2.2.0.25falsefalse00211 - Disclosure - Stock Based Compensation Planstruefalsefalse1falsefalseUSDfalsefalse1/1/2011 - 3/31/2011 USD ($) USD ($) / shares $Jan-01-2011_Mar-31-2011http://www.sec.gov/CIK0001031296duration2011-01-01T00:00:002011-03-31T00:00:00USDStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170USDEPSDividehttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso4217http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0SharesStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0PureStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancepurexbrli0MWHStandardhttp://firstenergycorp.com/2011-03-31MWHfe0USDUSD$2true0us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationAbstractus-gaaptruenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:stringItemTypestringNo definition available.falsefalseShare-based Compensation [Abstract]3false0us-gaap_DisclosureOfCompensationRelatedCostsShareBasedPaymentsTextBlockus-gaaptruenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseverboselabel1falsefalsefalse00  <div style="font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; margin-left: 0in; "> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt"><b>11. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS</b> </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt">FirstEnergy has four types of stock-based compensation programs including LTIP, EDCP, ESOP and DCPD, as described below. </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt">In addition, Allegheny’s stock-based awards were converted into First Energy stock-based awards as of the date of the merger. These awards, referred to below as converted Allegheny awards, were adjusted in terms of the number of awards and where applicable, the exercise price thereof, to reflect the merger’s common stock exchange ratio of 0.667 of a share of FirstEnergy common stock for each share of Allegheny common stock. </div>   </div>  <div style="font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; margin-left: 0in; "> <div style="margin-top: 10pt"> </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; margin-left: 4%"><b>(A) LTIP</b> </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt">FirstEnergy’s LTIP includes four forms of stock-based compensation awards — stock options, performance shares, restricted stock and restricted stock units. </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt">Under FirstEnergy’s LTIP, total awards cannot exceed 29.1 million shares of common stock or their equivalent. Only stock options, restricted stock and restricted stock units have currently been designated to be settled in common stock, with vesting periods ranging from two months to ten years. Performance share awards are currently designated to be paid in cash rather than common stock and therefore do not count against the limit on stock-based awards. There were 6.3 million shares available for future awards as of March 31, 2011. </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; margin-left: 4%"><i>Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units</i> </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt">Restricted common stock (restricted stock) and restricted stock unit (stock unit) activity was as follows: </div> <div align="center"> <table style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left" cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%">  <tr valign="bottom"> <td width="86%"> </td> <td width="3%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="9%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 10pt" valign="bottom"> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2"><b>Three Months</b></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 10pt" valign="bottom"> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2"><b>Ended</b></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 10pt" valign="bottom"> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000"><b>March 31, 2011</b></td> <td> </td> </tr>   <tr> <td align="left" valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Restricted stock and stock units outstanding as of January 1, 2011 </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">1,878,022</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="padding-top: 1px"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Granted </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">223,161</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff; padding-top: 1px"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Converted Allegheny restricted stock </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">645,197</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="padding-top: 1px"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Exercised </div></td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="left"> </td> <td align="right">(422,031</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">)</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff; padding-top: 1px"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Forfeited </div></td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="left"> </td> <td align="right">(37,182</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">)</td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 1px"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">  </div></td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" colspan="2" align="right" style="border-top: 1px solid #000000"> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Restricted stock and stock units outstanding as of March 31, 2011 </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">2,287,167</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 1px"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">  </div></td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" colspan="2" align="right" style="border-top: 3px double #000000"> </td> <td> </td> </tr>  </table> </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt">The 223,161 shares of restricted common stock granted during the three months ended March 31, 2011 had a grant-date fair value of $8.2 million and a weighted-average vesting period of 1.86 years. </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt">Restricted stock units include awards that will be settled in a specific number of shares of stock after the service condition has been met. Restricted stock units also include performance-based awards that will be settled after the service condition has been met in a specified number of shares of stock based on FirstEnergy’s performance compared to annual target performance metrics. </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt">Compensation expense recognized for the three months ended March 31, 2011 and 2010 for restricted stock and restricted stock units, net of amounts capitalized, was approximately $16 million and $6 million, respectively.<br /> </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; margin-left: 4%"><i>Stock Options</i> </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt">Stock option activity for the three months ended March 31, 2011 was as follows: </div> <div align="center"> <table style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left" cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%">  <tr valign="bottom"> <td width="72%"> </td> <td width="3%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="9%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="3%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="9%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 10pt" valign="bottom"> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2"><b>Weighted</b></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 10pt" valign="bottom"> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2"><b>Average</b></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 10pt" valign="bottom"> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2"><b>Number of</b></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2"><b>Exercise</b></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 10pt" valign="bottom"> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="left" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000"><b>Stock Option Activities</b></td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000"><b>Shares</b></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000"><b>Price</b></td> <td> </td> </tr>   <tr> <td align="left" valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Stock options outstanding as of January 1, 2011 (all exercisable) </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">2,889,066</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="left">$</td> <td align="right">35.18</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="padding-top: 1px"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Options granted </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">662,122</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">37.75</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff; padding-top: 1px"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Converted Allegheny options </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">1,805,811</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">41.75</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="padding-top: 1px"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Options exercised </div></td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="left"> </td> <td align="right">(182,422</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">)</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">29.56</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff; padding-top: 1px"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Options forfeited/expired </div></td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="left"> </td> <td align="right">(6,670</td> <td