$FE

Ohio's average electricity price rose 34% from 2022 to Q1 2026, but individual bills include generation, transmission, and distribution charges. AEP Ohio's transmission charges increased in April, while FirstEnergy seeks distribution rate hikes. Data centers add demand, but don't solely drive price hikes. Consumers can shop for suppliers but can't control delivery charges.

Peter Thiel's investment firm, Thiel Macro LLC, disclosed a $418.67 million equity portfolio across eight companies, with Amazon as the largest holding at $118 million. The portfolio also includes energy companies like Vistra Corp., American Electric Power, and DTE Energy, suggesting a focus on AI infrastructure and power supply. Thiel's investments indicate a belief that power, not just software, is a limiting factor for AI development.

FirstEnergy (FE) announced a quarterly dividend of $0.465 per share, matching its previous payout. The dividend is payable on December 1 to shareholders of record on November 6, with an ex-dividend date of November 6. The company also reaffirmed its 2026 core EPS guidance of $2.62 to $2.82 and a $36 billion five-year plan, while forecasting 25 GW of data center demand.

Josh Rubin, chairman of JobsOhio's board, will be deposed in a federal civil lawsuit against FirstEnergy, accused of failing to disclose an alleged bribery scheme involving state legislators. FirstEnergy faces a second criminal trial over its role in the scandal, which involved a $1.3 billion ratepayer bailout. The company reportedly paid over $60 million through dark money groups to pass the legislation.

Peter Thiel's fund, Thiel Macro LLC, reported $418.7M in US stock holdings as of 30 June 2026, with Amazon as the largest position at $118M. The portfolio is heavily weighted towards power and energy names, which account for 71.82% of the total value. The filing follows two quarters with no reported holdings.

West Virginia officials and utilities are working to maintain coal-fired power plants for the PJM Interconnection grid. They criticize PJM's rules and costs, with coal at $122/MWh vs. natural gas at $78/MWh. FirstEnergy and Appalachian Power have invested in upgrades. The PSC is implementing rules for economic dispatch, with a public hearing scheduled.

FirstEnergy prefers modernizing parts of the local electric system over replacing 34.5 miles of aging underground cable near Lakewood, citing cost and time. PUCO staff proposed broader inspections and a replacement plan, but no final order has been issued. Cable failures contributed to several summer outages, affecting thousands of customers. PUCO staff proposed a $3.05M forfeiture for CEI, FirstEnergy's subsidiary, but it is not yet final. Corrective work from a 2025 outage investigation is sti

FirstEnergy (FE) subsidiary Potomac Edison seeks a $52.8M Maryland rate increase to fund infrastructure upgrades, raising average residential bills by 5.3%. The utility claims rates will remain lowest in Maryland. The Maryland Public Service Commission must approve the request.

Peter Thiel's Thiel Macro LLC disclosed a $418.67 million equity portfolio in Q2, focusing on energy infrastructure and utilities. The firm invested in electric utilities like American Electric Power (AEP), DTE Energy (DTE), FirstEnergy (FE), and CMS Energy (CMS), as well as Vistra (VST) and X-Energy (XE). Amazon (AMZN) is the largest holding at $117.98 million, tied to energy agreements. Additionally, the portfolio includes Vista Energy (VIST) for conventional energy exposure.

FirstEnergy's proposed three-year rate plan for its Ohio utilities could increase monthly bills by $15.45 for a typical residential customer by the third year, according to the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel. The plan includes $2.5 billion in capital investments and a 10.2% return on equity, up from 9.63%. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) will review the proposal, with hearings scheduled to begin in March 2027.