EXHIBIT 99

FirstEnergy Corp.                                      For Release: Upon Receipt
76 South Main Street
Akron, Ohio 44308
www.firstenergycorp.com

News Media Contact:
Ralph DiNicola
(330) 384-5939


                  FirstEnergy CEO Undergoing Medical Treatment


         FirstEnergy  Corp.  (NYSE:  FE) said  today  that  Chairman  and  Chief
Executive Officer H. Peter Burg will be out of the office for an extended period
while undergoing treatment for leukemia.  Mr. Burg plans to return to his normal
schedule following release by his doctor.

         In Mr.  Burg's  absence,  FirstEnergy's  Board of  Directors  has named
President  and Chief  Operating  Officer  Anthony  J.  Alexander,  Acting  Chief
Executive Officer.



Forward-Looking Statement: This news release includes forward-looking statements
based on  information  currently  available to management.  Such  statements are
subject to certain risks and uncertainties.  These statements typically contain,
but are not limited to, the terms "anticipate," "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),  adverse
regulatory or legal  decisions and the outcome of  governmental  investigations,
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),  inability  to
accomplish or realize  anticipated  benefits of strategic  goals, the ability to
improve electric  commodity margins and to experience growth in the distribution
business,  the  ability  to  access  the  public  securities  markets,   further
investigation  into the causes of the August 14, 2003 regional  power outage and
the  outcome,  cost and  other  effects  of  present  and  potential  legal  and
administrative  proceedings  and claims  related to that outage,  a denial of or
material change to the Company's  Application  related to its Rate Stabilization
Plan, and other factors discussed from time to time in FirstEnergy's  Securities
and Exchange  Commission  filings,  including its annual report on Form 10-K (as
amended) for the year ended  December  31,  2002,  its Form 10-Q for the quarter
ended  September 30, 2003 and under "Risk Factors" in the Prospectus  Supplement
dated September 12, 2003 to the Prospectus dated August 29, 2003 (which was part
of the  Registration  Statement-SEC  File  No.  333-103865)  and  other  similar
factors.  FirstEnergy  expressly  disclaims any current  intention to update any
forward-looking  statements  contained  in  this  document  as a  result  of new
information, future events, or otherwise.

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