FirstEnergy Corp. reports developments for an investor-owned electric utility holding company with distribution companies in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York and transmission subsidiaries that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.
Recurring updates cover GAAP and core earnings, distribution and transmission rate-base growth, capital spending for grid reliability, and regulatory proceedings such as Ohio distribution rate plans. Company news also covers projects by American Transmission Systems, Potomac Edison, Ohio Edison, Toledo Edison and The Illuminating Company, including line rebuilds, tree trimming, time-of-use rates, storm restoration and operational leadership changes.
FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) Board declared a quarterly common stock dividend of $0.465 per share, payable June 1, 2026, to shareholders of record May 7, 2026. This is a 4.5% quarterly increase and implies a 2026 annual rate of $1.86 per share, versus $1.78 in 2025, pending continued Board approval.
The company said the 2026 target aligns with a 60-70% payout ratio of Core (non-GAAP) Earnings. FirstEnergy serves over 6 million customers and operates ~24,000 miles of transmission lines across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic.
FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) urges customers to avoid releasing helium-filled metallic (foil) balloons ahead of Valentine's Day because the balloons can conduct electricity and contact power lines, causing outages.
In 2025, foil balloons caused 96 outages across the service area, down from 132 in 2020 (a 27% decrease). The company serves over 6 million customers and operates about 24,000 miles of transmission lines.
FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) electric company Jersey Central Power & Light completed major grid upgrades in northern Monmouth County to strengthen reliability for nearly 25,000 homes and businesses. Key work includes 10 miles of new wire, replacement of 1970s-era poles with wood, steel and laminated structures, and a second set of lines along the corridor.
The project began in mid-2025, is expected to finish in spring 2026, and costs approximately $30 million as part of the Energize365 program supporting FirstEnergy's $28 billion 2025–2029 investment plan.
FirstEnergy Pennsylvania (NYSE: FE) filed a Default Service Plan to buy electricity for default customers starting June 1, 2027, using competitive auctions and new consumer protections. The plan notes generation supply is about 60% of a typical bill, proposes auction schedules for 2027–2031, and shortens Time‑of‑Use peak hours to 3–7 p.m.
The PaPUC is expected to rule by the end of 2026; the filing also proposes automatic returns to default service when fixed or month‑to‑month supplier contracts end.
FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) reported that employees and community partners planted more than 30,000 trees in 2025, exceeding its annual goal, and plans to plant and donate more than 26,000 trees in 2026. Since 2020, Green Teams have helped put 131,000 trees in the ground.
In 2025 staff volunteered at 151 events for 3,438 hours, planted 26 community gardens (113,289 sq ft), and prioritized native species and underserved communities across its six-state service territory.
Potomac Edison (NYSE: FE) received Maryland Public Service Commission approval for an $11.1 million pilot to help local school systems adopt zero-emission electric buses. The program will fund up to 28 buses, cover the typical $250,000 cost differential per bus, provide charging infrastructure and test vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. The pilot launches early 2026, runs up to five years or until funds are exhausted, and targets Potomac Edison's Maryland service territory.
Potomac Edison (NYSE:FE) will provide automatic energy relief bill credits to more than 247,000 Maryland residential customers in February 2026 under the state's Legislative Energy Relief Refund program.
Credit amounts are tiered by annual household use: $45.32 (570 kWh),
FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) completed an underground cable upgrade in McKean County to improve reliability for more than 1,000 Bradford and Bradford Township customers. The work adds larger cables, redundant lines, and protective conduit and follows a 2024 transformer upgrade.
This project is part of Penelec's LTIIP III $538 million investment and FirstEnergy's Energize365 $28 billion modernization plan for 2025–2029.
FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) says crews and contractors are staged and its 24/7 incident command structure is active as a winter storm brings snow and extreme cold across its six‑state service area through next week. The company highlighted routine winter prep: year‑round tree trimming, pre‑winter equipment checks, aerial inspections, staffing reviews, postponement of nonessential outages and coordination with grid operators. FirstEnergy cited its $28 billion Energize365 program as a major system upgrade initiative and provided customer safety tips, outage reporting numbers and links for bill assistance.
FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) will release fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 financial results after market close on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. Management will discuss results on a conference call with analysts at 9:00 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, followed by a Q&A. Investors may listen via a live webcast and view presentation slides on the company's investor website, with replay and slide access available for up to one year.
The company said it will post its fourth-quarter presentation and supporting materials to the investor site after markets close on Feb. 17. FirstEnergy serves more than 6 million customers and operates roughly 24,000 miles of transmission lines across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic.