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FirstEnergy’s Pennsylvania Utilities’ Rate Plans Will Help Continue Service Reliability Enhancements for Customers

Reading, Pa. – FirstEnergy Corp.’s (NYSE: FE) Pennsylvania utilities today filed electric rate plans with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) aimed at enhancing electric system reliability for more than two million customers across the state.

FirstEnergy’s Pennsylvania utilities include Metropolitan Edison Company (Met-Ed), Pennsylvania Electric Company (Penelec), Pennsylvania Power Company (Penn Power), and West Penn Power Company (West Penn Power).

The proposed rate plans are expected to benefit customers by continuing FirstEnergy’s service reliability enhancement efforts in Pennsylvania. The plans include continued work to modernize the grid with smart technologies that can prevent or shorten power outages, additional tree trimming activities to protect poles and wires, and updating tablets and smart phones used by utility field staff to help streamline the power restoration process.

“Enhancing service reliability has been a major focus for us in Pennsylvania, and we’ve made significant strides in that area,” said Linda Moss, president of Pennsylvania Operations for FirstEnergy. “Today’s requests will allow our utilities to build on our progress in serving our customers, including ongoing maintenance for the new equipment and facilities we have added over the past several years.”

FirstEnergy’s rate request totals $439 million across all four Pennsylvania utilities. If approved, monthly bills would increase on average in the range of $10.89 to $23.61, or about 9.64 to 17.1 percent, for a typical FirstEnergy Pennsylvania residential electric customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month. The average monthly bill for customers of FirstEnergy’s four Pennsylvania utilities would be in line with the statewide average for typical residential customers served by the three other major electric utilities in Pennsylvania.

Here are the specifics for each utility’s rate plan:

• Met-Ed has requested an increase of $140 million, or approximately 9.5 percent over current rates. If approved, the total bill for an average residential customer using 1,000 kWh/month would increase 13.59 percent, or $17.52, for a new monthly total bill of $147.34. The bill for a commercial customer using 40 kilowatts (KW) for 250 hours would increase 4.6 percent, or $47.48, for a total bill of $1,077.10. The bill for an industrial customer using 20 MW for 474 hours would increase 0.94 percent, or $8,027.06, for a total bill of $859,353.86

• Penelec has requested an increase of $158 million, or approximately 11.4 percent over current rates. If approved, the total bill for an average residential customer using 1,000 kWh/month would increase 17.1 percent, or $23.61, for a new monthly total bill of $161.50. The bill for a commercial customer using 40 KW for 250 hours would increase 9 percent, or $96.21, for a total bill of $1,155.80. The bill for an industrial customer using 20 MW for 474 hours would increase 1.5 percent, or $10,029.42 for a total bill of $682,841.44

• Penn Power has requested an increase of $42 million, or approximately 9.5 percent over current rates. If approved, the total bill for an average residential customer using 1,000 kWh/month would increase 14.2 percent, or $18.45, for a new monthly total bill of $148.51. The bill for a commercial customer using 40 KW for 250 hours would increase 5.3 percent, or $59.06, for a total bill of $1,164.94. The bill for an industrial customer using 20 MW for 474 hours would increase 1.0 percent, or $4,325.24, for a total bill of $459,688.85.

• West Penn Power has requested an increase of $98 million, or approximately 5.7 percent over current rates. If approved, the total bill for an average residential customer using 1,000 kWh/month would increase 9.64 percent, or $10.89, for a new monthly total bill of $123.88. The bill for a commercial customer using 40 KW for 250 hours would increase 1.8 percent, or $16.58, for a total bill of $959.86. The bill for an industrial customer using 20 MW for 474 hours would increase 0.8 percent, or $4,191.28, for a total bill of $548,425.83.

Pending PUC approval, FirstEnergy has requested that the new rates take effect on June 27, 2016. The process, however, could take up to an additional seven months. For additional information on the plan, customers may call the company at 1-800-545-7741.

Met-Ed serves 560,000 customers within 3,300 square miles of eastern and south central Pennsylvania. Penelec serves nearly 590,000 customers within 17,600 square miles of western, northern and south central Pennsylvania. Penn Power serves approximately 163,000 customers within 1,100 square miles of western Pennsylvania. West Penn Power serves approximately 721,000 customers within 10,400 square miles of central and southwestern Pennsylvania.

FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation’s largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp or online at www.firstenergycorp.com.

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