PUCO denies FirstEnergy’s application to loosen reliability standards

Public Utilities Commission of Ohio sent this bulletin at 06/24/2026 02:25 PM EDT

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PUCO denies FirstEnergy’s application to loosen reliability standards

COLUMBUS, OHIO (June 24, 2026) – Today the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) denied the application to establish new, more lenient minimum reliability performance standards for The Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company (CEI), Ohio Edison Company, and The Toledo Edison Company. The current standards will remain in place.

The Commission order noted the significant amount of public outreach it received from customers, stakeholders, and local and state elected officials in opposition to the proposed standards.

The Commission also highlighted the utilities ongoing grid modernization efforts that are expected to improve system reliability, and the utilities’ ongoing commitment to improve service reliability in the Barberton and Lakewood communities following 2025 PUCO investigations into frequent power outages.

The PUCO uses two statistical measurements to monitor system-wide reliability for each electric distribution utility. The system average interruption frequency index (SAIFI) represents the average number of outages per customer annually. The customer average interruption duration index (CAIDI) represents the average length of time to restore power to customers in minutes.

Read the utilities’ annual reliability reports: CEI; Ohio Edison; Toledo Edison

A copy of today’s opinion and order is available on the PUCO website at PUCO.ohio.gov by clicking on the link to Docketing Information System and searching for case 24-1112-EL-ESS.

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The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) is the sole agency charged with regulating public utility service. The role of the PUCO is to assure all residential, business and industrial consumers have access to adequate, safe and reliable utility services at fair prices while facilitating an environment that provides competitive choices. Consumers with utility-related questions or concerns can call the PUCO Call Center at (800) 686-PUCO (7826) and speak with a representative.

For additional information, contact: Matt Schilling | (614) 466-7750

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The PUCO is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs, and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws. To request a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, please contact Stephanie Kamer at (614) 644-9746 or stephanie.kamer@puco.ohio.gov as soon as possible.