Exhibit 31.1

                                  Certification


I, Anthony J. Alexander, certify that:

1.   I have  reviewed  this  quarterly  report on Form 10-Q of  FirstEnergy
     Corp.,  Ohio  Edison  Company,  The  Cleveland  Electric  Illuminating
     Company,  The  Toledo  Edison  Company,  Pennsylvania  Power  Company,
     Metropolitan Edison Company and Pennsylvania Electric Company;

2.   Based on my  knowledge,  this  quarterly  report  does not contain any
     untrue  statement of a material  fact or omit to state a material fact
     necessary to make the statements  made, in light of the  circumstances
     under which such  statements were made, not misleading with respect to
     the period covered by this quarterly report;

3.   Based on my knowledge,  the financial statements,  and other financial
     information  included in this quarterly report,  fairly present in all
     material respects the financial  condition,  results of operations and
     cash flows of each registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in
     this quarterly report;

4.   Each registrant's  other certifying  officer and I are responsible for
     establishing  and maintaining  disclosure  controls and procedures (as
     defined  in  Exchange  Act Rules  13a-15(e)  and  15d-15(e))  for such
     registrant and we have:

     a)    designed such disclosure controls and procedures,  or caused
           such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under
           our  supervision,   to  ensure  that  material   information
           relating  to such  registrant,  including  its  consolidated
           subsidiaries,  is made  known to us by others  within  those
           entities,  particularly  during  the  period  in which  this
           quarterly report is being prepared;

     b)    evaluated the effectiveness of such registrant's  disclosure
           controls  and  procedures  and  presented in this report our
           conclusions   about  the  effectiveness  of  the  disclosure
           controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered
           by this report based on such evaluation; and

     c)    disclosed  in this  report any  change in such  registrant's
           internal  control over  financial  reporting  that  occurred
           during such registrant's most recent fiscal quarter that has
           materially  affected,  or is reasonably likely to materially
           affect,  such  registrant's  internal control over financial
           reporting; and

5.   Each registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based
     on our most recent  evaluation  of  internal  control  over  financial
     reporting,  to such  registrant's  auditors and the audit committee of
     such  registrant's  board of  directors  (or  persons  performing  the
     equivalent function):

     a)    all significant  deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
           design or  operation  of  internal  control  over  financial
           reporting  which are reasonably  likely to adversely  affect
           such registrant's ability to record, process,  summarize and
           report financial information; and

     b)    any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
           or  other  employees  who  have a  significant  role in such
           registrant's internal control over financial reporting.


Date:  May 10, 2004


                                                    /s/Anthony J. Alexander
                                                  -----------------------------
                                                       Anthony J. Alexander
                                                     Chief Executive Officer