nowrap="nowrap">)</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">69.36</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 1px"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">  </div></td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" colspan="2" align="right" style="border-top: 1px solid #000000"> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" colspan="2" align="right" style="border-top: 1px solid #000000"> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Stock options outstanding as of March 31, 2011 </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">5,167,907</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="left">$</td> <td align="right">37.96</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 1px"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">  </div></td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" colspan="2" align="right" style="border-top: 3px double #000000"> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" colspan="2" align="right" style="border-top: 3px double #000000"> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">(4,505,785 options exercisable) </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr>  </table> </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt">Compensation expense recognized for stock options during the three months ended March 31, 2011 was $0.1 million. No expense was recognized during the three months ending March 31, 2010. Options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2011 had a grant-date fair value of $3.3 million and an expected weighted-average vesting period of 3.79 years. </div>   </div>  <div style="font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; margin-left: 0in; "> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt">Options outstanding by exercise price as of March 31, 2011 were as follows: </div> <div align="center"> <table style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left" cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%">  <tr valign="bottom"> <td width="58%"> </td> <td width="3%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="9%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="3%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="9%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="3%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="9%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 10pt" valign="bottom"> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2"><b>Weighted</b></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2"><b>Remaining</b></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 10pt" valign="bottom"> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2"><b>Shares Under</b></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2"><b>Average</b></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2"><b>Contractual</b></td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 10pt" valign="bottom"> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="left" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000"><b>Exercise Prices</b></td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000"><b>Options</b></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000"><b>Exercise Price</b></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="2" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000"><b>Life in Years</b></td> <td> </td> </tr>   <tr> <td align="left" valign="top"> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">$20.02 – $30.74 </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">1,305,563</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="left">$</td> <td align="right">26.72</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">2.01</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="padding-top: 1px"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">$30.89 – $40.93 </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">3,378,866</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">37.22</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">4.79</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff; padding-top: 1px"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">$42.72 – $51.82 </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">37,233</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">44.40</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">0.24</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="padding-top: 1px"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">$53.06 – $62.97 </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">54,559</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">56.15</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">3.27</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff; padding-top: 1px"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">$64.52 – $71.82 </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">54,778</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">68.52</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">1.09</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="padding-top: 1px"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">$73.39 – $80.47 </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">327,570</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">80.19</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">6.01</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff; padding-top: 1px"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">$81.19 – $89.59 </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">9,338</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">83.51</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">1.92</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 1px"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">  </div></td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" colspan="2" align="right" style="border-top: 1px solid #000000"> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" colspan="2" align="right" style="border-top: 1px solid #000000"> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" colspan="2" align="right" style="border-top: 1px solid #000000"> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Total </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">5,167,907</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="left">$</td> <td align="right">37.96</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">4.07</td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 1px"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">  </div></td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" colspan="2" align="right" style="border-top: 3px double #000000"> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" colspan="2" align="right" style="border-top: 3px double #000000"> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" colspan="2" align="right" style="border-top: 3px double #000000"> </td> <td> </td> </tr>  </table> </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; margin-left: 4%"><i>Performance Shares</i> </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt">Performance shares will be settled in cash and are accounted for as liability awards. Compensation expense (income) recognized for performance shares during the three months ended March 31, 2011 and 2010, net of amounts capitalized, totaled $1 million and $(3) million, respectively. No performance shares under the FirstEnergy LTIP were settled during the three months ended March 31, 2011 and 2010. </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; margin-left: 4%"><b>(B) ESOP</b> </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt">During 2011 shares of FirstEnergy common stock were purchased on the open market and contributed to participants’ accounts. Total ESOP-related compensation expense for the three months ended March 31, 2011 and 2010, net of amounts capitalized and dividends on common stock were $7 million and $5 million, respectively. </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; margin-left: 4%"><b>(C) EDCP</b> </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt">Compensation expense (income) recognized on EDCP stock units, for the three months ended March 31, 2011 and 2010, net of amounts capitalized, was not material. </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt; margin-left: 4%"><b>(D) DCPD</b> </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt">DCPD expenses recognized for the three months ended March 31, 2011 and 2010 were approximately $1 million and $1 million. The net liability recognized for DCPD of approximately $5 million as of March 31, 2011 is included in the caption “Retirement benefits” on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. </div> <div align="justify" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 10pt">Of the 1.7 million stock units authorized under the EDCP and DCPD, 1,076,779 stock units were available for future awards as of March 31, 2011.<br /> </div> </div>  <!-- Begin Block Tagged NotefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherus-types:textBlockItemTypestringDisclosure of compensation-related costs for share-based compensation which may include disclosure of policies, compensation plan details, allocation of stock compensation, incentive distributions, share-based arrangements to obtain goods and services, deferred compensation arrangements, employee stock ownership plan details and employee stock purchase plan details.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 123R -Paragraph 64, 65, A240 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Statement of Position (SOP) -Number 93-6 -Paragraph 53 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) -Number Topic 14 falsefalseSTOCK-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS12Stock Based Compensation PlansUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownfalsetrue