EXHIBIT 5(b)



                 [Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP letterhead]


                               September 28, 2004

Jersey Central Power & Light Company
76 South Main Street
Akron, Ohio 44308-1890


         Re:     Jersey Central Power & Light Company, Registration
                 Statement on Form S-4 (Registration No. 333- 119040)


Ladies and Gentlemen:

         We have acted as special counsel to Jersey Central Power & Light
Company, a New Jersey corporation (the "COMPANY"), in connection with
registration, pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-4, as amended (the
"REGISTRATION STATEMENT"), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "ACT"), of the offering by the Company to
exchange any and all of its outstanding 5.625% Senior Notes due 2016 (the
"ORIGINAL NOTES") for an equal principal amount of the Company's 5.625%
Exchange Senior Notes due 2016 (the "EXCHANGE NOTES"). The Original Notes were,
and the Exchange Notes will be, issued under the indenture, dated as of
July 1, 1999 (the "INDENTURE"), between the Company and The Bank of New York,
as trustee (the "TRUSTEE"), and the exchange offer is being made in accordance
with a Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of April 23, 2004 (the
"REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT"), by and among the Company and Barclays Capital
Inc. and UBS Securities LLC, as representatives of the Initial Purchasers of
the Original Notes.

         In our capacity as such counsel, we have reviewed and are familiar with
the Registration Statement, including the prospectus comprising a part thereof
(the "PROSPECTUS"), the Indenture and the Registration Rights Agreement. We have
examined originals or certified copies of such corporate records of the Company
and other certificates and documents of officials of the Company, public
officials and others as we have deemed appropriate for purposes of this letter.
We have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all
documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to authentic original
documents of all copies submitted to us as conformed and certified or reproduced
copies. We have also assumed that the Company is a corporation duly incorporated
and validly existing in good standing under the laws of the State of New Jersey,
that the Exchange Notes have been duly authorized for issuance and such
authorization by the Company's Board of Directors will have not have been
rescinded or modified prior to the issuance of the Exchange Notes, that the
Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Trustee, that
neither the issuance and delivery of the Exchange Notes nor the compliance by
the Company with the terms thereof will violate any







Jersey Central Power & Light Company
September 28, 2004
Page 2




applicable law or will result in a violation of any provision of any instrument
or agreement then binding upon the Company or any restriction imposed by any
court or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company, including the
order of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities authorizing the issuance of
the Exchange Notes and the Original Notes, and that such order is in full force
and effect and is sufficient for such issuance.

      Based upon the foregoing and subject to the assumptions, exceptions,
qualifications and limitations set forth hereinafter, we are of the opinion that
when (a) the Registration Statement has become effective under the Act, (b) the
Exchange Notes have been duly executed by the Company and authenticated by the
Trustee in accordance with the terms of the Indenture, and delivered against
receipt of the Original Notes surrendered in exchange therefor in the manner
described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus (or any supplement
thereto filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Act), and (c) applicable provisions
of "blue sky" laws have been complied with, the Exchange Notes will be valid and
binding obligations of the Company and will be entitled to the benefits of the
Indenture.

      The opinions and other matters in this letter are qualified in their
entirety and subject to the following:

A.    We express no opinion as to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the
      Included Laws. We have made no special investigation or review of any
      published constitutions, treaties, laws, rules or regulations or judicial
      or administrative decisions ("LAWS") other than a review of (i) the Laws
      of the State of New York, (ii) only with respect to the matters specified
      in paragraph C below, the laws of the State of Ohio and (iii) the Federal
      Laws of the United States of America. For purposes of this opinion, the
      term "INCLUDED LAWS" means the items described in clauses (i), (ii), and
      (iii) of the preceding sentence that are, in our experience, normally
      applicable to transactions of the type contemplated by the Indenture and
      Registration Rights Agreement. The term Included Laws specifically
      excludes Laws of any counties, cities, towns, municipalities and special
      political subdivisions and any agencies thereof and Laws relating to land
      use, zoning and building code issues.

B.    The matters expressed in this letter are subject to and qualified and
      limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer and
      conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting
      creditors' rights and remedies generally; (ii) general principles of
      equity, including principles of commercial reasonableness, good faith and
      fair dealing (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding
      at law or in equity); (iii) commercial reasonableness and
      unconscionability and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing;
      (iv) the power of the courts to award damages in lieu of equitable
      remedies; and (v) securities Laws and public policy underlying such Laws
      with respect to rights to indemnification and contribution.

      We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to the use of our name in the Prospectus forming a
part of the Registration Statement under the caption "Legal Matters". In giving
this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are within



Jersey Central Power & Light Company
September 28, 2004
Page 3

the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act and
the rules and regulations thereunder. We also consent to your filing copies of
this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.

                                       Very truly yours,



                                       /s/ AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD LLP