AKRON, Ohio, Feb. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The massive ice and snow storm that began moving through FirstEnergy's (NYSE: FE) service territory Tuesday evening left approximately 154,000 customers without power.  Crews from FirstEnergy utility companies – Ohio Edison, Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company (CEI), Toledo Edison, Metropolitan Edison (Met-Ed), Pennsylvania Electric (Penelec), Pennsylvania Power (Penn Power) and Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) – worked through the night to restore service to more than 75 percent of customers affected.  Less than 50,000 remain without service, with most expected to be restored by midnight tonight.  Additional outages are possible as a result of high winds.  

Remaining outages are largely in the hardest hit areas, including:

Ohio Edison:

• Springfield, Ohio – 4,600 customers
• Massillon, Ohio – 1,000 customers

Met-Ed:

• Reading/Hamburg, Pa. – 14,000 customers
• Boyertown, Pa. – 6,000 customers
• York, Pa. – 2,000 customers

JCP&L:

• Hunterdon, Morris, Middlesex and Union counties, N.J. – 16,000 customers

There are approximately 5,000 additional customers affected throughout the three states.

In order to restore service to customers as quickly as possible, FirstEnergy utilities will provide additional crews to the hardest hit areas.  Crews from Toledo Edison will be assisting with restoration efforts in Springfield; CEI crews will be headed to Massillon; and Penn Power crews will be working in Alliance and Salem, Ohio.  Penelec and outside contractor crews will assist with restoration in the Met-Ed service territory, and crews from central New Jersey are being dispatched to northern New Jersey.

Customers are reminded to stay safe around electricity, particularly with children out of school due to the weather.  Here are a few tips for customers without electricity:

• Call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) to report power outages.  This automated reporting system is the fastest way to let your utility company know that your lights are out.
• Be safe around power lines.  Assume any downed wire is carrying electricity and call your local electric company, police or fire department to report it.
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed.  Food will keep for hours if you limit the number of times the doors are opened.
• Never use gas stoves or outdoor heaters to keep your house warm.  These devices can cause the build up of deadly carbon monoxide in your home.
• Use generators safely and according to instructions.  Follow directions for placement of generators and safe electrical connections.  Never connect a generator to your home electrical system without contacting a certified electrician and installing a proper isolation device.  
• Stock up on batteries for flashlights and portable radios.  
• Unplug appliances and electronics until power is restored.  This will help protect your electronics and other sensitive equipment, and ease the initial load on the electrical system when the power is restored.  Leave one light on so that you know when the power is back.  
• Make sure you have at least one corded telephone.  Most cordless phones will not operate properly in a power outage.
• Stay tuned for updates and information from your local and state emergency management agencies.

For more information and tips, as well as maps of current power outages, visit FirstEnergy's website at www.firstenergycorp.com.

FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company headquartered in Akron, Ohio.  Its subsidiaries and affiliates are involved in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, as well as energy management and other energy-related services.  Its seven electric utility operating companies comprise the nation's fifth largest investor-owned electric system, based on 4.5 million customers served within a 36,100-square-mile area of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey; and its generation subsidiaries control approximately 13,500 megawatts of capacity.

SOURCE FirstEnergy