Crews Representing 18 States Making Progress Restoring Power to FirstEnergy Customers Following Stormy Week

Rhea-AI Summary

FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) is working to restore power across West Virginia and Pennsylvania following severe storms this week. More than 430,000 customers lost power due to heavy rain and straight-line winds on Tuesday, with additional outages from Thursday thunderstorms. As of the report, 87% of affected customers (381,000) have had power restored. A workforce of 4,900 total workers from 18 states is supporting restoration efforts. Current restoration status by subsidiary: Mon Power (96% restored), Penn Power (96% restored), Penelec (92% restored), and West Penn Power (79% restored). Most remaining customers are expected to have power restored between May 2-5, with specific timelines varying by county. The company has established a Global Estimated Time of Restoration (ETR) system for customers to track individual outage status.

Positive

• Quick response with large workforce mobilization from 18 states (4,900 workers)
• High restoration rate with 87% of affected customers already back online
• Clear communication of restoration timeline expectations by county

Negative

• Extensive outage affecting 430,000 customers across multiple service areas
• Some areas facing extended restoration times up to May 5
• Multiple subsidiaries still dealing with significant outages, particularly West Penn Power at 79% restoration

Insights

Utility Operations Expert

FirstEnergy's large-scale power restoration effort shows standard industry response to significant weather event with 87% recovery achieved so far.

The coordinated power restoration effort by FirstEnergy following this week's storms demonstrates a significant operational response with 4,900 workers mobilized from 18 states. The scale of impact is substantial, with 430,000 customers losing power across multiple service territories, primarily in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

The 87% restoration rate achieved thus far (381,000 customers restored) indicates effective deployment of resources across the affected regions. The company's subsidiary-specific updates show varying progress levels:

• Mon Power and Penn Power have each restored service to 96% of affected customers
• Penelec has restored power to 92% of its impacted customers
• West Penn Power, which experienced the highest impact with 200,300 affected customers, has restored service to 79% of its customers

The tiered restoration timeline with county-specific estimated restoration times (ETRs) represents standard utility emergency response protocols, prioritizing repairs based on infrastructure damage assessment and resource availability. The extended restoration period reaching to May 5 for the hardest-hit areas in Armstrong and parts of Westmoreland counties suggests more complex damage requiring specialized repairs.

FirstEnergy's approach of shifting resources as work completes in less-affected areas follows industry best practices for multi-region impact events. The company's communication strategy of providing granular county-level restoration estimates helps manage customer expectations during the extended recovery period.

While storms of this magnitude create operational challenges, utilities maintain mutual assistance networks precisely for these scenarios. This event falls within the realm of normal operational risks for a utility company, albeit representing a significant weather event requiring substantial resources to address.

AKRON, Ohio, May 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Thousands of workers from FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE), along with outside support from 18 states, continue working around the clock restoring power to customers across parts of West Virginia and southwest and central Pennsylvania following damaging storms this week. Each day, service is being restored to large numbers of customers. In addition, significant progress removing trees and other debris is paving the way for the intricate work required to restore service in the hardest hit areas.

More than 430,000 FirstEnergy customers lost power due to storms that brought heavy rain and widespread areas of straight-line winds on Tuesday, followed by another line of thunderstorms that caused additional outages on Thursday. Pennsylvania and West Virginia are the hardest hit areas. Power has been restored to more than 381,000 customers, or 87% of those who were impacted by the storms.

FirstEnergy's crews have been joined by outside assistance from Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont and West Virginia, forming a contingent of approximately 4,900 total workers. As work wraps up in one area, crews are being moved to assist with restoration in other areas.

Updates by electric company as of 11 a.m.:

• Mon Power: Power has been restored to approximately 96% of the 52,900 customers who lost power due to the storms, and 2,000 customers remain without service. Power is expected to be restored to the majority of customers by 11 p.m. this evening.
• Penn Power: Power has been restored to approximately 96% of the 13,500 customers who lost power due to the storms. The approximately 500 customers who remain without power are expected to have service restored by 11:00 p.m. tomorrow.
• Penelec: Power has been restored to approximately 92% of the 124,200 customers who lost power due to the storms, and 9,600 customers remain without service. Power is expected to be restored to the majority of customers as follows:
  • Blair County – Saturday, May 3, by 11 p.m.
  • Cambria County – Saturday, May 3, by 11 p.m.
  • Clearfield County – Many customers in the county are expected to have power restored by Saturday, May 3, by 11 p.m.; customers in the hardest hit areas of the county are expected to have power restored by Sunday, May 4, by 11 p.m.
  • Indiana County – Saturday, May 3, by 11 p.m.
  • Mifflin County – Friday, May 2, by 11 p.m.
• West Penn Power: Power has been restored to approximately 79% of the 200,300 customers who lost power due to the storms, and 41,250 customers remain without service. Power is expected to be restored to the majority of customers as follows:
  • Allegheny County – Sunday, May 4, by 11 p.m.
  • Armstrong County – Monday, May 5, by 3 p.m.
  • Butler County – Sunday, May 4, by 11 p.m.
  • Centre County – Sunday, May 4, by 11 p.m.
  • Greene County – Saturday, May 3, by 11 p.m.
  • Washington County – Many customers in the county are expected to have power restored by Saturday, May 3, by 11 p.m.; customers in the hardest hit areas of the county are expected to have power restored by Sunday, May 4, by 11 p.m.
  • Westmoreland County – Many customers in the county are expected to have power restored by Saturday, May 3, by 11 p.m.; customers in the hardest hit areas of the county are expected to have power restored by Monday, May 5, by 3 p.m.

Global Estimated Time of Restoration (ETR) represents when the majority of customers in a given area are expected to have power restored. However, most customers who are currently without power will have service restored prior to that time.

As additional information about necessary repairs is understood, more detailed ETRs are being established. Customers can view their current individual ETR for their particular outage by logging into their account at firstenergycorp.com, texting STAT to 544487, or viewing the outage map at firstenergycorp.com/outages.

Customers who are without power can call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) or text OUT to 544487 to report their outage or click the "Outages" link on firstenergycorp.com.

 

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

FAQ

How many FirstEnergy (FE) customers were affected by the May 2025 storms?

More than 430,000 FirstEnergy customers lost power due to the storms, with 381,000 (87%) having power restored as of the report.

When will FirstEnergy restore power to all affected areas from the May 2025 storms?

Restoration times vary by region, with most areas expected to have power restored between May 2-5, 2025. The hardest-hit areas in Westmoreland County will be restored by Monday, May 5, by 3 p.m.

How many workers is FirstEnergy using to restore power after the May 2025 storms?

FirstEnergy has mobilized approximately 4,900 total workers from 18 different states to assist with power restoration efforts.

Which FirstEnergy subsidiaries were most impacted by the May 2025 storms?

West Penn Power was most impacted with 200,300 customers losing power (79% restored), followed by Penelec with 124,200 customers (92% restored), Mon Power with 52,900 customers (96% restored), and Penn Power with 13,500 customers (96% restored).