PUCO Approves FirstEnergy Settlement, Delivering Customer Benefits

Core Insights - FirstEnergy Corp. has received approval from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) for a settlement agreement that will provide $275 million in restitution and refunds to customers of Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company, and Toledo Edison [1][2] Financial Impact - The settlement resolves four regulatory proceedings and will return $250 million directly to customers, with an additional $5 million in credits for residential customers [2] - Average residential customers using 1,000 kWh per month are expected to receive approximately $65.61 in bill credits over three months [3] - The settlement allocates $20 million for programs supporting low-income residential customers through bill assistance, weatherization, and energy efficiency initiatives [3] Company Strategy - FirstEnergy's President, Torrence Hinton, emphasized that the agreement allows the company to move past legacy issues and demonstrates a commitment to customer service and transparency with regulators [4] - The company plans to invest $14 billion in Ohio's transmission and distribution infrastructure, workforce, and facilities through 2029 to enhance energy resilience [4] Customer Bill Impacts - Following the settlement and the proposed PUCO rate review order, average monthly bill impacts for residential customers using 1,000 kWh per month will vary, with specific decreases and increases noted for different companies [5][7]