How Much Do You Know About Ohio's Power Accountability System?

Four questions. Test what you know before we dig in.

Why can't Lakewood simply sue FirstEnergy in civil court over the outages?

• FirstEnergy is a federal utility and immune from state suits — Not quite. FirstEnergy is regulated at the state level — but that's actually the key. Because PUCO holds regulatory jurisdiction over utilities, a civil lawsuit would be tossed out of court for lack of jurisdiction, as Mayor George explained.
• Civil courts lack jurisdiction over regulated utilities — PUCO is the legal path — Correct. Mayor George explained it directly: 'If you would sue FirstEnergy, that would be tossed out in court, because the court doesn't have any jurisdiction over FirstEnergy.' PUCO is the designated accountability mechanism under Ohio law.
• The city signed a franchise agreement waiving its right to sue — The article doesn't mention a franchise waiver. The real barrier is jurisdictional — courts simply don't oversee regulated utilities the way PUCO does.
• Lakewood is too small to have legal standing against a major corporation — City size isn't the issue. In fact, Mayor George noted Lakewood is the only city in Ohio to intervene in the reliability standards case AND file a PUCO complaint — meaning the city has actively pursued every available legal avenue.

What did PUCO find after Lakewood's first complaint in 2025?

• Outages were caused by severe weather, relieving FirstEnergy of liability — This is actually what FirstEnergy's statement implied — but it's the opposite of what PUCO found. The commission concluded the severe outages were caused by equipment and line failures, not weather events.
• Outages were caused by equipment and line failures, not weather — triggering a multimillion-dollar improvement plan — Correct. PUCO's finding was significant: the outages weren't acts of nature but failures of aging infrastructure. That determination is what forced FirstEnergy into a multimillion-dollar grid improvement plan for Lakewood.
• FirstEnergy was fully compliant and no action was required — The opposite happened. PUCO's investigation led directly to a required improvement plan — including new transformers, tree trimming, new breakers, and smart meters.
• The complaint was dismissed before PUCO could issue findings — The complaint was not dismissed — it produced concrete findings and required infrastructure upgrades. Mayor George's new complaint argues those upgrades still aren't enough.

What is the status of the two new transformers included in FirstEnergy's improvement plan?

• Both installed and fully operational — Not yet. Despite being part of the required improvement plan triggered by the 2025 complaint, neither transformer has gone into service as of the mayor's new filing.
• One installed, one still pending — Neither is operational. The article states both transformers 'still haven't gone into service' — a key point Mayor George cites as evidence the upgrades are insufficient.
• Neither has gone into service yet — Correct. Both transformers remain offline despite being part of the mandated improvement plan. Mayor George called this out directly: 'The upgrades that FirstEnergy has been forced to do because of that complaint are clearly not enough.'
• The plan was withdrawn after FirstEnergy appealed — The plan was not withdrawn. FirstEnergy's own statement confirms ongoing investments in Lakewood — but the transformers central to that plan haven't come online.

How long did it take PUCO to respond after Mayor George's last outreach?

• About a week — The response was slower than that. Mayor George said it took about a month to receive a response and then get the clear next step from PUCO after her previous outreach.
• About a month — Correct. Mayor George noted the last response took roughly a month — a timeline that Lakewood residents experiencing repeated multiday outages would find difficult to accept as urgency.
• About six months — Closer, but the mayor's own account puts it at about a month. That said, even one month of waiting while outages continue is a meaningful delay for affected residents.
• PUCO responded immediately with an emergency order — There was no emergency order. The mayor said PUCO's previous response took about a month to yield the clear next step — which is part of why she is filing again.

For Donn Nottage, the July outages weren't just inconvenient — they were life-threatening. A lifelong asthmatic with severe seasonal allergies, Nottage started feeling faint during one of the extended blackouts as temperatures climbed. His wife rushed him to Lakewood emergency. He survived. But he's been speaking at City Council meetings ever since, demanding that FirstEnergy deliver practical solutions and that the mayor hold the line.

Nottage put it plainly: he loves Lakewood, but he will not stay in a city where the power grid might kill him. That kind of testimony is exactly what Mayor Meghan George is leaning on as she escalates the city's legal pressure on Ohio's largest electric utility.

Lakewood vs. FirstEnergy: How We Got Here

• 2025 — Mayor George files first PUCO complaint
• 2025 — ~1 month later — PUCO responds, finds equipment and line failures — not weather — caused severe Lakewood outages
• After PUCO finding — FirstEnergy required to execute multimillion-dollar Lakewood grid improvement plan: two new transformers, tree trimming, new breakers and meters
• Present — Both new transformers still not in service; outages continue
• July 1–3 — Three consecutive outages, each roughly six hours — Donn Nottage hospitalized during extreme heat
• This week — Mayor George files new PUCO complaint, requests investigation reopening and financial penalties against FirstEnergy

That timeline matters because it exposes the gap between regulatory action and real-world results. PUCO's 2025 investigation produced a documented finding — equipment failures, not weather — and mandated improvements. Yet neither of the two new transformers at the center of that plan has gone into service. Outages continued. The July heat made them dangerous. And Mayor George is now back at the same starting line, filing the same type of complaint, to the same commission.

What's different this time is the demand for financial consequences. George is asking PUCO not just to investigate but to determine what reimbursements are permissible under the law — for lost food, rate credits, and other costs residents have absorbed. She's also noting that Lakewood is the only city in Ohio to have formally intervened in FirstEnergy's reliability standards case, a legal mechanism that goes beyond simply filing a complaint.

FirstEnergy's Claims vs. What the Record Shows

Extreme heat placed unprecedented stress on the grid, contributing to outages.

Verdict: mixed

FirstEnergy cited extreme heat in its public statement following the July outages. However, PUCO's own investigation after the 2025 complaint found that severe Lakewood outages were caused by equipment and line failures — not weather-related events. The heat may have been a factor this July, but the grid's underlying vulnerability is documented as a structural problem, not a natural one.

FirstEnergy is investing millions in Lakewood infrastructure improvements.

Verdict: mixed

FirstEnergy confirmed investments including two new transformers, vegetation management, smart meters, and pole inspections. But Mayor George pointed out that the two transformers — the centerpiece of the mandated improvement plan — still have not gone into service. 'The upgrades that FirstEnergy has been forced to do because of that complaint are clearly not enough,' she said.

Lakewood residents can take FirstEnergy to court directly.

Verdict: false

Mayor George was explicit: a civil lawsuit against FirstEnergy would be dismissed because courts do not have jurisdiction over regulated utilities in Ohio. The only legal path for accountability is through PUCO — which is why the city has now filed two formal complaints and intervened in the reliability standards case.

Lakewood is the only Ohio city formally pursuing FirstEnergy accountability through PUCO.

Verdict: true

Mayor George stated that Lakewood is the only city in Ohio to intervene in the reliability standards case and to file a formal PUCO complaint — making it the lone municipal voice in what is otherwise a resident-level regulatory process.

What the Two PUCO Complaints Demand

The comparison between the two complaints reveals the core frustration in Lakewood: the regulatory system worked in 2025, at least on paper. PUCO found fault. FirstEnergy was required to act. But the transformers are still offline, the outages kept coming, and the July heat turned a reliability problem into a medical emergency. That gap between regulatory finding and operational reality is what Mayor George is now forcing into the public record — again.

The mayor has been clear that she has no intention of stopping. Lakewood has deployed every available legal tool: formal PUCO complaints, intervention in the statewide reliability standards case, and public pressure through City Council testimony from residents like Nottage. The question that hangs over all of it is how long PUCO takes to respond — and whether the response, when it comes, finally moves faster than the next outage.

The Evidence: What PUCO Found and What FirstEnergy Is Saying

PUCO's previous investigation — triggered by Mayor George's 2025 complaint — concluded that severe outages in Lakewood were caused by equipment and line failures, not weather-related events. That finding is significant because it shifts responsibility from acts of nature to preventable infrastructure failures.

In response to the current situation, FirstEnergy released a statement saying it 'understands customers depend on reliable electric service' and cited 'unprecedented stress' from extreme heat on the regional grid. The utility says it is 'investing millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements' in Lakewood, including two new transformers, replacement of aging equipment, enhanced vegetation management, pole inspections, and smart meters.

Mayor George's position: those investments are happening too slowly and are clearly insufficient given continued outages. The two transformers — the most substantial piece of the mandated improvement plan — have not yet gone into service. The mayor is asking PUCO to look at what financial penalties are available under Ohio law and what reimbursements residents can claim for their losses.

What Lakewood Residents Can Do Right Now

1. Document every outage — Record the date, time, and duration of each outage at your address. This information is exactly what Mayor George and City Council need when building the case before PUCO.
2. Speak at City Council — Resident Donn Nottage's City Council testimony helped fuel the mayor's new complaint. Public testimony from affected residents strengthens the city's formal record with PUCO.
3. Know the legal landscape — Civil court is not an option — Mayor George confirmed that suits against FirstEnergy would be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. PUCO is the correct accountability channel in Ohio.
4. Ask about reimbursements — Mayor George is specifically asking PUCO what reimbursements are permissible under Ohio law — including for refrigerator losses, power disruptions, and rate adjustments. Follow the city's formal complaint for updates.
5. Have a heat safety plan — Donn Nottage's experience — becoming faint during an outage in extreme heat — is a reminder that extended summer blackouts are a medical risk, especially for those with respiratory or chronic conditions. Know your nearest cooling resource before the next outage.

Track This Story and Contact Your Officials

• Public Utilities Commission of Ohio: PUCO is the state body that regulates FirstEnergy and is the legal accountability mechanism for Ohio utility complaints.
• Lakewood City Council: Residents like Donn Nottage have testified directly at Lakewood City Council meetings. Public testimony is part of the formal record supporting the mayor's PUCO complaint.
• Report Outages to FirstEnergy: Reporting each outage to FirstEnergy creates a documented record of frequency and duration — data that supports regulatory filings.

Donn Nottage survived July. He's back at City Council meetings. He's demanding practical solutions, transformer timelines, and a mayor who keeps the pressure on. After more than 25 years in Lakewood, he says he loves the city — but he will not accept a power grid that might kill him in a heat wave.

Mayor George has made the same promise from the other side of the dais: Lakewood will pursue every legal avenue available, will remain the only city in Ohio to formally intervene in FirstEnergy's reliability standards case, and will file every complaint PUCO allows. The lights in Lakewood have gone out too many times. What happens next depends on whether Ohio's regulators respond faster than the next outage arrives.

Sources & References

• Primary source: local-news — Nadeen Abusada