FirstEnergy Utilities Have Restored More Than 433,000 Customers Affected by Damaging Summer Storm

AKRON, Ohio, July 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- An army of nearly 5,700 FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) employees, contractors, and outside utility workers continue around-the-clock efforts that have restored service to 433,000 of the 566,000 customers affected by the storm that hit the region on Friday night. 

While restoration efforts are wrapping up for FirstEnergy customers in western Pennsylvania affected by the storm, revised estimated restoration times have been established for customers in West Virginia, Maryland and Ohio who remain without power.

West Virginia
West Virginia was the hardest-hit area.  FirstEnergy's Mon Power and Potomac Edison operating companies both serve customers in the state.  Estimated restoration times for customers without service in the following cities and counties:

Maryland
Potomac Edison also serves customers in Maryland.  The majority of affected customers around Thurmont in Frederick County should be restored by midnight tonight; customers in Carroll, Howard and Montgomery counties and other parts of Frederick County should be restored by midnight Wednesday; and customers in Allegany and Garrett counties by midnight Thursday.

Ohio
From Friday's storm, about 900 customers in the Springfield area remain without power and the majority should be restored by late Wednesday.  

As debris from the storm continues to be cleared, customers are cautioned never to touch downed lines.  Customers should always assume downed wires are carrying electricity and are reminded to keep their children and pets away from downed wires.  Downed wires should be reported immediately to your electric company or local police or fire department.  Customers should never try to remove trees or limbs from power lines because they could conduct electricity; instead, wait for emergency services or utility crews to arrive. 

Customers can view timely, accurate and easy-to-use outage information through FirstEnergy's "24/7 Power Center" maps, accessible on desktops, smart phones and mobile devices at www.firstenergycorp.com/outages.

During significant service interruptions, outage information is also available via the company's Twitter accounts.  A list of all accounts is available here:  www.firstenergycorp.com/newsroom/social_media.

Mon Power serves 500,000 customers in 47 West Virginia counties; Potomac Edison serves approximately 250,000 customers in seven Maryland counties and 135,000 customers in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia; and Ohio Edison serves more than 1 million customers in Ohio.

FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence.  Its 10 electric distribution companies comprise one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems.  Its diverse generating fleet features non-emitting nuclear, scrubbed baseload coal, natural gas, and pumped-storage hydro and other renewables, and has a total generating capacity of nearly 23,000 megawatts.

SOURCE FirstEnergy