currently owns no transmission assets, it may build new transmission facilities in the Allegheny zone, and that it may seek required state and federal authorizations to acquire transmission assets from PE and WP by January 1, 2022. These transmission rate filings were accepted for filing by FERC on December 31, 2020, effective January 1, 2021, subject to refund, pending further hearing and settlement procedures and were consolidated into a single proceeding. MP, PE and WP, and KATCo filed uncontested settlement agreements with FERC on January 18, 2023. There is no timetable for FERC to rule on the settlement agreements. Also on January 25, 2023, the FERC Chief Administrative Law Judge granted a motion of MP, PE, and WP for interim rates to implement certain aspects of the settled rate retroactive to January 1, 2023. As a result of the filed settlement, FirstEnergy recognized a $25 million pre-tax charge during the fourth quarter of 2022, which reflects the difference between amounts originally recorded as assets and amounts which will ultimately be recovered from customers as a result of the pending settlement. ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS Various federal, state and local authorities regulate FirstEnergy with regard to air and water quality, hazardous and solid waste disposal, and other environmental matters. While FirstEnergy’s environmental policies and procedures are designed to achieve compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations, such laws and regulations are subject to periodic review and potential revision by the implementing agencies. FirstEnergy cannot predict the timing or ultimate outcome of any of these reviews or how any future actions taken as a result thereof may materially impact its business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. Clean Air Act FirstEnergy complies with SO2 and NOx emission reduction requirements under the CAA and SIP by burning lower-sulfur fuel, utilizing combustion controls and post-combustion controls and/or using emission allowances. CSAPR requires reductions of NOx and SO2 emissions in two phases (2015 and 2017), ultimately capping SO2 emissions in affected states to 2.4 million tons annually and NOx emissions to 1.2 million tons annually. CSAPR allows trading of NOx and SO2 emission allowances between power plants located in the same state and interstate trading of NOx and SO2 emission allowances with some restrictions. On July 28, 2015, the D.C. Circuit ordered the EPA to reconsider the CSAPR caps on NOx and SO2 emissions from power plants in 13 states, including West Virginia. This followed the 2014 U.S. Supreme Court ruling generally upholding the EPA’s regulatory approach under CSAPR but questioning whether the EPA required upwind states to reduce emissions by more than their contribution to air pollution in downwind states. The EPA issued a CSAPR Update on September 7, 2016, reducing summertime NOx emissions from power plants in 22 states in the eastern U.S., including West Virginia, beginning in 2017. Various states and other stakeholders appealed the CSAPR Update to the D.C. Circuit in November and December 2016. On September 13, 2019, the D.C. Circuit remanded the CSAPR Update to the EPA citing that the rule did not eliminate upwind states’ significant contributions to downwind states’ air quality attainment requirements within applicable attainment deadlines. Also in March 2018, the State of New York filed a CAA Section 126 petition with the EPA alleging that NOx emissions from nine states (including West Virginia) significantly contribute to New York’s inability to attain the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The petition sought suitable emission rate limits for large stationary sources that are allegedly affecting New York’s air quality within the three years allowed by CAA Section 126. On September 20, 2019, the EPA denied New York’s CAA Section 126 petition. On October 29, 2019, the State of New York appealed the denial of its petition to the D.C. Circuit. On July 14, 2020, the D.C. Circuit reversed and remanded the New York petition to the EPA for further consideration. On March 15, 2021, the EPA issued a revised CSAPR Update that addresses, among other things, the remands of the prior CSAPR Update and the New York Section 126 petition. In December 2021, MP purchased NOx emissions allowances to comply with 2021 ozone season requirements. On April 6, 2022, the EPA published proposed rules seeking to impose further significant reductions in EGU NOx emissions in 25 states, including West Virginia. The EPA held a virtual public hearing regarding the proposed rules on April 21, 2022, and MP submitted written comments on June 21, 2022. Depending on the outcome of any appeals and how the EPA and the states ultimately implement the revised CSAPR Update, the future cost of compliance may materially impact FirstEnergy’s operations, cash flows and financial condition. Climate Change There are several initiatives to reduce GHG emissions at the state, federal and international level. Certain northeastern states are participating in the RGGI and western states led by California, have implemented programs, primarily cap and trade mechanisms, to control emissions of certain GHGs. Additional policies reducing GHG emissions, such as demand reduction programs, renewable portfolio standards and renewable subsidies have been implemented across the nation. In September 2016, the U.S. joined in adopting the agreement reached on December 12, 2015, at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meetings in Paris to reduce GHGs. The Paris Agreement’s non-binding obligations to limit global warming to below two degrees Celsius became effective on November 4, 2016. On June 1, 2017, the Trump Administration announced that the U.S. would cease all participation in the Paris Agreement. On January 20, 2021, President Biden signed an executive order re-adopting the agreement on behalf of the U.S. In November 2020, FirstEnergy published its Climate Story which includes its climate position and strategy, as well as a new comprehensive and ambitious GHG emission goal. FirstEnergy 62
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