FirstEnergy Recognizes Frontline Crews on Lineworker Appreciation Day

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FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) is commemorating Lineworker Appreciation Day on April 18, 2025, honoring its workforce of nearly 2,500 line workers. The company's crews demonstrated exceptional performance in 2024, particularly during a severe storm in northeast Ohio that affected over 627,700 customers, where they replaced 500 poles, 231 transformers, and 75 miles of wire, achieving 94% power restoration within days.

FirstEnergy lineworkers also provided important mutual assistance during Hurricanes Helene and Milton, with approximately 645 workers contributing over 150,000 personnel-hours to restoration efforts across multiple states. Their outstanding service earned FirstEnergy both the Emergency Recovery Award and Emergency Assistance Award from the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) in February 2025.

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• Successful restoration of power to 94% of affected customers within days during major storm event
• Recognition with two prestigious industry awards for emergency response performance
• Demonstrated strong emergency response capabilities with 150,000 personnel-hours in hurricane assistance

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• None.

Annual event recognizes contributions of men and women who work to keep lights on

AKRON, Ohio, April 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) is joining electric companies around the country to honor the men and women who work 24/7/365 to keep power flowing ahead of Lineworker Appreciation Day, celebrated nationally each year on April 18.

Wade Smith, President of FirstEnergy Utilities: "Lineworkers face hazards every day when they go up in their buckets, climb poles or work on underground power lines, but they don't hesitate to show up in some of the toughest conditions imaginable to safely get the lights back on for homes and businesses throughout our country. On behalf of all employees at FirstEnergy, we say a loud and proud 'thank you' to our men and women for their commitment and resiliency."

A video highlighting FirstEnergy's lineworkers is available on the company's YouTube channel.

National Lineman Appreciation Day was established in 2013 by congressional resolution to recognize the tireless work of frontline electric crews in restoring power after Hurricane Sandy.

Over the past year, FirstEnergy's nearly 2,500 line workers responded to several large-scale outage events in their home territories and provided mutual assistance to fellow electric companies in other parts of the country following national disasters, including Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

On Aug. 6, 2024, one of the most impactful storms to hit FirstEnergy's northeast Ohio service territory since 1993 spawned five tornadoes, a microburst with straight-line winds of 70-90 miles per hour and heavy rains and thunderstorms that brought wind gusts of up to 80 miles per hour. More than 627,700 FirstEnergy customers lost power as the system continued across Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey. Within days, FirstEnergy lineworkers replaced nearly 500 poles, 231 transformers and 75 miles of wire, restoring power to 94% of the affected customers by Aug. 11.

Just over a month later, FirstEnergy crews hit the road to assist in restoration efforts in the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia and Virginia after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Approximately 645 lineworkers logged more than 150,000 personnel-hours to help restore power to local homes and businesses in the wake of the storms.

Thanks to the efforts of these hardworking crews, FirstEnergy was recognized with the Emergency Recovery Award and Emergency Assistance Award from the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) in February of this year.

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 more than 6 million 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 and on X @FirstEnergyCorp.

Editor's Note: B-roll and media soundbites from FirstEnergy lineworkers are available for download via Dropbox.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/firstenergy-recognizes-frontline-crews-on-lineworker-appreciation-day-302430639.html

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

FAQ

How many customers were affected by FirstEnergy's (FE) August 2024 northeast Ohio storm outage?

627,700 FirstEnergy customers lost power across Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey.

What infrastructure did FirstEnergy (FE) replace during the August 2024 storm recovery?

Crews replaced nearly 500 poles, 231 transformers, and 75 miles of wire.

How many personnel hours did FirstEnergy (FE) workers contribute during Hurricanes Helene and Milton?

645 lineworkers logged more than 150,000 personnel-hours in restoration efforts.

What awards did FirstEnergy (FE) receive for their 2024 storm response efforts?

FirstEnergy received the Emergency Recovery Award and Emergency Assistance Award from the Edison Electric Institute in February 2025.