EXHIBIT 5
                                                         and 23(a)

                          August 16, 2001

FirstEnergy Corp.
76 South Main Street
Akron, Ohio  44308

     Re:  Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement
          on Form S-8 of FirstEnergy Corp. Relating to the Issuance
          Shares of Common Stock Pursuant to the FirstEnergy Corp.
          Executive and Director Incentive Compensation Plan (the
          "Plan")

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     I have acted as Vice President and General Counsel to FirstEnergy
Corp., an Ohio corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the
preparation of a registration statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration
Statement") to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"),
relating to the offering of up to 7,500,000 additional shares (the
"Shares") of the Company's Common Stock, par value $.10 per share, to be
issued pursuant to the provisions of the FirstEnergy Corp. Executive and
Director Incentive Compensation Plan (the "Plan").  I, or attorneys under
my supervision and control upon whom I have relied, have examined such
records, documents, statutes and decisions as I or they have deemed
relevant in rendering this opinion.

     I am of the opinion that when:

          (a)  the applicable provisions of the Securities Act of
      1933 and of State securities or blue sky laws shall have been
      complied with, and

          (b)  the Company's Board of Directors shall have duly
      authorized the issuance of such Shares, and

          (c)  the Shares shall have been duly issued and paid for
      in an amount not less than par value of $.10 per share,

the Shares will be legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

     I hereby consent to the use of this opinion as Exhibit 5 to the
Registration Statement.  In giving such opinion, I do not thereby
admit that I am acting within the category of persons whose consent
is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules or regulations of
the Commission thereunder.


                                    Very truly yours,


                                    s/Leila L. Vespoli, Esq.
                                    -----------------------
                                    Leila L. Vespoli, Esq.