Leadership Views...Trent Smith

Toledo Business Journal, Jul 01, 2007

In the near term - as far as reliability and the system goes -- we don't anticipate problems. FirstEnergy, from a generating perspective, has improved efficiencies at our current generating stations to get more generation from the existing units rather than by building new generators.

TBJ: Is there anything else you would like to discuss?

TS: From a fair price perspective, Toledo Edison's base rates have been frozen since 1996 and will remain frozen until January 2009. There aren't many cases in the energy world -- or the marketplace in general -- where base prices haven't changed in over 10 years. This is part of the deregulation transition -- commitments that Toledo Edison made to keep the environment stable for customers, while improving our reliability, hiring new talent, and supporting our community.

Now, as 2009 approaches, our industry, our company, and our customers face some significant changes. But, I would say that in our business and in this world, change is inescapable. The more important thing, whether you are the service provider or the customer, is to be ready for change.

Even in a world of change, however, some things stay constant. We remain committed to providing safe, reliable service to our customers at a competitive price. As in the past, we will pursue that vision with continuous improvement initiatives, investment in technologies, and development of the skills and experience of our employees. Toledo Edison has been serving the city and the region for more than a century. We're here for the long haul.