Exhibit 99

Jersey Central Power & Light                    For Release: July 25, 2003
300 Madison Avenue
Morristown, New Jersey 07960

News Media Contact:                             Investor Contact:
Ron Morano                                      Kurt Turosky
(973) 401-8097                                  (330) 384-5500




                           JCP&L TO REVIEW DECISION BY
                      NEW JERSEY BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES

         Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) announced today that it is
reviewing the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities' (BPU) decision on the
company's rate proceeding. Based on that review, the company will decide its
appropriate course of action, which could include filing a request for
reconsideration with the BPU and possibly an appeal to the Appellate Division of
the Superior Court of New Jersey.

         In its ruling, the BPU reduced JCP&L's annual revenues by approximately
$60 million, for an average rate decrease of 3 percent, effective August 1,
2003. The BPU decision also provided for an interim return on equity of 9.5
percent on JCP&L's rate base for the next 6 to 12 months. During that period,
JCP&L would initiate another proceeding to request recovery of additional
expenses incurred to enhance system reliability. In that proceeding, the BPU
could increase the return on equity to 9.75 percent or decrease it to 9.25
percent, depending on its assessment of the reliability of the company's
service.

         The rate order compares with a proposed increase of $81 million, or 4.1
percent, and a return on equity of 10.6 percent, submitted under a settlement
agreement reached last month by JCP&L and all parties to its rate proceeding,
except the BPU regulatory staff and the Division of the Ratepayer Advocate.

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         The BPU decision reflects elimination of $111 million in annual
customer credits mandated by the New Jersey Electric Discount and Energy
Competition Act (EDECA); a $223-million reduction in the energy delivery charge;
a net $1-million increase in the societal benefits charge (SBC); and a
$49-million increase in market transition charges (MTC). The $1-million net SBC
increase reflects approximately a $22-million increase related to universal
services' costs previously approved in a separate proceeding, as well as
reductions in other components of the SBC.

         The MTC would allow for the recovery of $465 million in deferred energy
costs over the next 10 years on an interim basis, thus disallowing $153 million
of the $618 million provided for in the settlement agreement. This decision
reflects the BPU's belief that a hindsight review comparing JCP&L's power
purchases to spot market prices provides the appropriate benchmark for recovery.
JCP&L's deferred energy costs primarily reflect mandated purchase power
contracts with non-utility generators that are above wholesale market prices,
and costs of providing basic generation service to customers in excess of the
company's capped basic generation service charges during the transition period
under EDECA, which ends August 1, 2003.

         At that time, the generation portion of most customer bills will
increase by an average of 7.5 percent as a result of the outcome of the basic
generation service auction conducted earlier this year by the BPU.

         JCP&L is an operating company of FirstEnergy Corp., a registered public
utility holding company headquartered in Akron, Ohio. FirstEnergy's subsidiaries
and affiliates are involved in the generation, transmission and distribution of
electricity; exploration and production of oil and natural gas; transmission and
marketing of natural gas; and energy management and other energy-related
services.


Forward-Looking Statement: This news release includes forward-looking
statements based on information currently available to management. Such
statements are subject to certain risk and uncertainties. These statements
typically contain, but are not limited to, the terms "anticipate," "potential,"
"expect," "believe," "estimate," and similar words. Actual results may differ
materially due to the speed and nature of increased competition and deregulation
in the electric utility industry, economic or weather conditions affecting
future sales and margins, changes in markets for energy services, changing
energy and commodity market prices, replacement power costs being higher than
anticipated or inadequately hedged, maintenance costs being higher than
anticipated, legislative and regulatory changes (including revised environmental
requirements), availability and cost of capital, inability of the Davis-Besse
Nuclear Power Station to restart (including because of any inability to obtain a
favorable final determination from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission) in the
fall of 2003, inability to accomplish or realize anticipated benefits of
strategic goals and other similar factors.


                                    (072503)

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