Witness Midwest Generation, a nonregulated subsidiary of Edison International that bought six coal plants from troubled Commonwealth Edison of Chicago in 1999.

FORBES: Indigestion

During his time at Unicom predecessor Commonwealth Edison, Rowe changed the course of the company's future to focus on nuclear power instead of dirtier coal and oil-fired plants. (See "Exelon's Carbon Advantage").

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But its most fascinating character is Samuel Insull, the British-born, longtime assistant to Edison, who went on to found what was once the nation's largest investor-owned public utility, Commonwealth Edison, and became immensely wealthy.

FORBES: American Pyramids