1 EXHIBIT 12(b) OHIO EDISON COMPANY CONSOLIDATED RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, -------------------------------------------------------- 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS) EARNINGS AS DEFINED IN REGULATION S-K: Income before extraordinary items..................................... $ 24,523 $303,531 $317,241 $315,170 $293,194 Interest and other charges, before reduction for amounts capitalized................................................. 285,169 283,849 273,719 255,572 250,920 Provision for income taxes............................................ 32,431 188,886 199,307 201,295 187,805 Interest element of rentals charged to income (a) .................... 104,700 108,463 111,534 114,093 117,409 -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- Earnings as defined................................................. $446,823 $884,729 $901,801 $886,130 $849,328 ======== ======== ======== ======== ======== FIXED CHARGES AS DEFINED IN REGULATION S-K: Interest on long-term debt............................................ $262,861 $259,554 $243,570 $211,935 $204,285 Other interest expense................................................ 16,445 18,931 22,944 28,211 31,209 Subsidiaries' preferred stock dividends requirements.................. 5,863 5,364 7,205 15,426 15,426 Adjustments to subsidiaries' preferred stock dividends to state on a pre-income tax basis.................................. 7,659 3,294 2,956 2,910 2,918 Interest element of rentals charged to income (a)..................... 104,700 108,463 111,534 114,093 117,409 -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- Fixed charges as defined............................................ $397,528 $395,606 $388,209 $372,575 $371,247 ======== ======== ======== ======== ======== CONSOLIDATED RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES (b)........................................................... 1.12 2.24 2.32 2.38 2.29 ==== ==== ==== ==== ==== - ------------- (a) Includes the interest element of rentals where determinable plus 1/3 of rental expense where no readily defined interest element can be determined. (b) These ratios exclude fixed charges applicable to the guarantee of the debt of a coal supplier aggregating $8,565,000, $7,424,000, $6,315,000, $5,093,000 and $3,828,000 for each of the five years ended December 31, 1997, respectively.