Akron, Ohio, August 17, 2009 – FirstEnergy filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to consolidate its transmission assets and operations into PJM Interconnection (PJM).

Currently the company’s transmission assets and operations are divided between PJM and the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO). The company announced plans for the consolidation on July 31.

The consolidation would move the transmission assets that are part of FirstEnergy’s American Transmission Systems (ATSI) unit – located within the footprint of FirstEnergy’s Ohio utilities and Pennsylvania Power – into PJM. Most of FirstEnergy’s transmission assets in Pennsylvania, and those in New Jersey already operate as part of PJM.

If approved, the consolidation would provide customers with the benefits of a more fully developed retail choice market, and the company with the operating efficiencies of a single RTO – with one set of rules, procedures and protocols.

ATSI has 32 interconnections with PJM – physical transmission ties that connect to other utility systems – compared to just three with MISO. In addition, PJM operates within a largely deregulated region and its market structure supports retail choice, as well as energy efficiency and demand response programs that help drive down prices for all customers.

FirstEnergy has requested that FERC rule on its application by December 17, 2009, to provide time to integrate ATSI into PJM. The consolidation is expected to be complete on June 1, 2011, to coincide with delivery of power under the next competitive generation procurement process for FirstEnergy’s Ohio companies.

FirstEnergy’s generation subsidiaries control more than 14,000 MW of capacity.