Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: FirstEnergy exhibits policy engagement that is broadly misaligned with policy pathways for delivering the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement. The company demonstrates mostly negative positions on US climate policy, with evidence of advocacy at the federal level and across several states including Maryland, New Jersey, and Ohio. The company’s infrequent top-line messaging contrasts with its active engagement on specific climate policy. FirstEnergy is a member of the Edison Electric Institute and the US Chamber of Commerce, both of which strategically advocate for fossil gas infrastructure.
Top-Line Messaging on Climate Policy: FirstEnergy’s position on the need for climate action is unclear. The company appears concerned with its own emissions reductions, as evidenced on its “Climate Story” corporate webpage, last accessed June 2025, however its high-level communications on climate do not indicate a clear position on IPCC-demanded global action. FirstEnergy suggested support for the goals of the Paris Agreement in its August 2021 corporate engagement report, but does not appear to have disclosed any positions since.
Engagement with Climate-Related Policy: FirstEnergy demonstrates a mix of positions on US climate-related policy, including at the state level. For example, in Maryland, subsidiary Potomac Edison submitted February 2025 unfavorable testimony on House Bill 1233 that emphasized cost concerns with the bill’s proposal to increase community solar access in the state. In New Jersey, subsidiary Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) submitted April 2025 testimony and March 2025 testimony before Senate committee hearings that appeared to support energy efficiency measures in the state. At the federal level, FirstEnergy disclosed engagement on a congressional resolution to block the finalized power plant carbon standards, however did not specify a clear position on the issue in its recent federal lobbying reports.
Positioning on Energy Transition: FirstEnergy demonstrates mostly negative positions on the energy transition, with a focus on prolonging fossil fuel use in the power sector. The company repeatedly opposed the ambition of the Biden administration’s power plant carbon standards, including in May 2024 joint comments, and in August 2023 through both individual comments, and joint comments. In August 2024, the company challenged the finalized standards for existing coal and new gas power plants via the ad hoc coalition Electric Generators for a Sensible Transition, which submitted an emergency application for immediate stay of the standards. More recently, FirstEnergy submitted March 2025 comments with the Utility Water Act Group that supported the Trump administration’s interim final rule removing the National Environmental Policy Act’s implementation regulations, a measure that may result in the expedited approval of fossil fuel projects.
The company also advocated for fossil fuels at the state level: in New Jersey, subsidiary JCP&L submitted March 2025 1907381 and verbal testimonies before a committee hearing on addressing the increasing energy demands of artificial intelligence, that called for new fossil gas capacity in the state. Meanwhile, CEO Brian Tierney appeared to advocate for new fossil gas plants and a continued role for coal in West Virginia during the company’s Q2 2024 earnings call.
Industry Association Governance: FirstEnergy publishes industry association review updates on its corporate website, however the disclosures lack detail on each group’s climate policy engagement activities. FirstEnergy is a member of the Edison Electric Institute, which legally challenged the Biden administration’s power plant carbon standards, as well as the US Chamber of Commerce, which actively obstructs US climate policy.
A detailed assessment of the company's corporate review on climate policy engagement can be found on InfluenceMap's CA100+ Investor Hub here.
InfluenceMap collects and assesses evidence of corporate climate policy engagement on a weekly basis, depending on the availability of information from each specific data source (for more information see our methodology). While this analysis flows through to the company’s scores each week, the summary above is updated periodically. This summary was last updated in Q3 2025.