First Energy Corporation was founded in 1930 and is based in Akron (Ohio). The company operates in five states: Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and West Virginia. The subsidiaries of the company provide electricity to over six million customers, mostly from hydroelectric and nuclear power plants, but also natural gas.
A lot of the subsidiaries of the company also have other energy-related businesses such as power generation and transport, energy management, or other services related to energy. Some of the subsidiaries of the company include The Illuminating Company, Metropolitan Edison, Penn Power, Potomac Edison, and Penn Power. FirstEnergy owns 10 utilities that span across a 36100 square mile area. The distribution utilities of the company serve more than 4.5 million customers, which covers around 269,000 miles of power lines.
One of the main focuses of the company is the creation and operation of its electricity grid, which includes a system that covers 3,300 square miles of the southeastern region of Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey. The company is the owner of the largest electrical transmission network in the United States. The network is located in the New York City Metro Area and Upstate New York. The company also owns coal-combustion waste for the Bruce Mansfield Power Station in Pennsylvania.
The company is also involved in the design and production of EV charging stations and energy storage systems in partnership with the top manufacturers in the country. The company’s subsidiaries are involved in financing solar LED, SOLAR/LED, and LED lighting projects. In addition the company provides various general education classes designed to help students improve their technical abilities and prepare for the electrical industry.
The political committee of FirstEnergy has contributed more than $1.2 million to candidates in the two most recent elections. FirstEnergy Solutions, the bondholder section of the company, contributed close to $200,000 in the most recent election cycle to candidates for statewide offices. It also represents the bondholders group in the Ohio Statehouse. It is composed of a mix of individuals from the Oxley Group, Calfee Halter Griswold, CJR Group, and the Success Group. Its lobbyists include Anthony Aquillo and McKenzie Davis from the Success Group, Brian Durdle and Lori Herf from Baker Hostetler, Geoffrey Verhoff from Akin Gump, Josh Rubin from CJR Group, and Britt Warner from Calfee Halter Griswold.
FirstEnergy’s subsidiaries actively promote clean energy. They state that their efforts are in favor of a sustainable energy future. They are also dedicated to helping their communities through their numerous charitable causes. The STEM Grant and FirstEnergy Foundation are two examples. These foundations provide funds to local organizations that work to improve their community’s infrastructure for economic and environmental development. FirstEnergy also committed $5 million for research into alternative energy sources and $5 million for Habitat for Humanity. The company also hosted a 1MW test at a pilot plant of carbon capture retrofitting equipment.
FirstEnergy also owns part of the transmission lines for Penn Power, which is part of the company’s network. In reality the subsidiary of the company, Penn Power, provides electric service to more than 160,000 homes and businesses across western and central Pennsylvania.