FirstEnergy Power Restoration Efforts Progress Following Windstorm

Rhea-AI Summary

FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) crews continue round‑the‑clock restoration after a March 13 windstorm; 92% of 668,000 affected customers have power restored and about 56,000 remain without service as of March 15, 2026. Priority is given to Friday storm outages while gusty conditions and a new system may cause additional outages.

More than 6,900 employees, contractors and outside resources support restoration; Estimated Restoration Times (ETRs) are set by area, with many customers expected restored sooner.

Positive

• Power restored to 92% of 668,000 affected customers
• More than 6,900 employees, contractors and outside resources supporting restoration
• ETRs set for all areas to guide restoration priorities

Negative

• 56,000 customers remain without service in hardest‑hit areas
• Gusty conditions and a new storm system expected to cause additional outages
• Significant outages concentrated in central/northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania

AKRON, Ohio, March 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) utilities continue restoring power to customers after severe winds moved through the service territory Friday. Gusty conditions today and another storm system tonight and tomorrow are expected to cause additional outages. Priority will be placed on outages caused by Friday's storm, and crews will continue working around the clock until all customers impacted by either weather event have power restored.

Power has been restored to 92% of the 668,000 customers affected. About 56,000 customers remain without service, primarily in the hardest-hit areas of central and northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania. More than 6,900 FirstEnergy employees, contractors and outside resources are supporting restoration efforts, with additional crews being deployed to hardest hit areas as they become available.

Estimated restoration times (ETRs) are set for all areas and reflect when nearly all customers are expected to have power restored. Many customers will be restored sooner, depending on damage in their area.

Updates by electric company as of 10 a.m.:

• The Illuminating Company: 137,100 customers in northeast Ohio have had power restored, and 17,900 remain without service. The ETR for customers in Ashtabula County and the Westlake area is tonight by 11 p.m. The ETR for remaining Illuminating Company customers is tomorrow, March 16, by 11 p.m.
• Ohio Edison: 165,477 customers in northern and central Ohio have had power restored, and 14,950 remain without service. The ETR for customers in the Alliance, Elyria, Jackson, Lorain, Massillon, Medina, Port Clinton, Salem, Sandusky, Springfield, Vermillion and Youngstown areas is tonight by 11 p.m. The ETR for remaining Ohio Edison customers is tomorrow, March 16, by 11 p.m.
• Toledo Edison: 29,950 customers in northwest Ohio have had power restored. The ETR for the remaining 1,800 customers is tonight by 11 p.m.
• Penelec: 84,900 customers in northern and central Pennsylvania have had power restored. The ETR for the remaining 2,000 customers is tonight by 11 p.m.
• Penn Power: 15,900 customers in western Pennsylvania have had power restored, and 3,400 remain without service. The ETR for customers in Crawford, Indiana and Venango Counties is tomorrow, March 16, by 11 p.m. All other Penn Power customers are expected to have power restored by this evening.
• West Penn Power: 101,400 customers in southwest and central Pennsylvania have had power restored, and 13,700 remain without service. The ETR by county follows:
  • Centre County – 1 p.m. today
  • Bedford and Fulton Counties – 6 p.m. today
  • Franklin County – 11 p.m. today
  • Clarion and Fayette Counties – 3 p.m. tomorrow, March 16
  • Clinton County – 11 p.m. tomorrow, March 16
  • Greene and Washington Counties – 11:30 p.m. tomorrow, March 16
  • Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Indiana and Westmoreland Counties – 11 p.m. Tuesday, March 17
• Mon Power: 29,300 customers in West Virginia have had power restored. The ETR for the remaining 1,700 customers is tonight by 11 p.m.

Customers who are without power can call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877), text OUT to 544487 or report online at firstenergycorp.com/outages.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

FAQ

How many customers has FirstEnergy (FE) restored after the March 13 windstorm?

About 92% of 668,000 customers impacted have had power restored. According to the company, roughly 56,000 customers remain without service, concentrated in central/northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania as of March 15, 2026.

What restoration resources did FirstEnergy (FE) deploy for the March 2026 outages?

FirstEnergy deployed more than 6,900 employees, contractors and outside resources to restore service. According to the company, additional crews will be sent to hardest‑hit areas as they become available to accelerate repairs.

When will FirstEnergy (FE) restore power to remaining customers after the March 13 storm?

Estimated Restoration Times (ETRs) are set for all areas and vary by county and company. According to the company, many customers will be restored sooner, while some ETRs extend through March 16–17, 2026.

How can FirstEnergy (FE) customers report outages or get updates during the March 2026 restoration?

Customers can call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877), text OUT to 544487, or report online at firstenergycorp.com/outages. According to the company, these channels provide current outage status and ETR information.

Which FirstEnergy (FE) service areas remain hardest hit after the March windstorm?

Hardest‑hit areas include central and northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania, with several counties listing later ETRs. According to the company, pockets in Allegheny, Butler, Westmoreland and other counties face restoration into March 17, 2026.