Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers predicted Thursday that federal regulators are “more likely than not” to approve its merger with Progress Energy – but that Duke would be fine without it.

Rogers got a single question about the $26 billion merger at Duke’s annual shareholders meeting. Two dozen other speakers, many of them environmental advocates, challenged Duke’s reliance on coal and nuclear power, its January rate hike and political spending.

But front and center for Duke and Progress is their narrowing window of time to win Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval of the merger, which would create the nation’s largest utility. FERC has rejected the merger twice.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Rogers said he thinks it still likely FERC and state utility commissions will approve the deal in time for it to close July 1.