FirstEnergy

Corporate brand

An Akron-based investor-owned electric utility holding company focused on regulated distribution, transmission, and generation in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic United States.

Last updated October 24, 2026

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Overview

FirstEnergy Corp. is an American electric utility holding company headquartered in Akron, Ohio. The company was created on November 7, 1997, when Ohio Edison acquired Centerior Energy and its electric utility subsidiaries. It subsequently expanded through the 2001 acquisition of GPU, Inc. and the 2011 merger with Allegheny Energy, building a large investor-owned electricity system across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. FirstEnergy’s principal business is regulated electricity infrastructure. Its operating companies distribute electricity to residential, commercial, industrial and governmental customers, while affiliated transmission companies own and operate high-voltage infrastructure connecting the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic power markets. The company also retains regulated generation assets, including generation operated through its West Virginia businesses. FirstEnergy’s principal operating brands include Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company, Toledo Edison, Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, West Penn Power, Jersey Central Power & Light, Mon Power and Potomac Edison. The company historically had a much larger competitive-generation business. FirstEnergy Solutions, later reorganized as Energy Harbor, marketed electricity and operated or managed a substantial portfolio of competitive power plants. FirstEnergy announced in 2016 that it intended to exit competitive, commodity-exposed operations and concentrate on regulated utility activities. FirstEnergy Solutions filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2018 and emerged in 2020 as Energy Harbor. Energy Harbor was later acquired by Vistra, leaving FirstEnergy primarily focused on regulated utilities and transmission. FirstEnergy serves customers across several states through a network covering a large multistate territory. Its business model is based mainly on regulated rates approved by state commissions, transmission-rate mechanisms and investments in distribution reliability, grid modernization, storm hardening, system capacity and customer service. The company’s 2025 reporting described its principal reportable activities as distribution, integrated utility operations and stand-alone transmission. Its transmission subsidiaries operate roughly 24,000 miles of transmission lines, while its regulated generation portfolio includes approximately 3,610 megawatts of net maximum capacity as of early 2026. FirstEnergy has also been associated with major controversies. Its predecessor and affiliated utilities were central participants in the 2003 Northeast blackout, which investigators attributed in significant part to failures in vegetation management, system monitoring and operational procedures in an Ohio transmission area. The company later faced major environmental litigation over pollution controls at coal-fired plants. The most consequential corporate scandal was the Ohio House Bill 6 bribery scheme. Federal prosecutors and regulators alleged, and FirstEnergy acknowledged in its 2021 deferred-prosecution agreement, that company executives used nonprofit entities and millions of dollars in payments to influence Ohio officials and secure legislation benefiting the company’s nuclear assets. The company agreed to pay a $230 million federal criminal penalty, later paid a $100 million SEC civil penalty, and implemented governance and compliance reforms. Former executives Charles E. Jones and Michael Dowling were indicted in 2025 in a related racketeering case; the charges are allegations and do not establish guilt. Since the scandal, FirstEnergy has emphasized compliance, transparency, reliability and investment in regulated infrastructure. Brian X. Tierney became president and chief executive officer in June 2023 and later also became chairman. Under his leadership, the company has presented itself as a regulated electric utility centered on grid investment, operational performance, customer experience and energy-transition readiness. The corporate headquarters remains in Akr…

