The filing provides additional information related to the merger and the companies’ commitments to support jobs, customers and communities in West Virginia, including agreements to complete and staff the transmission operations center in Fairmont
– By Linton Levy –
FirstEnergy Corp. and Allegheny Energy, Inc. have filed an application with the Public Service Commission of West Virginia for approval of their proposed merger.
The filing provides additional information related to the merger and the companies’ commitments to support jobs, customers and communities in West Virginia, including agreements to complete and staff the transmission operations center in Fairmont. In addition, the filing includes a commitment not to eliminate the Allegheny Power Customer Call Center as a result of the merger integration process. Also, the company will work to bring at least one Power Systems Institute (PSI) program to West Virginia. PSI is a partnership with local community colleges to educate and train future utility workers. Currently, there are two such programs in the state.
The companies filed applications with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission last week. They plan to file for state regulatory approval in Maryland later this month, and in Virginia later in the second quarter.
The merger is expected to close in the first half of 2011, subject to customary closing conditions, including shareholder and regulatory approvals, as outlined in the preliminary S-4 Registration Statement, which was filed in March.
Earlier this month, an inspection of the control rod drive mechanism nozzles was completed at FirstEnergy's Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station in Oak Harbor, Ohio. Initial testing in March of the 69 nozzles penetrating the reactor head identified 16 requiring modification. Additional testing identified 8 additional nozzles requiring modification. As a result, a total of 24 nozzles will be modified before the plant is restarted.
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, serving 4.5 million customers within 36,100 square miles of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey; and its generation subsidiaries control more than 14,000 megawatts of capacity.
FirstEnergy continues to explore a wide range of technologies to improve customer service, reduce costs and increase revenues. We've enhanced customer service through a redesigned Customer Service Web site and implementation of an interactive voice recognition system. FirstEnergy Solutions Corp., an unregulated subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., offers a wide range of energy and related products and services, including the generation and sale of electricity and energy planning and procurement. It supplies electricity to numerous customers in Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania and manages the energy and procurement needs for over 120,000 accounts.
Allegheny Energy is an investor-owned utility with over $3 billion in annual revenues and more than 4,000 employees. The company owns and operates generating facilities and delivers low-cost, reliable electric service to over 1.5 million customers in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia.
Allegheny Energy is a utility holding company that has both regulated and unregulated operations. With the implementation of electric deregulation, the company has transferred a portion of our generating assets to Allegheny Energy Supply through state-approved plans.
The company owns approximately 9,730 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity. Approximately 95% of it's power output comes from coal. The company burns nearly 19 million tons of coal annually.
The company's regulated utilities, doing business as Allegheny Power, are West Penn Power Company (Pennsylvania); Monongahela Power Company (West Virginia); and The Potomac Edison Company (Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia).