fe-20201117

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D. C. 20549

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 17, 2020

Commission

Registrant; State of Incorporation;

I.R.S. Employer

File Number

Address; and Telephone Number

Identification No.

333-21011

FIRSTENERGY CORP

34-1843785

(An

Ohio

Corporation)

76 South Main Street

Akron

44308

Telephone

(800)

736-3402

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2.):

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class

Trading Symbol(s)

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock, $0.10 par value per share

New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 3.01 Notice of Delisting or Failure to Satisfy a Continued Listing Rule or Standard; Transfer of Listing.

On November 17, 2020, FirstEnergy Corp. (the “Company”) received notice from the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) that the Company is not in compliance with the NYSE’s continued listing requirements under the timely filing criteria outlined in Section 802.01E of the NYSE Listed Company Manual because the company failed to timely file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2020 (“Form 10-Q”), which was due to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) no later than November 16, 2020.

FirstEnergy previously filed a Form 12b-25 with the SEC on November 9, 2020 to extend the due date for the Form 10-Q from November 9, 2020, the date on which such report was initially due, to November 16, 2020.

The NYSE notice has no immediate effect on the listing of the Company’s stock on the NYSE or on any of the Company’s outstanding bonds. The NYSE informed the Company that, under the NYSE’s rules, the Company has six months, until May 17, 2021, to file its Form 10-Q, and any subsequent delayed filings and regain compliance with the NYSE listing standards. The Company intends to become current in its SEC reporting obligations as soon as possible but in any event before the May 17, 2021 deadline.

During the course of the Company’s internal investigation related to ongoing government investigations, the existence of which was previously disclosed in the Company’s Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2020, the Independent Review Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Committee”) determined that three executives, including the Company’s former Chief Executive Officer, violated certain Company policies and its code of conduct and should be terminated. The terminations were effective October 29, 2020. Following the Committee’s determination regarding these violations of certain Company policies and its code of conduct, the Company is re-evaluating its controls framework, which could include identifying one or more material weaknesses. Additionally, on November 8, 2020, two senior members of the legal department were separated from the Company. The internal investigation as it relates to the ongoing government investigations remains ongoing.

In connection with the ongoing government investigations and the Company’s re-evaluation of its controls framework, which could include identifying one or more material weaknesses, the Company requires additional time to complete its quarterly review and closing procedures and to provide appropriate disclosure in the Form 10-Q.

Forward-Looking Statements: This Form 8-K includes forward-looking statements based on information currently available to management. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These statements include declarations regarding management’s intents, beliefs and current expectations. These statements typically contain, but are not limited to, the terms “anticipate,” “potential,” “expect,” “forecast,” “target,” “will,” “intend,” “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “plan” and similar words. Forward-looking statements involve estimates, assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, which may include the following: our ability to become current in our SEC reporting obligations; the results of our ongoing internal investigation and evaluation of our controls framework, the extent and duration of COVID-19 and the impacts to our business, operations and financial condition resulting from the outbreak of COVID-19 including, but not limited to, disruption of businesses in our territories, volatile capital and credit markets, legislative and regulatory actions, the effectiveness of our pandemic and business continuity plans, the precautionary measures we are taking on behalf of our customers, contractors and employees, our customers’ ability to make their utility payment and the potential for supply-chain disruptions; the risks and uncertainties associated with government investigations regarding Ohio House Bill 6 and related matters including potential adverse impacts on federal or state regulatory matters including, but not limited to, matters relating to rates; the risks and uncertainties associated with litigation, arbitration, mediation and similar proceedings; legislative and regulatory developments, including, but not limited to, matters related to rates, compliance and enforcement activity; mitigating exposure for remedial activities associated with retired and formerly owned electric generation assets, including, but not limited to, risks associated with the decommissioning of TMI-2; the ability to accomplish or realize anticipated benefits from strategic and financial goals, including, but not limited to, executing our transmission and distribution investment plans, controlling costs, improving our credit metrics, strengthening our balance sheet and growing earnings and maintaining financial flexibility; economic and weather conditions affecting future operating results, such as a recession, significant weather events and other natural disasters, and associated regulatory events or actions in response to such conditions; changes in assumptions regarding economic conditions within our territories, the reliability of our transmission and distribution system, or the availability of capital or other resources supporting identified transmission and distribution investment opportunities; changes in customers’ demand for power, including, but not limited to, the impact of climate change or energy efficiency and peak demand reduction mandates; changes in national and regional economic conditions affecting us and/or our major industrial and commercial customers or others with which we do business; the risks associated with cyber-attacks and other disruptions to our information technology system, which may compromise our operations, and data security breaches of sensitive data, intellectual property and proprietary or personally identifiable information; the ability to comply with applicable reliability standards and energy efficiency and peak demand reduction mandates; changes to environmental laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, those related to climate change; changing market conditions affecting the measurement of certain liabilities and the value of assets held in our pension trusts and other trust funds, or causing us to make contributions sooner, or in amounts that are larger, than currently anticipated; labor disruptions by our unionized workforce; changes to significant accounting policies; any changes in tax laws or regulations, or adverse tax audit results or rulings; the ability to access the public securities and other capital and credit markets in accordance with our financial plans, the cost of such capital and overall condition of the capital and credit markets affecting us, including the increasing number of financial institutions evaluating the impact of climate change on their investment decisions; actions that may be taken by credit rating agencies that could negatively affect either our access to or terms of financing or our financial condition and liquidity; and the risks and other factors discussed from time to time in our SEC filings. Dividends declared from time to time on FirstEnergy Corp.’s common stock during any period may in the aggregate vary from prior periods due to circumstances considered by FirstEnergy Corp.’s Board of Directors at the time of the actual declarations. A security rating is not a recommendation to buy or hold securities and is subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the assigning rating agency. Each rating should be evaluated independently of any other rating. The foregoing factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements and risks that are included in our filings with the SEC, including but not limited to the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. The foregoing review of factors also should not be construed as exhaustive. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all such factors, nor assess the impact of any such factor on FirstEnergy Corp.’s business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. FirstEnergy expressly disclaims any current intention to update or revise, except as required by law, any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


			FIRSTENERGY CORP.
			Registrant


By:			/s/ Jason J. Lisowski
			Jason J. Lisowski Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer