FirstEnergy Utility Crews Mobilize to Assist Hurricane Ida Power Restoration Efforts in Louisiana

AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its long-standing tradition of assisting other electric companies during large-scale power outages, FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) utilities have sent approximately 500 line workers, forestry crews, support personnel and internal contractors to Louisiana to help Entergy with power restoration efforts following Hurricane Ida. Crews began leaving Sunday morning and expect to arrive in Louisiana throughout the day tomorrow.

Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana Sunday afternoon, bringing extreme winds, storm surge and flash flooding along the northeast Gulf Coast. More than a million customers are currently without power in Louisiana, and more than 100,000 have lost power in Mississippi. Personnel will be deployed to the most damaged areas when it's safe to do so.

All 10 of FirstEnergy's utilities are part of the mutual assistance effort, which includes crews from The Illuminating Company, Ohio Edison and Toledo Edison in Ohio; Penn Power, Penelec, West Penn Power and 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. Support personnel from FirstEnergy's corporate offices also are included in the company's contingent.

"Many of our linemen have been to Louisiana in the past to help following other hurricanes, and they are committed to assisting what is likely to be a massive power restoration effort in challenging working conditions," said John Skory, vice president of utility operations for FirstEnergy. "While it's not expected that Hurricane Ida will have a significant impact on our FirstEnergy service territories, we have carefully assessed conditions and are confident we have the personnel in place to maintain reliable operations for our customers at home."

FirstEnergy is a member of multiple electric utility mutual-assistance groups that work cooperatively to restore service to customers when a natural disaster causes large-scale power outages. Mutual assistance allows utilities to pool their resources to help restore power to customers faster. FirstEnergy and its employees have been honored numerous times by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) with its "Emergency Assistance Award" for the mutual assistance the company has provided during winter and summer storms.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, 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. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter: @FirstEnergyCorp.

Editor's Note: Photos of FirstEnergy crews preparing and leaving to assist with power restoration following Hurricane Ida are available for download on Flickr , and video footage is available on the company's YouTube channel. 

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.