Job creation and third-party capital
investment are key measurements
AKRON,
Ohio, Sept. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- For the
fifth year in a row, FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) has been named
by Site Selection magazine as one of the nation's
leading utilities in promoting economic development, helping to
attract more than 12,000 new jobs and $7.3
billion in third-party corporate facility investment in its
six-state service area in 2022.
Twenty Site Selection award winners were chosen from a
field of more than 3,300 electric companies and cooperatives across
the country. They were recognized for complementing reliable power
delivery to their customers with a hands-on approach to encouraging
business development in their operational areas.
FirstEnergy's economic development team positively influenced 86
major projects in 2022, representing more than 12,000 new jobs for
its service area. The projects included an energy storage system
factory in West Virginia that will
employ at least 750 people, a distribution center in Pennsylvania that will employ 3,500 people, a
data center in Maryland and a
chicken cooking facility and solar panel manufacturing plant both
in northeast Ohio. The number of
jobs that FirstEnergy helped to attract in 2022 is the largest
among the companies recognized in Site Selection's East
North Central region.
"This is our 19th recognition by Site
Selection in the past 21 years, which is a testament to our
company's commitment to economic development projects that benefit
the customers we serve," said Patrick
Kelly, director of economic development for FirstEnergy. "We
are proud to receive this honor once again, but even more important
to us is the positive impacts these facilities bring to our local
communities."
FirstEnergy's economic development team regularly provides the
following services for companies looking to locate or expand in its
footprint:
- Location analysis and community research
- Site tours
- Permitting and regulations expertise
- Information on available sites and buildings
- Demographic, workforce and business establishments data
- Introductions to local, regional and state officials
- Information about local and state economic development
incentives
"A major focus in 2022 was our work on our 'State of the
Customer' initiative to help FirstEnergy better understand the
unique requirements of our various commercial and industrial
customers," said Kelly. "Through research, segmentation and
customer surveys last year, we have gained insight on how we can
continue to provide top-notch service to our commercial and
industrial customers for many years to come."
Along with expertise in business development relationships and
programs, FirstEnergy is investing in transmission system
enhancements and grid modernization to provide world-class
infrastructure capable of powering energy-intensive industries now
and in the future. The company's West
Virginia utilities are also in the process of developing
five utility-scale solar facilities that are intended to support
economic development in the state, as a growing number of companies
require that a portion of the electricity they purchase be
generated by renewable sources.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and
operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form
one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems,
serving customers in Ohio,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West
Virginia, Maryland and
New York. The company's
transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of
transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic
regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at
www.firstenergycorp.com and on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.