FirstEnergy Utilities Restore Power to More than 500,000 Customers Affected by Hurricane Irene

AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Service has been restored to more than 500,000 FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) customers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland following Hurricane Irene.  Crews continue working to restore another 420,000 customers who remain without power as a result of the storm, primarily in areas served by Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), Metropolitan Edison (Met-Ed) and Pennsylvania Electric Company (Penelec).  

Many of the areas that remain without power experienced severe flooding as a result of the storm and remain inaccessible to utility crews, which has hampered the damage assessment and restoration process.  Two major JCP&L substations remain underwater and several Met-Ed transmission lines have been damaged.  However, preliminary outage restoration times are projected:

• JCP&L – At the peak, 670,000 customers were affected, with 320,000 restored at this time.  A majority of the remaining 350,000 customers should be restored by the weekend, with full restoration by early next week.
• Met-Ed – At the peak, 197,000 customers were affected, with 139,000 restored at this time.  The majority of the affected customers should be restored by midnight Friday.
• Penelec – At the peak, 37,000 customers were affected, with more than 25,000 restored at this time.  All affected customers should be restored by midnight Wednesday.

In addition, Hurricane Irene affected 19,000 customers in Maryland served by Potomac Edison.  All of these customers were restored earlier today and 55 FirstEnergy crews and other support personnel involved in that restoration effort are being deployed to JCP&L areas.

Overall, more than 4,000 employees, including lineworkers, damage assessors, hazard responders, and forestry crews from FirstEnergy Corp. utilities are assisting with the response to Hurricane Irene.  In addition to the previously mentioned utilities, lineworkers and support personnel from the following FirstEnergy companies are involved in the restoration effort: Ohio Edison, Pennsylvania Power, Toledo Edison, Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company, West Penn Power and Mon Power.  

As debris from the storm is being 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.  They should wait for emergency services or utility crews to arrive.  

FirstEnergy customer call centers are fully staffed, with more than 650 representatives available to take customer calls.  JCP&L, Met-Ed and Penelec customers should call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) – it's the fastest way to begin the restoration process.

Tips for customers without power:

• Avoid opening the refrigerator or freezer.  A full freezer can keep food frozen for up to three days if it's kept closed.
• Keep flashlights with fresh batteries in your home.  
• Unplug major appliances until after the power has been restored.  Keep one light connected so you will know when the power is back on.
• Make sure you have fresh batteries in a portable radio so you can stay tuned to your local radio station for updates on our progress
• Never use a stove or oven to heat your home.
• Burning candles should never be left unattended in a house.
• Gasoline-powered generators should never be operated inside a home or attached garage.

Customer Generators

• To ensure the safety of the home's occupants as well as that of utility company employees who may be working on power lines in the area, the proper generator should be selected and installed by a qualified electrician.  When operating a generator, always disconnect the power coming into your home.  Otherwise, power from your generator could be sent back onto the utility company lines, creating a hazardous situation for utility workers.

For updated information on hurricane restoration news, current outages, FirstEnergy's storm restoration process and tips for staying safe after a storm, go to www.firstenergycorp.com.

JCP&L serves 1.1 million customers in 13 New Jersey counties, and Met-Ed serves 560,000 customers in 13 Pennsylvania counties.  Other FirstEnergy utilities impacted by Hurricane Irene include Penelec, which serves 600,000 customers in 31 Pennsylvania counties, and Potomac Edison, which serves approximately 250,000 customers in seven Maryland counties and 135,000 customers in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.  

FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence.  Its 10 electric distribution companies comprise the nation's largest investor-owned electric system.  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 approximately 23,000 megawatts.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.