FirstEnergy Electric Crews Mobilize to Assist with Anticipated Power Restoration Efforts in Florida Following Hurricane Milton

Rhea-AI Summary

FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) is mobilizing over 580 line workers and support personnel to assist with power restoration efforts in Florida following Hurricane Milton. Many crews previously involved in restoring power after Hurricane Helene in the Carolinas and Georgia will transition to Florida. Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast late Wednesday night, bringing severe impacts across west-central Florida.

FirstEnergy electric companies from Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and West Virginia are participating in the mutual assistance effort. Nearly 430 FirstEnergy personnel have already supported restoration efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall on Sept. 25 with 140 mph winds, affecting over 6 million customers.

John Huber, Director of Emergency Preparedness at FirstEnergy, emphasized the company's commitment to helping rebuild communities impacted by severe weather events. FirstEnergy has been recognized multiple times by the Edison Electric Institute for its mutual assistance efforts during winter and summer storms.

Positive

• FirstEnergy is sending over 580 line workers and support personnel to assist with power restoration in Florida
• The company's mutual assistance efforts demonstrate its commitment to community support and industry collaboration
• FirstEnergy has received multiple awards from the Edison Electric Institute for its emergency assistance efforts

Negative

• None.

Insights

Utility Operations Expert

FirstEnergy's mobilization of 580+ line workers and support personnel for Hurricane Milton recovery in Florida demonstrates the company's strong commitment to mutual assistance. This large-scale deployment, following closely on the heels of Hurricane Helene support, showcases FirstEnergy's operational flexibility and resource management capabilities.

The transition of crews from Helene recovery to Milton preparation highlights efficient resource allocation. This rapid response capability is important for utilities facing increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events. It's a positive indicator of FirstEnergy's operational readiness and could potentially lead to increased reliability ratings and customer satisfaction scores.

While this effort won't directly impact FirstEnergy's bottom line, it strengthens industry relationships and positions the company favorably for reciprocal aid in future emergencies. This proactive approach to disaster response aligns with best practices in the utility sector and may enhance FirstEnergy's reputation among regulators and stakeholders.

Risk Management Analyst

FirstEnergy's involvement in mutual assistance programs is a strategic risk mitigation measure. By participating in these efforts, the company not only aids others but also gains valuable experience in managing large-scale outages and extreme weather scenarios. This knowledge transfer can be important for improving FirstEnergy's own emergency response capabilities.

The company's ability to deploy resources across multiple states while maintaining local operations demonstrates robust resource planning. This flexibility is essential in an industry facing increasing climate-related challenges. However, investors should note that extended deployments could potentially impact local service quality or response times if severe weather were to affect FirstEnergy's own service areas simultaneously.

The multiple "Emergency Assistance Award" recognitions from EEI underscore FirstEnergy's strong performance in these mutual aid efforts, which can positively influence regulatory relationships and potentially support favorable treatment in rate case decisions. This indirectly contributes to the company's financial stability and operational effectiveness.

Many crews expected to transition from Helene aid in Carolinas and Georgia

AKRON, Ohio, Oct. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As Hurricane Milton bears down on the west coast of Florida, FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) electric companies are sending more than 580 line workers and support personnel to assist Florida Power & Light and Duke Energy with anticipated power restoration efforts following the storm. Many of the crews previously involved in restoring power after Hurricane Helene in the Carolinas and Georgia will be transitioning to Florida in the upcoming days. A new wave of support personnel also began departing from FirstEnergy's service area this morning, and all are anticipated to arrive in Florida on Friday after the storm passes.

Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast late Wednesday night, with devastating impacts from storm surge, flooding rain, tornadoes and damaging winds forecast across many parts of west-central Florida.

View or download a video of a FirstEnergy line worker explaining mutual aid work with footage from their efforts to restore power following Hurricane Helene.

FirstEnergy electric companies in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and West Virginia are part of the mutual assistance effort, which includes crews from Ohio Edison, Toledo Edison and The Illuminating Company in Ohio; Penn Power, Penelec, West Penn Power and Met-Ed in Pennsylvania; Mon Power in West Virginia; Potomac Edison in West Virginia and Maryland; and Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) in New Jersey.

John Huber, Director of Emergency Preparedness at FirstEnergy: "FirstEnergy employees are answering the call to help rebuild communities expected to be impacted by Hurricane Milton. These dedicated crews leave their own families for weeks at a time to support large-scale power restoration efforts, where their expertise shines in aiding communities to rebuild their power grids after severe weather events. Although Hurricane Milton is not projected to impact any FirstEnergy service territories, we have thoroughly evaluated the conditions and have the necessary personnel in place to support consistent operations for our local customers."

Nearly 430 FirstEnergy line workers and support personnel have collectively supported Duke Carolinas in North and South Carolina, Georgia Power in Georgia and Appalachian Power and American Electric Power in Virginia in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Helene made landfall on Sept. 25 with 140 mph winds and a tremendous storm surge, making it the strongest hurricane on record to hit the Big Bend region of Florida. As it moved inland, the Category 4 storm knocked out power to more than 6 million customers and decimated many communities in Georgia and the Carolinas with up to 30 inches of rain and historic flooding.

Nearly 100 of the line workers and personnel who assisted in the Hurricane Helene effort will relocate to Florida, while the others will be released to return home in the next few days.

FirstEnergy is a member of multiple electric utility mutual-assistance groups that work cooperatively to restore service to customers when a natural disaster causes large-scale power outages. Mutual assistance allows utilities to pool their resources to help restore power to customers faster. FirstEnergy and its employees have been honored more than a dozen times by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) with its "Emergency Assistance Award" for the mutual assistance the company has provided during winter and summer storms.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at firstenergycorp.com. Follow FirstEnergy on X: @FirstEnergyCorp.

 

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

FAQ

How many FirstEnergy (FE) workers are being sent to assist with Hurricane Milton recovery efforts in Florida?

FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) is sending more than 580 line workers and support personnel to assist with anticipated power restoration efforts in Florida following Hurricane Milton.

When is Hurricane Milton expected to make landfall in Florida?

Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast late Wednesday night, October 11, 2024.

Which FirstEnergy (FE) electric companies are participating in the Hurricane Milton mutual assistance effort?

FirstEnergy electric companies from Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and West Virginia are participating in the mutual assistance effort for Hurricane Milton recovery.

How many customers were affected by Hurricane Helene, which FirstEnergy (FE) crews previously assisted with?

Hurricane Helene, which made landfall on September 25, 2024, knocked out power to more than 6 million customers and caused significant damage in Georgia and the Carolinas.