LAKEWOOD, Ohio — After repeated power outages across Lakewood, the mayor has filed a new complaint with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) again asking that FirstEnergy be investigated and held accountable.
Power outages have become all too common in Lakewood.
“In the past few weeks, well, July 1, 2 (and) 3, our power went out approximately six hours at a time,” said Donn R. Nottage, a Lakewood resident of over 25 years.
But during extreme heat, the outage became dangerous for Nottage.
“I’m a lifelong asthmatic. I've got a lot of seasonal allergies.” Nottage continued. “I started to become faint. My wife became very concerned. She insisted that we go to Lakewood emergency.”
RELATED: 'Life-or-Death Heat': Lakewood Mayor demands answers over power outages
That close call was his breaking point and the moment he truly became fed up with the constant outages.
“We can't afford to have this happen again. I could have died. I'd rather not die here. I love the city, I love the location, but I would rather not end up dying because of the weather and the lack of action,” said Nottage.
Now he's spoken at city council meetings and is demanding that something be done.
“I want to see from FirstEnergy some practical solutions. I want them to be upfront with our mayor, and I want our mayor to be very insistent with them, and I want this power grid addressed,” said Nottage.
His frustration is shared by Lakewood Mayor Meghan George, who just wants to see reliable power. In a complaint filed this week, the mayor is once again asking the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to reopen its investigation into FirstEnergy or launch a new one after yet another week of outages. She is also asking for PUCO to implement financial penalties.
“We're asking for PUCO to investigate and to look into what reimbursements are permittable under the law, and whether it be for refrigerators, whether it be power losses, whether it be the rates they pay,” said George.
The mayor made a similar request in 2025. Following that complaint, PUCO found that severe outages in Lakewood were caused by equipment and line failures, not weather-related events, leading to a multimillion-dollar FirstEnergy plan to improve the city's power grid. The plan included two new transformers, which still haven't gone into service as well as tree trimming, new breakers and meters.
RELATED: Power outages persist in Lakewood and Cleveland, prompting state action and public outcry
“The upgrades that First Energy has been forced to do because of that complaint are clearly not enough,” the mayor said.
While some residents have questioned why the mayor has not sued FirstEnergy, the mayor explained the process.
“The legal route to hold FirstEnergy accountable is through the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. If you would sue FirstEnergy, that would be tossed out in court, because the court doesn't have any jurisdiction over FirstEnergy,” said George.
The mayor said she will continue to fight.
“We are pursuing every legal avenue that we have. We're the only city in the state who intervened, which is a legal mechanism to hold FirstEnergy accountable, the only city in the state to intervene in the reliability standards case, and to also file this complaint with PUCO as well,” said George.
While Nottage just wants the lights to stay on, he says, "This has gone on in Lakewood too long. FirstEnergy step it up. Do your job, work with the mayor, work with city council and get... this energy problem solved."
The mayor said the last time she reached out to PUCO it took about a month for a response and to get clear next step.
We also reached out to FirstEnergy for comment and they released the following statement:
“We understand customers depend on reliable electric service, and we know power outages are disruptive for families and businesses. We continue to make significant investments in Lakewood's electric system to strengthen reliability and improve customer expectations.
Last week’s extreme heat placed unprecedented stress on electrical systems across the region, increasing demand on the grid and contributing to service interruptions. While no electric system can be completely immune to outages caused by severe weather, equipment issues or other unforeseen circumstances, our focus is on making investments that reduce the frequency of outages and minimize their impact when they do happen.
Across Lakewood and throughout our service territory, we are investing millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements designed to build a stronger, more resilient electric system. In Lakewood specifically, efforts include installing two new transformers, replacing aging equipment, enhancing vegetation management programs, inspecting poles, installing smart meters and completing other upgrades that help improve reliability and support faster restoration.
Many of these improvements are already underway, and we are committed to identifying additional opportunities to strengthen the grid, reduce outages and duration.
We appreciate the feedback from Mayor George and other local leaders and will continue to work closely with them as we continue this work. Reliability remains our top priority, and these investments reflect our long-term commitment to providing safe, dependable service for Lakewood residents and businesses.”
Nadeen Abusada is a Cuyahoga County and immigration reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Instagram NadeenAbusada or email her at Nadeen.Abusada@wews.com.
