Ohio Utility Commission Blames FirstEnergy for Lakewood Power Outages, Proposes Penalty
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has issued a report attributing a series of power outages in Lakewood to equipment failures by FirstEnergy and its subsidiary, Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company. The report criticizes the companies for not maintaining power infrastructure and failing to inform customers adequately. Between June 30 and July 15, Lakewood experienced seven major outages, prompting complaints from residents and business owners. The commission's findings highlight FirstEnergy's failure to invest in necessary infrastructure upgrades, such as substations and transformers. Notably, the report mentions the unusual practice of using garden sprinklers to cool equipment at a substation. In response to a previous complaint, FirstEnergy agreed to install new transformers, with one already in place and another scheduled for September. The commission has proposed a $3.05 million penalty against FirstEnergy, which has until August 21 to respond. 
