January 8, 2025

As part of our commitment to the environment, sustainability and our core value of Stewardship, FirstEnergy employees donated and planted over 101,000 trees, since our tree-planting program’s inception. The team exceeded the company’s goal to plant 25,000 in 2024 by donating and planting over 34,000 trees.

The milestones come less than five years after we launched our tree planting and donation program in 2020.

With 34,196 trees planted last year, our Green Teams have significantly surpassed their 2024 goal of 25,000 trees by leading tree planting and donation events across our six-state service territory.

“This program began in 2020 with a modest goal of planting 1,000 trees,” said Jessica Shaffer, Advanced Scientist and Green Teams Lead. “The incredible success of the past five years is a testament to the commitment of our Green Team leads and volunteers, the love our teams have for their communities and FirstEnergy’s dedication to building a sustainable future.”

After planting 1,000 trees in 2020, the program has grown each year, having now planted more than 101,000 trees at nearly 300 different planting and donation events. In 2024 alone, nearly 650 FirstEnergy Green Team members volunteered more than 3,000 hours at nearly 150 tree-planting events, achieving impressive results:

• Ohio: More than 10,000 trees donated and planted
• Pennsylvania: More than 9,000 trees donated and planted
• West Virginia: More than 6,700 trees donated and planted
• Maryland: More than 5,000 trees donated and planted
• New Jersey: About 3,000 trees donated and planted

Making a true difference through trees

The Green Teams’ tree-planting efforts continue this year, with a firm goal to plant another 25,000 trees in 2025. In addition to the many environmental benefits our program has brought to local communities, it has also brought beautification and hope.

Last year, more than half of our tree-planting events were held in underserved areas, which include communities chosen based on income level, education access or environmental issues such as proximity to Superfund sites, abandoned mines or poor air quality.

In addition to environmental benefits, our tree-planting program also enhances community landscapes through the greenery, shade and other benefits offered by trees. Native tree species are donated, and the location for each planting is selected to ensure a safe distance from power lines and to minimize the need for pruning in the future. Among the donations are various varieties of fruit trees, which will be harvested by local schools and non-profits for donations to food banks.

FirstEnergy’s Green Teams will continue to partner with state park systems, watershed and recycling groups, garden clubs, schools and other environmentally focused organizations to support the company’s commitment to building a brighter and more sustainable future.