FirstEnergy Corp. electric companies have sent approximately 200 line workers and support personnel to assist Duke Energy Carolinas and Georgia Power with anticipated power restoration efforts following Hurricane Helene. Crews began leaving Wednesday morning for North Carolina and Georgia, with all expected to arrive by early Saturday.
FirstEnergy personnel will be deployed to the most damaged areas when it’s safe to do so after the storm moves through.
FirstEnergy electric companies in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and West Virginia are part of the mutual assistance effort, which includes crews from 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.
President of FirstEnergy Utilities Wade Smith said, “FirstEnergy employees are committed to supporting the anticipated large-scale power restoration efforts along the U.S. southeast coast. Aiding communities in rebuilding their power grids after severe weather events is where their expertise shines. Although Hurricane Helene is not projected to significantly impact any FirstEnergy service territories, we have thoroughly evaluated the conditions and have the necessary personnel in place to support consistent operations for our customers.”
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.