECO) in 2000. Rowe became the dominant force, eventually serving as the longest-tenured utility CEO in America and heavily advocating for federal carbon taxes.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.