Pennsylvania utilities to purchase electrical generation supply

Utilities operating in Pennsylvania that are owned by FirstEnergy Corp. will be purchasing electrical generation supply beginning in June of 2017, the company announced on Tuesday.

Metropolitan Edison (Met-Ed), Pennsylvania Power, Pennsylvania Electric (Penelec) and West Penn Power (WPP) have all filed plans for this procurement to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PPUC). This additional electricity supply would be supplied to those residents in the state that do not migrate to other suppliers.

The companies will also be offering separate bids in order for them to meet state requirements associated with alternative forms of energy, specifically solar generation. The announcement states that this will consist of the purchase of solar renewable energy credits through a two-year contract.

Auctions for this purchasing process will be managed by CRA International, Inc. Under the proposals, the company will be holding three auctions, the first of which will take place in Oct. 2016. Through these auctions, electrical supply will be secured for approximately two million electricity customers in the state across all of the utility companies.

FirstEnergy Corp. specializes in the distribution of electricity through 10 subsidiaries and serves Ohio, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania. The announcement predicts a decision will be reached by the middle of 2016.