FirstEnergy to start buying new electric, hybrid vehicles in 2021

FirstEnergy announced that 100 percent of its new fleet purchases of aerial and light-duty trucks will be electric or hybrid vehicles starting in 2021.

It is part of the Akron, Ohio-based energy company’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and support transportation electrification efforts in the six states it serves — Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland, and New York.

By doing this, FirstEnergy expects to electrify 30 percent of its approximately 3,400 light-duty and aerial fleet vehicles by 2030. This can annually eliminate about 10,000 metric tons of GHG emissions while saving more than 3.8 million gallons of fuel through 2030. Long-term, the company has a goal of reaching 100 percent electrification by 2050.

“This is an important step in our larger, company-wide responsible replacement program that allows us to replace vehicles in need of replacing with electric models that can be added to our utility fleet without affecting the service we provide our customers,” Steven Strah, president, FirstEnergy, said. “A team of employees tested versions of the hybrid vehicles in the field and determined we could get comparable operational benefits while substantially reducing emissions. We believe our efforts to lead by example in this area will help spur customer adoption of electric vehicles in the coming years.”

Starting in 2021, hybrid light-duty vehicles, such as pickup trucks, vans, and SUVs, will be delivered to all FirstEnergy utilities, including Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison in Ohio; Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, and West Penn Power in Pennsylvania; Mon Power in West Virginia; Potomac Edison in West Virginia and Maryland; and Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) in New Jersey.

FirstEnergy’s vehicle replacement process includes a purchase agreement with Lordstown Motors, a start-up electric vehicle manufacturer in northeast Ohio. Lordstown will provide 250 new all-electric pickup trucks.