Employee volunteers from Potomac Edison, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., have planted over 2,000 trees donated by the company in Maryland and West Virginia throughout 2025. This initiative is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability.
Michele Dellinger, Advanced Forestry Specialist and Lead of Potomac Edison’s Green Team, stated: “Local tree plantings are an important way to demonstrate our commitment to the environment while also helping to enhance community green spaces across our service territory.”
The Green Team consists of employees who volunteer for various environmental projects. In spring, they planted trees and pollinator gardens in several locations and participated in multiple tree giveaways. Specific efforts included:
– Emmitsburg, Maryland: Partnering with Stream Link Education and the town of Emmitsburg, volunteers planted 200 trees near Toms Creek to improve stormwater runoff and creek water quality.
– Grantsville, Maryland: More than 1,000 bare-root evergreens were planted at New Germany State Park by Green Team members along with park staff and other volunteers.
– Middletown, Maryland: Volunteers celebrated Arbor Day by planting 50 trees.
– Mount Savage, Maryland: At Evergreen Heritage Center, volunteers planted 100 saplings on a historic property that offers enrichment programs benefiting Western Maryland.
– Martinsburg, West Virginia: As part of an Earth Day event at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center, approximately 200 flowering dogwood trees were given away.
So far this year, about 22,000 trees have been planted at parks and nature reserves within FirstEnergy’s six-state service area. These efforts align with FirstEnergy’s goals to reduce its carbon footprint and promote sustainable practices.
FirstEnergy’s Green Teams include employees from Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and West Virginia. They collaborate with state park systems and various environmentally focused organizations to support sustainable initiatives.
For those interested in arranging a tree planting with Potomac Edison’s Green Team or learning more about FirstEnergy’s environmental initiatives can contact Michele Dellinger via email or visit their website.
Potomac Edison serves approximately 285,000 customers in seven counties in Maryland and around 155,000 customers in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle.
FirstEnergy operates one of the largest investor-owned electric systems in the U.S., serving over six million customers across several states. The company’s transmission subsidiaries manage about 24,000 miles of transmission lines connecting the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.
