Edgar Filing: EVERSOURCE ENERGY

Type of Plant

Number
of Sites

Year
Installed

Claimed Capability**
(kilowatts)

Solar Fixed Tilt, Photovoltaic

Document




	UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 FORM 10-K
x	ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
	For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2017 or
¨	TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
	For the transition period from ____________ to ____________



Commission File Number	Registrant; State of Incorporation; Address; and Telephone Number	I.R.S. Employer Identification No.

1-5324	EVERSOURCE ENERGY (a Massachusetts voluntary association) 300 Cadwell Drive Springfield, Massachusetts 01104 Telephone: (800) 286-5000	04-2147929

0-00404	THE CONNECTICUT LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY (a Connecticut corporation) 107 Selden Street Berlin, Connecticut 06037-1616 Telephone: (800) 286-5000	06-0303850

1-02301	NSTAR ELECTRIC COMPANY (a Massachusetts corporation) 800 Boylston Street Boston, Massachusetts 02199 Telephone: (800) 286-5000	04-1278810

1-6392	PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE (a New Hampshire corporation) Energy Park 780 North Commercial Street Manchester, New Hampshire 03101-1134 Telephone: (800) 286-5000	02-0181050

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:



Registrant	Title of Each Class	Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered

Eversource Energy	Common Shares, $5.00 par value	New York Stock Exchange, Inc.

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:



Registrant	Title of Each Class

The Connecticut Light and Power Company	Preferred Stock, par value $50.00 per share, issuable in series, of which the following series are outstanding:
		$1.90 $2.00 $2.04 $2.20 3.90% $2.06 $2.09 4.50% 4.96% 4.50% 5.28% $3.24 6.56%	Series Series Series Series Series Series E Series F Series Series Series Series Series G Series	of 1947 of 1947 of 1949 of 1949 of 1949 of 1954 of 1955 of 1956 of 1958 of 1963 of 1967 of 1968 of 1968

NSTAR Electric Company	Preferred Stock, par value $100.00 per share, issuable in series, of which the following series are outstanding:
		4.25% 4.78%	Series Series	of 1956 of 1958

NSTAR Electric Company and Public Service Company of New Hampshire each meet the conditions set forth in General Instruction I(1)(a) and (b) of Form 10-K, and each is therefore filing this Form 10-K with the reduced disclosure format specified in General Instruction I(2) of Form 10‑K.

Indicate by check mark if the registrants are well-known seasoned issuers, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.



	Yes	No
	x	¨

Indicate by check mark if the registrants are not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.



	Yes	No
	¨	x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrants (1) have filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrants were required to file such reports), and (2) have been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.



	Yes	No
	x	¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrants have submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web sites, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrants were required to submit and post such files).



	Yes	No
	x	¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrants' knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):



	Large accelerated filer	Accelerated filer	Non-accelerated filer	Smaller reporting company	Emerging growth company

Eversource Energy	x	¨	¨	¨	¨
The Connecticut Light and Power Company	¨	¨	x	¨	¨
NSTAR Electric Company	¨	¨	x	¨	¨
Public Service Company of New Hampshire	¨	¨	x	¨	¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrants are shell companies (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act):



	Yes	No
Eversource Energy	¨	x
The Connecticut Light and Power Company	¨	x
NSTAR Electric Company	¨	x
Public Service Company of New Hampshire	¨	x

The aggregate market value of Eversource Energy's Common Shares, $5.00 par value, held by non-affiliates, computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of Eversource Energy's most recently completed second fiscal quarter (June 30, 2017) was $19,210,596,737 based on a closing market price of $60.71 per share for the 316,432,165 common shares outstanding held by non-affiliates on June 30, 2017.

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuers' classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date:



Company - Class of Stock	Outstanding as of January 31, 2018
Eversource Energy Common Shares, $5.00 par value	316,885,808 shares

The Connecticut Light and Power Company Common Stock, $10.00 par value	6,035,205 shares

NSTAR Electric Company Common Stock, $1.00 par value	200 shares

Public Service Company of New Hampshire Common Stock, $1.00 par value	301 shares

Eversource Energy holds all of the 6,035,205 shares, 200 shares and 301 shares of the outstanding common stock of The Connecticut Light and Power Company, NSTAR Electric Company and Public Service Company of New Hampshire, respectively.

Eversource Energy, The Connecticut Light and Power Company, NSTAR Electric Company and Public Service Company of New Hampshire each separately file this combined Form 10-K. Information contained herein relating to any individual registrant is filed by such registrant on its own behalf. Each registrant makes no representation as to information relating to the other registrants.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

The following is a glossary of abbreviations and acronyms that are found in this report:



