POWER OF ATTORNEY

Know all persons by these presents, that the undersigned
 hereby constitutes and appoints each of David W. Whitehead,
 Jacqueline S. Cooper and Edward J. Udovich, signing singly,
 the undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

(1)  execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the
 undersigned's capacity as an officer and/or director of
 the following corporations (each individually, a "Company"
 and collectively, the "Companies"), Forms 3, 4 and 5 in
 accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange
 Act of 1934, as amended ("Section 16") and Form 144
 ("Form 144") pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities
 Act of 1933 ("Rule 144") and the rules thereunder:

Companies
The Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company

Title
SR. Vice President and General Counsel

(2)  do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of
 the undersigned that may be necessary or desirable to
 complete and execute any such Forms 3, 4, 5 or 144 and
 file such form with the United States Securities and
 Exchange Commission and any stock exchange or similar
 authority; and

(3)  take any other action of any type whatsoever in
 connection with the foregoing which, in the opinion of
 such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to, in the best
 interest of, or legally required by the undersigned; it
 being understood that the documents executed by such
 attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant
 to this Power of Attorney shall be in such form and shall
 contain such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact
 may approve in such attorney-in-fact's reasonable discretion.

The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact
 full power and authority to do and perform any and every
 act and thing whatsoever requisite, necessary, or proper
 to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers
 herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as
 the undersigned might or could do if personally present,
 with full power of substitution or revocation, hereby
 ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact
, or such attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes,
 shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of this
 power of attorney and the rights and powers herein granted.








 The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing
 attorneys-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at
 the request of the undersigned, are not assuming, nor
 is the Company assuming, any of the undersigned's responsibilities
 to comply with Section 16 or Rule 144.


 This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and
 effect until the undersigned is no longer required to file
 Forms 3, 4, 5 and 144 with respect to the undersigned's
 holdings of and transactions in securities issued by the
 Company, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a
 signed writing delivered to the foregoing
 attorneys-in-fact.  Additionally, this Power of
 Attorney revokes any and all previous Power of
 Attorney forms for this same purpose which were
 entered into by the undersigned.

 This Power of Attorney shall be
 governed by and construed in accordance with the
 law of the State of Ohio, regardless of the law that
 might be applied under principles of conflict of laws.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this
 Power of Attorney to be executed as of this 2nd day
 of March, 2005.


/S/ Leila L. Vespoli
___________________

Leila L. Vespoli


Signed and acknowledged
in the presence of:


/S/ Jackie C. Plate
_________________________


/S/ Nadine M. Stith
_________________________












State of Ohio		)
		)  ss:
County of Summit 	)


The foregoing Power of Attorney was acknowledged before
 me this 2nd day of March, 2005 by Leila L. Vespoli.



/S/ Susie M. Hoisten
____________________

Notary Public
SUSIE M. HOISTEN, NOTARY PUBLIC
Residence - Summit County
State Wide Jurisdiction, Ohio
My Commission Expires Dec. 9, 2006