UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                   FORM U-6B-2

                           CERTIFICATE OF NOTIFICATION

     Certificate is filed by: The Cleveland Electric  Illuminating  Company (the
"Company"),  a subsidiary of FirstEnergy  Corp., a registered  holding  company,
pursuant  to Rule  U-20(d) and Rule  U-52(c)  adopted  under the Public  Utility
Holding Company Act of 1935.

     This certificate is notice that the above named company has issued, renewed
or guaranteed the security or securities  described herein which issue,  renewal
or guaranty was exempted from the  provisions of Section 6(a) of the Act and was
neither the subject of a  declaration  or  application  on Form U-1 nor included
within the exemption provided by Rule U-48.

1.   Type of security:

     $300,000,000 5.65% Senior Notes due 2013 (the "Notes")

2.   Issue, renewal or guaranty:

     Issue.

3.   Principal amount of each security:

     $300,000,000 5.65% Senior Notes due 2013

4.   Rate of interest per annum of each security:

     5.65% per annum

5.   Date of issue, renewal or guaranty of each security:

     December 12, 2003

6.   If renewal of security, give date of original issue:

     Not Applicable.

7.   Date of maturity of each security:

     December 15, 2013

8.   Name of the person to whom each security was issued, renewed or guaranteed:

     The Company  issued and sold the Notes to  Barclays  Capital  Inc.,  Morgan
     Stanley & Co.  Incorporated,  Scotia  Capital (USA) Inc. and UBS Securities
     LLC  (collectively,  the  "Initial  Purchasers"),  pursuant  to a  Purchase
     Agreement  dated  December  9,  2003  among  the  Company  and the  Initial
     Purchasers.  The Notes  were  offered  by the  Initial  Purchasers  only to
     "qualified  institutional  buyers" under Rule 144A under the Securities Act
     of 1933, to non-U.S. persons under Regulation S under the Securities Act of
     1933 and institutional accredited investors.

9.   Collateral given with each security, if any:

     The Notes,  which were issued pursuant to an Indenture dated as of December
     1, 2003,  between the  Company and  JPMorgan  Chase Bank,  as trustee,  are
     senior unsecured  general  obligations of the Company and rank equally with
     all of its unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness.

10.  Consideration given for each security:

     $296,961,000

11.  Application of proceeds of each security:

     The  Company  intends to use the net  proceeds  from the sale of the Senior
     Notes (i) to provide for the redemption of $150 million aggregate principal
     amount of its outstanding  9.00% first mortgage bonds due July 1, 2023 at a
     redemption  premium of 104.13% for a total redemption price of $156,195,000
     plus  accrued  interest  to the  redemption  date,  (ii) to provide for the
     repayment of short-term debt and (iii) for general corporate purposes.

12.  Indicate by a check after the applicable statement below whether the issue,
     renewal or guaranty of each  security  was exempt  from the  provisions  of
     Section 6(a) because of:

     (a)  the provisions contained in the first sentence of Section 6(b) [ ]

     (b)  the provisions contained in the fourth sentence of Section 6(b) [ ]

     (c)  the provisions contained in any rule of the Commission other than Rule
          U-48 [x]

13.  If the security or  securities  were exempt from the  provisions of Section
     6(a) by virtue of the first  sentence  of Section  6(b),  give the  figures
     which indicate that the security or securities aggregate (together with all
     other then  outstanding  notes and drafts of a maturity  of nine  months or
     less,  exclusive of days of grace, as to which such company is primarily or
     secondarily  liable) not more than 5 percentum of the principal  amount and
     par value of the other securities of such company then outstanding. (Demand
     notes,  regardless  of how long  they may have been  outstanding,  shall be
     considered  as maturing  in not more than nine  months for  purposes of the
     exemption  from  Section  6(a) of the Act granted by the first  sentence of
     Section 6(b)):

     Not applicable.

14.  If the security or  securities  are exempt from the  provisions  of Section
     6(a)  because of the fourth  sentence of Section  6(b),  name the  security
     outstanding on January 1, 1935, pursuant to the terms of which the security
     or securities herein described have been issued:

     Not applicable.

15.  If the security or  securities  are exempt form the  provisions  of Section
     6(a) because of any rule of the Commission other than Rule U-48,  designate
     the rule under which exemption is claimed.

     Rule 52.


                                            THE CLEVELAND ELECTRIC
                                            ILLUMINATING COMPANY


                                            By:  /s/ Thomas C. Navin
                                                 -------------------
                                                     Thomas C. Navin
                                                     Treasurer


Date: December 22, 2003