FirstEnergy Crews Preparing for Strong Winds on Friday; Offers Customers Tips to Prepare and Stay Safe

FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) warned customers on March 12, 2026, that a severe windstorm may produce peak gusts of 50–75 mph in parts of its Ohio and Pennsylvania service areas and 35–60 mph gusts in other territories.

Rhea-AI Summary

FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) warned customers on March 12, 2026, that a severe windstorm may produce peak gusts of 50–75 mph in parts of its Ohio and Pennsylvania service areas and 35–60 mph gusts in other territories.

The company has activated its incident command structure, mobilized internal and contractor crews, forestry and damage-assessment teams, and outlined restoration priorities and customer outage-reporting steps.

Positive

• Incident command activated for around-the-clock coordination
• Pre-staged crews and contractors including forestry and assessors
• 24,000 miles of transmission lines in system (operational scale)

Negative

• Forecasted winds of 50–75 mph in parts of the service area
• Crew safety limits: no bucket trucks above 40 mph, slowing restorations
• Fallen trees and blocked roads may delay response

Argus Mar 13 session

+0.67% close to close Open Argus

Details

News Market Reaction – FE

On Mar 13, the first trading day after this news, FE closed 0.67% above the previous close.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus for the Mar 13 session.

Key Figures

Peak wind range (OH/PA): 50-75 mph Peak gusts (other areas): 35-60 mph Bucket truck wind limit: 40 mph +5 more

Peak wind range (OH/PA)

50-75 mph

Forecast severe conditions for Ohio and Pennsylvania service areas

Peak gusts (other areas)

35-60 mph

Forecast gusts for Met‑Ed, Penelec, Mon Power, Potomac Edison, JCP&L

Bucket truck wind limit

40 mph

Crews cannot safely use bucket trucks above this wind speed

Customers served

6 million

Customers served across six U.S. states

Transmission lines

24,000 miles

Approximate length of transmission lines operated by subsidiaries

Share price

$50.82

Price prior to storm-preparation announcement

52-week high

$51.435

Level just above current price

CFO share sale

26,800 shares at $50.943

Open-market sale reported on March 10, 2026 Form 4

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Mar 02

5 events

1. Mar 02

   Transmission awards

   24h Move

   -0.3%

   PJM selects FE for Ohio and Pennsylvania reliability projects with major investment.

2. Feb 26

   Leadership appointment

   24h Move

   +0.0%

   New VP Transmission Finance named to oversee finance and regulatory work.

3. Feb 25

   Community grant

   24h Move

   +0.0%

   FirstEnergy Foundation provides $10,000 grant for first responder training gear.

4. Feb 19

   Grid upgrade

   24h Move

   +1.3%

   Van Reed 69‑kV project to improve reliability for 6,000+ Berks County customers.

5. Feb 18

   Substation project

   24h Move

   -0.8%

   New $6.6M Potomac Edison substation enhancing reliability for 2,400 customers.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Key Terms

transmission lines, incident command structure

2 terms

transmission lines technical

"The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines"

High-voltage towers and cables that carry electricity from power plants to cities and substations, like highways that move energy rather than cars. For investors, transmission lines are long-lived, capital-intensive assets whose condition, capacity and regulatory treatment affect utility revenues, reliability and the ability to connect new generation; bottlenecks or upgrades can change costs, permit timelines and future returns.

incident command structure technical

"we've activated our around-the-clock incident command structure so teams across our service area"

A structured, pre-defined way to organize people, roles and communication during an emergency or major disruption so decisions get made quickly and work is coordinated. Think of it as a temporary command center with clear job titles and reporting lines—like a sports coach and captains directing play—to limit chaos, restore operations and control costs. Investors care because a strong incident command structure reduces downtime, legal and regulatory risk, and financial loss when crises occur.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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AKRON, Ohio, March 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- With a severe windstorm expected to move through FirstEnergy's service area beginning early Friday and into early Saturday, the company is ready to respond to any outages and reminds customers to take steps now to stay safe in case of potential outages.

FirstEnergy is closely monitoring expected winds that could bring down trees and blow branches and debris into power lines. Based on current forecasts, the strongest winds are expected Friday afternoon into early evening, with the most severe conditions impacting Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison in Ohio and West Penn Power and Penn Power in Pennsylvania, where winds could exceed 50-75 mph in some areas. Peak gusts ranging from 35-60 mph are also expected to impact Met‑Ed and Penelec in Pennsylvania, Mon Power and Potomac Edison in West Virginia and Maryland and Jersey Central Power & Light in New Jersey.

Strong winds can make it harder for crews to restore power and may slow restoration efforts. For safety reasons, crews cannot use bucket trucks when wind speeds are above 40 mph. Fallen trees and blocked roads can also delay crews as they travel to outage locations.

To help manage the weather safely and efficiently, we've activated our around-the-clock incident command structure so teams across our service area can coordinate restoration work, equipment needs and field support as conditions change.

We're also in close contact with other utilities and outside contractors and bringing in additional support ahead of the winds in many areas as well as mobilizing internal FirstEnergy and contractor crews, forestry personnel, damage assessors, hazard responders and other support workers. This ensures we have the people and resources needed to respond as soon as outages occur.

How We Restore Power After a Storm

FirstEnergy follows a formal restoration process to restore service as quickly and safely as possible:

1. Clear hazards – like downed power lines, trees and blocked roads
2. Repair high-voltage lines that provide electricity to local lines
3. Restore power to critical public service facilities
4. Address outages affecting the most customers
5. Fix localized issues and restore power to individual customers

Customer Safety and Preparedness Tips

Customers can take simple actions to prepare and stay safe if an outage does happen:

• Secure loose outdoor items including garbage cans, furniture and trampolines
• Charge phones and essential devices
• Keep flashlights, batteries and a radio ready
• Store water if you rely on a well pump
• Have no‑cook foods on hand
• Stay 30 feet away from downed power lines – call 911 immediately
• Steer clear of trees and utility poles in high winds

How to Report an Outage

If you lose power during the storm, report your outage by:

• Calling 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877)
• Texting OUT to LIGHTS (544487)
• Clicking the "Outages" link on firstenergycorp.com

Get Outage Updates

• Text REG to 544487 to sign up for outage text alerts. Once signed up, text STAT to 544487 to get the latest update for your home.
• Log into your online account.
• View our outage map at firstenergycorp.com/outages.

FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) 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 six 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 www.firstenergycorp.com. Follow FirstEnergy on X: @FirstEnergyCorp.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

How does FirstEnergy (FE) expect the March 12–13, 2026 windstorm to affect service?

The storm may cause outages where winds reach 50–75 mph, especially in Ohio and Pennsylvania. According to the company, strongest winds are expected Friday afternoon into early evening, increasing risk of downed lines, fallen trees and localized outages.

What restoration steps will FirstEnergy (FE) use after the March 2026 windstorm?

FirstEnergy follows a staged restoration process prioritizing safety and critical facilities first. According to the company, crews clear hazards, repair high-voltage lines, restore service to critical sites, then address largest-customer outages and localized repairs.

How can FE customers report outages during the March 12, 2026 wind event?

Customers can report outages by calling 1-888-LIGHTSS, texting OUT to 544487, or using the outages link on firstenergycorp.com. According to the company, texting REG to 544487 signs customers up for outage alerts and STAT returns status updates.

Why might FirstEnergy (FE) restoration be slower during winds above 40 mph?

Crews cannot operate bucket trucks when winds exceed 40 mph, limiting restoration methods. According to the company, high winds also increase hazards and obstruct roads, which can delay travel to outage sites and safe repairs.

Which FirstEnergy (FE) service territories face the highest wind risk on March 12–13, 2026?

The most severe conditions are expected in Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison in Ohio, and West Penn Power and Penn Power in Pennsylvania. According to the company, those areas may see winds exceeding 50–75 mph.