FirstEnergy Corp. has mobilized around 200 line workers and support personnel to assist Duke Energy Carolinas and Georgia Power with power restoration efforts following Hurricane Helene. Crews began their journey on Wednesday morning, heading to North Carolina and Georgia, with all expected to arrive by early Saturday.
Hurricane Helene is forecasted to make landfall in Florida on Thursday evening, bringing extreme winds, storm surge, and flash flooding along the west coast of the Florida Peninsula and Florida’s Big Bend region. Tropical storm warnings cover nearly all of Florida and Georgia not under hurricane warnings, as well as South Carolina and much of western North Carolina. FirstEnergy personnel will be deployed to the most damaged areas once it is safe after the storm passes.
The mutual assistance effort includes crews from various FirstEnergy electric companies in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and West Virginia. These include Penn Power, Penelec, West Penn Power, Met-Ed in Pennsylvania; Mon Power in West Virginia; Potomac Edison in West Virginia and Maryland; and Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) in New Jersey.
"FirstEnergy employees are committed to supporting the anticipated large-scale power restoration efforts along the U.S. southeast coast," said Wade Smith, President of FirstEnergy Utilities. "Aiding communities in rebuilding their power grids after severe weather events is where their expertise shines. Although Hurricane Helene is not projected to significantly impact any FirstEnergy service territories, we have thoroughly evaluated the conditions and have the necessary personnel in place to support consistent operations for our customers."
FirstEnergy participates in multiple electric utility mutual-assistance groups that cooperate to restore service during large-scale power outages caused by natural disasters. Mutual assistance enables utilities to pool resources for faster power restoration. The company has been recognized more than a dozen times by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) with its “Emergency Assistance Award” for providing mutual assistance during storms.
FirstEnergy emphasizes integrity, safety, reliability, and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the largest investor-owned electric systems in the U.S., serving customers across Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland, and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines connecting the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.
For more information or media inquiries: Will Boye – Mon Power/Potomac Edison (240) 707-0271; Todd Meyers – West Penn Power/Penelec/Met-Ed/Penn Power (724) 838-6650; Chris Hoenig – JCP&L (609) 350-8599