TOLEDO, Ohio — Today, Toledo Edison celebrates and reflects on the many years of operating as Nov. 1, 2021, marks 100 years of powering northwest Ohio communities.
The roots trace back to a collection of companies that once generated power to illuminate downtown's streetlights and operate electric passenger railways. As passengers deserted electric railways and trolleys for automobiles, Toledo Edison acquired the system’s transmission lines, enabling the company to deliver power to customers in rural areas along former streetcar routes.
“The world has changed immeasurably over the last hundred years, and Toledo Edison has been there each step of the way, delivering safe and reliable electric service to our customers,” Ed Shuttleworth, president of FirstEnergy’s Ohio operations said. “As we look into the future, we are driven by the opportunity to pave the way for a more robust power system that meets the evolving needs of our customers while supporting the integration of diverse energy sources in the years to come.”
Located on the Maumee River in east Toledo, the Acme Power Station was Toledo Edison’s flagship operation for many decades and generated 90% of the electricity for northwest Ohio until 1955. When Toledo Edison sold one of the steam turbines from its Acme plant to the city of New Orleans in 1950, no one could have imagined that it would survive the flooding and devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
After World War II, Toledo Edison continued to purchase smaller utility companies and expanded its generation resources to nuclear power. In 1986, Toledo Edison became part of Centerior Energy, which merged with FirstEnergy Corp. in 1997.
While Toledo Edison no longer generates electricity, the company is investing about $76 million into new, automated equipment and technology in substations and along power lines to help prevent power outages and reduce many service interruptions to just a brief or momentary outage. The upgraded infrastructure is a part of a three-year phased grid modernization plan that began last year.
Toledo Edison and the FirstEnergy Foundation also have donated to many local communities over the years, including contributions to provide timely assistance to families and organizations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through the FirstEnergy Foundation’s “Investing with Purpose” initiative.
At the start of the pandemic, the FirstEnergy Foundation donated $500,000 to 42 local food banks and hunger centers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia and Maryland, which included $25,000 for the Toledo Northwest Ohio Foodbank.
In recent years, Toledo Edison employees have participated in countless charitable causes across the region, like installing free smoke detectors for Toledo families, donating and preparing meals for families at the Ronald McDonald House of Northwest Ohio and hosting food and monetary donation drives for local food banks.
“Our employees live in the communities we serve, happily volunteering their time, talents and dollars to make each a better place to live, work and raise families,” Shuttleworth said. “We look forward to continuing to shine a bright light across northwest Ohio for many more years to come.”
