AKRON, Ohio, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE:FE) today provided 2010 annual earnings guidance of $3.50 to $3.70 per share of common stock on a non-GAAP(*) basis. The company also affirmed its full-year 2009 non-GAAP earnings guidance of $3.70 to $3.80 per share. "While 2009 has been a difficult year, we are pleased with our progress and the accomplishments that have helped us lay the groundwork for the future," said FirstEnergy President and Chief Executive Officer Anthony J. Alexander. "We achieved significant cost reductions, successfully transitioned to competitive markets in Ohio, and accomplished additional regulatory certainty. At the same time, we made substantial progress securing a large portion of our Ohio utilities' load through our competitive subsidiary. As a result of these efforts, we are entering 2010 in a stronger position." Alexander also noted that the company anticipates positive earnings impacts in 2011 from the move to fully competitive generation markets in Pennsylvania, a new Ohio load auction, and the effects of an improving economy. 2009 Estimated Earnings Per Share Non-GAAP to GAAP Reconciliation -------------------------------------------------- Basic Earnings Per Share (Non-GAAP) $3.70 - $3.80 Including Special Items: Regulatory Charges (0.56) Trust Securities Impairment (0.04) Organizational Restructuring/ Incremental Strike Costs (0.14) Debt Redemption Premiums (0.30) Mark-to-Market Adjustment (0.44) Income Tax Issue Resolution 0.53 Gain on Non-Core Asset Sale 0.52 ---- Basic Earnings Per Share (GAAP) $3.27 - $3.37 FirstEnergy expects to account for certain purchase power contracts on a mark-to-market basis in December 2009. These contracts, signed in 2008, were intended to cover a short position that could have existed under certain outcomes related to the company's compliance with Ohio's new energy law and are legacy issues related to the transition to competitive generation markets in Ohio. The $0.44 per share adjustment included in 2009 Basic Earnings Per Share (GAAP), shown above, is an estimate based on forward market prices in November 2009 and includes $0.24 per share for 2010 power deliveries and $0.20 per share for 2011 deliveries. The actual adjustment will be based on forward market prices in December 2009. FirstEnergy is currently unaware of any special items in 2010 that would create a difference between earnings on a GAAP and non-GAAP basis. An in-depth briefing on the company's strategies, operations and financial outlook will be presented at FirstEnergy's Analyst Meeting in New York City today at approximately 8:15 a.m. ET. Materials related to the meeting are posted on FirstEnergy's Investor Information Web site - http://www.firstenergycorp.com/ir. To access the materials, click on the Webcasts & Presentations link. A live Internet Webcast of the presentation and follow-up question-and-answer session will be available on the site. The Webcast will be archived on the Web site. 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 more than 14,000 megawatts of capacity. (*) This news release contains non-GAAP financial measures. Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of a company's historical or future financial performance, financial position, or cash flows that either excludes or includes amounts that are not normally excluded or included in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP). These non-GAAP financial measures are intended to complement, and not considered as an alternative to, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. Also, the non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other entities. Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes forward-looking statements based on information currently available to management. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. These statements include declarations regarding management's intents, beliefs and current expectations. These statements typically contain, but are not limited to, the terms "anticipate," "potential," "expect," "believe," "estimate" and similar words. Forward-looking statements involve estimates, assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially due to the speed and nature of increased competition in the electric utility industry and legislative and regulatory changes affecting how generation rates will be determined following the expiration of existing rate plans in Pennsylvania, the impact of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio's regulatory process on the Ohio Companies associated with the distribution rate case, economic or weather conditions affecting future sales and margins, changes in markets for energy services, changing energy and commodity market prices and availability, replacement power costs being higher than anticipated or inadequately hedged, the ability to successfully amend various purchase power contracts, the continued ability of FirstEnergy's regulated utilities to collect transition and other charges or to recover increased transmission costs, operating and maintenance costs being higher than anticipated, other legislative and regulatory changes, revised environmental requirements, including possible greenhouse gas emission regulations, the potential impacts of the U.S. Court of Appeals' July 11, 2008 decision requiring revisions to the Clean Air Interstate Rules and the scope of any laws, rules or regulations that may ultimately take their place, the uncertainty of the timing and amounts of the capital expenditures needed to, among other things, implement the Air Quality Compliance Plan (including that such amounts could be higher than anticipated or that certain generating units may need to be shut down) or levels of emission reductions related to the Consent Decree resolving the New Source Review litigation or other similar potential regulatory initiatives or actions, adverse regulatory or legal decisions and outcomes (including, but not limited to, the revocation of necessary licenses or operating permits and oversight) by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Metropolitan Edison Company's and Pennsylvania Electric Company's transmission service charge filings with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, the continuing availability of generating units and their ability to operate at or near full capacity, the ability to comply with applicable state and federal reliability standards, the ability to accomplish or realize anticipated benefits from strategic goals (including employee workforce initiatives), the ability to improve electric commodity margins and to experience growth in the distribution business, the changing market conditions that could affect the value of assets held in FirstEnergy's nuclear decommissioning trusts, pension trusts and other trust funds, and cause it to make additional contributions sooner, or in an amount that is larger than currently anticipated, the ability to access the public securities and other capital and credit markets in accordance with FirstEnergy's financing plan and the cost of such capital, changes in general economic conditions affecting the company, the state of the capital and credit markets affecting the company, interest rates and any actions taken by credit rating agencies that could negatively affect FirstEnergy's access to financing or its costs or increase its requirements to post additional collateral to support outstanding commodity positions, letters of credit and other financial guarantees, the continuing decline of the national and regional economy and its impact on the company's major industrial and commercial customers, issues concerning the soundness of financial institutions and counterparties with which FirstEnergy does business, and the risks and other factors discussed from time to time in its Securities and Exchange Commission filings, and other similar factors. The foregoing review of factors should not be construed as exhaustive. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all such factors, nor assess the impact of any such factor on FirstEnergy's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. FirstEnergy expressly disclaims any current intention to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. DATASOURCE: FirstEnergy Corp. CONTACT: News Media: Tricia Ingraham, +1-330-384-5247, or Investors: Ron Seeholzer, +1-330-384-5415 Web Site: http://www.firstenergycorp.com/

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