History

FirstEnergy’s corporate history combines several important Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia and Maryland utility lineages. One predecessor, Ohio Edison Company, emerged in 1930 through the consolidation of roughly 200 electric companies. By the middle of the twentieth century, Ohio Edison had developed into a holding company with Ohio Edison and Pennsylvania Power as principal utility operations. Pennsylvania Power later became part of FirstEnergy’s Pennsylvania operating structure. Centerior Energy was created in 1986 through the affiliation of The Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison. The Illuminating Company traced its roots to the early twentieth century and became a major supplier in the Cleveland area, while Toledo Edison served northwestern Ohio. Ohio Edison acquired Centerior Energy in 1997 in a stock transaction valued at approximately $1.6 billion, forming FirstEnergy. The new company pursued restructuring and cost reduction while integrating the inherited operating companies. FirstEnergy expanded materially in 2001 through its merger with GPU, Inc. GPU’s utility businesses included Jersey Central Power & Light in New Jersey, Pennsylvania Electric Company, commonly known as Penelec, and Metropolitan Edison. The transaction also brought GPU-related service businesses into the FirstEnergy group. GPU had historical connections to the Three Mile Island nuclear plant and had reorganized its corporate structure during the 1990s. A major later expansion came through the combination with Allegheny Energy. Allegheny operated West Penn Power in Pennsylvania, Monongahela Power in West Virginia and The Potomac Edison Company in Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia, in addition to generation assets. FirstEnergy and Allegheny announced their merger plans in 2010, received required approvals and completed the combination on February 25, 2011. The transaction strengthened FirstEnergy’s position as one of the largest investor-owned electric utility systems in the United States by customer count. Allegheny’s Virginia service territory was excluded from the transaction and was sold separately to electric cooperatives. FirstEnergy’s history also includes the August 14, 2003 Northeast blackout. The cascading outage affected approximately 55 million people in the northeastern and Midwestern United States and Ontario. Investigations identified failures involving FirstEnergy’s Ohio transmission operations, including vegetation management, alarm systems and situational awareness. The episode became a landmark event in North American electric-grid reliability policy and contributed to strengthened reliability standards. For much of the 2000s and 2010s, FirstEnergy operated both regulated utilities and competitive generation businesses. Its competitive subsidiary FirstEnergy Solutions sold electricity and managed generation assets in wholesale markets. The company also pursued coal, nuclear, hydropower, solar and experimental energy-storage projects. Environmental litigation concerning coal-plant pollution controls led to a major settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2008, requiring pollution-control investments and substantial payments. In November 2016, FirstEnergy announced that it intended to exit competitive businesses and focus on regulated utility operations. Market conditions continued to pressure the competitive-generation portfolio. FirstEnergy Solutions filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 31, 2018. The company emerged from bankruptcy in 2020 as Energy Harbor, separating the competitive generation platform from FirstEnergy’s regulated utility operations. Energy Harbor was later acquired by Vistra. FirstEnergy’s most serious governance crisis involved Ohio House Bill 6. Federal prosecutors alleged that company executives directed approximately $60 million through nonprofit entities to influence Ohio officials, secure passage of nuclear legislation and protect the company’s financial interests. The legislation provided subsidies for the Perry and Davis–Besse nuclear plants, which were then associated with FirstEnergy’s generation business. The company terminated CEO Charles E. Jones and other executives in October 2020. In July 2021, FirstEnergy entered a deferred-prosecution agreement, admitted facts concerning payments to public officials and agreed to pay $230 million. The company later settled SEC charges for $100 million in 2024 and undertook corporate-governance and compliance reforms. Since 2023, FirstEnergy has been led by Brian X. Tierney. The company’s current strategy centers on regulated electricity distribution, transmission, grid modernization, reliability, customer service and regulated generation. Its corporate headquarters remains in Akron, while its operating companies continue to serve customers across Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and related transmission markets.

2025
Ohio regulatory customer refunds and civil forfeiture
[5]Ohio FirstEnergy bribery scandalen.wikipedia.org
Ohio regulators ordered refunds and a civil forfeiture in proceedings tied to the House Bill 6 scandal.
2024
Energize365 introduced
[4]FirstEnergy Energize365 Grid Investmentsfirstenergycorp.com
The company launched a multiyear grid-evolution program focused on reliability, modernization, smart meters, renewable interconnection, and electrification.
2024
SEC settlement
[6]FirstEnergy to pay $100M to settle SEC HB 6 bribery investigationutilitydive.com
FirstEnergy agreed to pay $100 million to resolve SEC allegations related to the House Bill 6 political-payment scheme and internal controls.
2021
Federal deferred-prosecution agreement
[5]Ohio FirstEnergy bribery scandalen.wikipedia.org
FirstEnergy agreed to a $230 million federal penalty and undertook corporate compliance and governance reforms.
2020
Commodity-exposed generation business separated
[1]FirstEnergy Company Historyfirstenergycorp.com
FirstEnergy refocused the company on regulated distribution, transmission, and generation operations.
2020
House Bill 6 scandal becomes public
[5]Ohio FirstEnergy bribery scandalen.wikipedia.org
Federal prosecutors charged individuals in a political-corruption case involving payments linked to the passage and defense of House Bill 6.
2019
Ohio House Bill 6 becomes law
[5]Ohio FirstEnergy bribery scandalen.wikipedia.org
Ohio enacted legislation that included subsidies for FirstEnergy-affiliated nuclear plants and changes to state energy policy.
2011
Allegheny Energy acquisition
[1]FirstEnergy Company Historyfirstenergycorp.com
The acquisition expanded FirstEnergy’s service territory, transmission assets, and generation operations across the Mid-Atlantic.
2001
GPU acquisition expands Mid-Atlantic operations
[1]FirstEnergy Company Historyfirstenergycorp.com
FirstEnergy combined with GPU, Inc., broadening its regulated utility footprint and generation portfolio.
1997
FirstEnergy is formed
[1]FirstEnergy Company Historyfirstenergycorp.com
Ohio Edison Company merged with Centerior Energy Corporation, creating FirstEnergy as a regional electric utility holding company.

Products and positioning

A large regulated electric utility platform serving Midwest and Mid-Atlantic customers, with emphasis on electricity distribution, transmission reliability, regulated generation, grid investment, operational performance, customer service, and compliance-driven corporate reform.

Electric utility service · 1997
Regulated electricity distribution
FirstEnergy’s regulated distribution utilities deliver electricity to residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional customers. The local operating companies maintain distribution lines, substations, transformers, meters, service connections, vegetation-management programs, outage systems, and emergency-restoration capabilities. Historic customer brands include Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company, Toledo Edison, Jersey Central Power & Light, Mon Power, and Potomac Edison. In Pennsylvania, four legacy utility brands were consolidated operationally into FirstEnergy Pennsylvania in 2024.
High-voltage transmission · 1997
Electric transmission
FirstEnergy’s transmission business owns and operates high-voltage infrastructure linking electricity generators, distribution utilities, and regional power markets. Its major transmission subsidiaries include American Transmission Systems, Mid-Atlantic Interstate Transmission, and Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line. The business supports bulk-power reliability, regional power transfers, interconnection of new generation, and the delivery of electricity across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.
Electric generation · 1997
Regulated generation
After separating from its commodity-exposed generation business in 2020, FirstEnergy retained regulated generation operations associated primarily with Mon Power and related assets in West Virginia and Maryland. The generation business is managed within the company’s regulated utility structure and supports local reliability, customer supply, and state-regulated utility operations.
Grid infrastructure · 2024
Grid modernization and smart-grid services
Through Energize365, FirstEnergy invests in transmission resilience, distribution automation, system monitoring, smart meters, outage-management technology, cybersecurity, and other grid-management capabilities. The objective is to reduce outage frequency and duration, improve operational flexibility, support distributed energy resources, and prepare the network for electric vehicles, building electrification, renewable generation, and new industrial demand.
Utility customer services · 1997
Customer and energy-efficiency programs
FirstEnergy’s utilities provide customer account management, billing, service connections, outage reporting, emergency restoration, energy-efficiency programs, demand-management support, and educational resources. These services are delivered through the company’s local utility brands and are shaped by state public-utility regulation and approved rate structures.

Controversies

2024
SEC internal-controls and investor-disclosure settlement
The SEC alleged that FirstEnergy misrepresented aspects of its role in the House Bill 6 scheme to investors and failed to maintain accurate books, records, and internal accounting controls concerning payments to third-party organizations. FirstEnergy agreed to pay $100 million and continued its compliance-reform program.
Source
2024
Ohio state enforcement settlement
FirstEnergy reached a state-level Ohio settlement involving approximately $20 million and a no-prosecution agreement conditioned on cooperation and compliance. The agreement formed part of the broader response to the House Bill 6 scandal.
Source
2020
Ohio House Bill 6 bribery scandal
Federal prosecutors alleged that FirstEnergy and related interests routed approximately $60 million through political organizations associated with former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder to support his political power, advance House Bill 6, and defend the legislation from repeal. The law included customer-funded subsidies benefiting FirstEnergy-affiliated nuclear plants and changes to Ohio energy policy. FirstEnergy admitted its role in the scheme, dismissed involved executives, and entered a federal deferred-prosecution agreement.
Source
2020
FirstEnergy shareholder files civil suit alleging executive misconduct
A FirstEnergy shareholder, John Gendrich, filed a civil lawsuit naming FirstEnergy as a defendant. His lawyers alleged that company executives breached their duties to the company and its shareholders and engaged in criminal conduct. These are allegations made in the suit and not a court finding. The event was reported in July 2020.
Source

2024Energize365
United States · Ohio · Pennsylvania · New Jersey · West Virginia · Maryland · New York
Energize365 is FirstEnergy’s multiyear grid-evolution initiative. It combines transmission and distribution investment with automation, smart meters, renewable interconnection, electric-vehicle readiness, energy efficiency, electrification support, and reliability improvements.
Outcome. The initiative is active and positioned as the company’s principal infrastructure-modernization and growth platform.
Source
Lighting the Way
United States
Lighting the Way is a corporate communications and community-engagement campaign presenting FirstEnergy employees, customer-support activities, environmental projects, and local community involvement.
Outcome. The campaign supports employer branding, community relations, and the company’s public positioning around service and local engagement.
Source

Brand decisions

2025
Ohio customer-refund and civil-forfeiture orderOther
Background
Ohio regulators examined the conduct of FirstEnergy’s Ohio utilities in proceedings associated with the House Bill 6 scandal and its ratepayer effects.
Action taken
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio ordered the utilities to refund $186 million to customers and pay $64 million in civil forfeiture.
Aftermath
The order extended the financial and regulatory consequences of the scandal beyond the federal and SEC settlements.
Customer refunds and civil forfeiture. 186 million USD in refunds and 64 million USD civil forfeiture (2025)
Source
2024
Launch of Energize365Strategy
Background
FirstEnergy sought to address aging infrastructure, outage resilience, growing electricity demand, distributed energy resources, electrification, and renewable interconnection across its service territory.
Action taken
The company launched Energize365 as a multiyear distribution and transmission modernization initiative involving grid automation, smart meters, resilience upgrades, renewable connections, and customer-focused infrastructure investment.
Aftermath
Energize365 became the company’s central public framework for capital investment, grid modernization, and long-term regulated growth.
Planned distribution and transmission investment. 26 billion USD (2024-2028)
Source
2024
SEC settlement and continued governance reformOther
Background
The SEC investigated FirstEnergy’s investor disclosures, books and records, internal accounting controls, and payments connected with the House Bill 6 scheme.
Action taken
FirstEnergy agreed to pay $100 million and continued implementing a new compliance and ethics program, revised political-activity and lobbying policies, executive terminations, and enhanced legal oversight.
Aftermath
The settlement added a major securities-regulatory resolution to the company’s criminal and state-level settlements and reinforced its post-scandal corporate-reform agenda.
SEC settlement payment. 100 million USD (2024)
Source
2021
Federal deferred-prosecution agreement and compliance overhaulOther
Background
FirstEnergy’s political payments and related conduct became the subject of federal criminal and regulatory investigations connected with House Bill 6.
Action taken
The company agreed to a $230 million federal penalty, cooperated with investigators, terminated employees and executives involved in misconduct, and strengthened its ethics, compliance, political-activity, and internal-control systems.
Aftermath
The agreement allowed the company to avoid immediate criminal prosecution while imposing compliance obligations and reshaping corporate governance and leadership.
Federal penalty. 230 million USD (2021)
Source
2020
Refocus on regulated utility operationsStrategy
Background
FirstEnergy faced exposure to volatile wholesale power markets through its commodity-exposed generation business while also operating regulated distribution and transmission assets.
Action taken
The company separated from its commodity-exposed generation business and concentrated on regulated distribution, transmission, and generation operations.
Aftermath
The strategic shift made regulated infrastructure, grid reliability, customer service, and transmission investment the core of FirstEnergy’s business model.
Source

Recent events

2020-09-21
FirstEnergy launches Stop. Look. Live. safety campaign[10]FirstEnergy 推出 Stop. Look. Live. 安全宣传活动prnewswire.com
Reported: 2020-09-21
FirstEnergy launched its “Stop. Look. Live.” public safety campaign to educate the public about staying safe around electricity and near its power lines and equipment.
2020-07-25
FirstEnergy shareholder files civil suit alleging executive misconduct[9]FirstEnergy shareholder files civil suit alleging executive misconductbeaconjournal.com
Reported: 2020-07-28
Shareholder John Gendrich filed a civil lawsuit naming FirstEnergy as a defendant. His lawyers allege that company executives breached duties to the company and shareholders and engaged in criminal conduct; these are allegations in the suit, not a court finding.
2019-11-04
FirstEnergy reports third-quarter 2019 results[11]FirstEnergy公布2019年第三季度业绩prnewswire.com
Reported: 2019-11-04
FirstEnergy reported third-quarter 2019 GAAP earnings of $391 million and revenue of $3 billion, and reported operating earnings of $0.76 per share.
2019-11-04
FirstEnergy updates 2019 and provides 2020 earnings guidance[11]FirstEnergy公布2019年第三季度业绩prnewswire.com
Reported: 2019-11-04
FirstEnergy refined its 2019 earnings guidance and provided 2020 guidance, including a 2020 GAAP and operating earnings range of $2.40 to $2.60 per share.
2019-10-29
FirstEnergy launches employee education program with two colleges[12]FirstEnergy与两所学院推出员工教育项目prnewswire.com
Reported: 2019-10-29
FirstEnergy developed the Educate to Elevate program with Stark State College and The University of Akron. The colleges will provide on-site instruction to FirstEnergy customer service employees pursuing associate and bachelor's degrees.

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