William States Lee

William States Lee held an incredibly rigorous, deeply technical background in advanced civil and electrical engineering. Educated at The Citadel, his highly specialized background surveying and constructing massive river dam projects provided the exact technical authority and infrastructural mastery required to architect the incredibly complex, multi-state power grid demanded by James B. Duke.

William States Lee was a brilliant American civil and electrical engineer who served as the critical technical co-founder of what is now Duke Energy. When Dr. W. Gill Wylie and James B. Duke decided to aggressively invest in hydroelectric power in the Carolinas, they required a master engineer to execute their massive vision. Lee, holding an elite engineering degree from The Citadel, served as the chief engineer for the Catawba Power Company and subsequently the Southern Power Company. He personally designed and supervised the construction of a massive, incredibly complex network of dams and power stations along the Catawba River, fundamentally electrifying the American South and establishing the physical infrastructure that still powers the modern Duke Energy grid.