Current or former Eversource Energy companies, segments or investments:
Eversource, ES or the Company	Eversource Energy and subsidiaries
Eversource parent or ES parent	Eversource Energy, a public utility holding company
ES parent and other companies	ES parent and other companies are comprised of Eversource parent, Eversource Service and other subsidiaries, which primarily includes our unregulated businesses, HWP Company, The Rocky River Realty Company (a real estate subsidiary), and the consolidated operations of CYAPC and YAEC, and Aquarion's water business from the date of acquisition on December 4, 2017 through December 31, 2017
CL&P	The Connecticut Light and Power Company
NSTAR Electric	NSTAR Electric Company
PSNH	Public Service Company of New Hampshire
NSTAR Gas	NSTAR Gas Company
Yankee Gas	Yankee Gas Services Company
Aquarion	Eversource Aquarion Holdings, Inc and its subsidiaries (formerly known as Macquarie Utilities Inc)
NPT	Northern Pass Transmission LLC
Northern Pass	The HVDC and associated alternating-current transmission line project from Canada into New Hampshire
Eversource Service	Eversource Energy Service Company
Bay State Wind	A project being developed jointly by Eversource and Denmark-based Ørsted (formerly known as DONG Energy) to construct an offshore wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts
CYAPC	Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company
MYAPC	Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company
YAEC	Yankee Atomic Electric Company
Yankee Companies	CYAPC, YAEC and MYAPC
Electric and Natural Gas Companies	The Eversource electric and natural gas companies are comprised of the electric distribution and transmission businesses of CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH, the natural gas distribution businesses of Yankee Gas and NSTAR Gas, NPT, the generation facilities of PSNH, and the solar power facilities of NSTAR Electric
Regulators:
DEEP	Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DOE	U.S. Department of Energy
DOER	Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
DPU	Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities
EPA	U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
FERC	Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
ISO-NE	ISO New England, Inc., the New England Independent System Operator
MA DEP	Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
NHPUC	New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission
PURA	Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority
SEC	U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
SJC	Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts
Other Terms and Abbreviations:
Access Northeast	A project being developed jointly by Eversource, Enbridge, Inc. ("Enbridge"), and National Grid plc ("National Grid") through Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC to bring needed additional natural gas pipeline and storage capacity to New England.
ADIT	Accumulated Deferred Income Taxes
AFUDC	Allowance For Funds Used During Construction
AOCL	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss
ARO	Asset Retirement Obligation
Bcf	Billion cubic feet
C&LM	Conservation and Load Management
CfD	Contract for Differences
Clean Air Project	The construction of a wet flue gas desulphurization system, known as "scrubber technology," to reduce mercury emissions of the Merrimack coal-fired generation station in Bow, New Hampshire
CO₂	Carbon dioxide
CPSL	Capital Projects Scheduling List
CTA	Competitive Transition Assessment
CWIP	Construction Work in Progress
EDC	Electric distribution company
EPS	Earnings Per Share
ERISA	Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974



ESOP	Employee Stock Ownership Plan
ESPP	Employee Share Purchase Plan
Eversource 2016 Form 10-K	The Eversource Energy and Subsidiaries 2016 combined Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the SEC
Fitch	Fitch Ratings
FMCC	Federally Mandated Congestion Charge
FTR	Financial Transmission Rights
GAAP	Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America
GSC	Generation Service Charge
GSRP	Greater Springfield Reliability Project
GWh	Gigawatt-Hours
HQ	Hydro-Québec, a corporation wholly-owned by the Québec government, including its divisions that produce, transmit and distribute electricity in Québec, Canada
HVDC	High-voltage direct current
Hydro Renewable Energy	Hydro Renewable Energy, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hydro-Québec
IPP	Independent Power Producers
ISO-NE Tariff	ISO-NE FERC Transmission, Markets and Services Tariff
kV	Kilovolt
kVa	Kilovolt-ampere
kW	Kilowatt (equal to one thousand watts)
kWh	Kilowatt-Hours (the basic unit of electricity energy equal to one kilowatt of power supplied for one hour)
LBR	Lost Base Revenue
LNG	Liquefied natural gas
LRS	Supplier of last resort service
MMcf	Million cubic feet
MGP	Manufactured Gas Plant
MMBtu	One million British thermal units
Moody's	Moody's Investors Services, Inc.
MW	Megawatt
MWh	Megawatt-Hours
NEEWS	New England East-West Solution
NETOs	New England Transmission Owners (including Eversource, National Grid and Avangrid)
NOx	Nitrogen oxides
OCI	Other Comprehensive Income/(Loss)
PAM	Pension and PBOP Rate Adjustment Mechanism
PBOP	Postretirement Benefits Other Than Pension
PBOP Plan	Postretirement Benefits Other Than Pension Plan that provides certain retiree benefits, primarily medical, dental and life insurance
PCRBs	Pollution Control Revenue Bonds
Pension Plan	Single uniform noncontributory defined benefit retirement plan
PPA	Pension Protection Act
RECs	Renewable Energy Certificates
Regulatory ROE	The average cost of capital method for calculating the return on equity related to the distribution and generation business segment excluding the wholesale transmission segment
RNS	Regional Network Service
ROE	Return on Equity
RRB	Rate Reduction Bond or Rate Reduction Certificate
RSUs	Restricted share units
S&P	Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC
SBC	Systems Benefits Charge
SCRC	Stranded Cost Recovery Charge
SERP	Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans and non-qualified defined benefit retirement plans
SIP	Simplified Incentive Plan
SO₂	Sulfur dioxide
SS	Standard service
TCAM	Transmission Cost Adjustment Mechanism
TSA	Transmission Service Agreement
UI	The United Illuminating Company

EVERSOURCE ENERGY AND SUBSIDIARIES

THE CONNECTICUT LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY

NSTAR ELECTRIC COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARY

PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE AND SUBSIDIARY

2017 FORM 10-K ANNUAL REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS



		Page
PART I
Item 1.	Business	2
Item 1A.	Risk Factors	17
Item 1B.	Unresolved Staff Comments	20
Item 2.	Properties	21
Item 3.	Legal Proceedings	23
Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosures	24

PART II
Item 5.	Market for the Registrants’ Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities	27
Item 6.	Selected Consolidated Financial Data	29
Item 7.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	30
Item 7A.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk	63
Item 8.	Financial Statements and Supplementary Data	64
Item 9.	Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure	139
Item 9A.	Controls and Procedures	139
Item 9B.	Other Information	139

PART III
Item 10.	Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance	140
Item 11.	Executive Compensation	143
Item 12.	Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters	167
Item 13.	Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence	168
Item 14.	Principal Accountant Fees and Services	169

PART IV
Item 15.	Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules	170
Item 16.	Form 10-K Summary	170
Signatures		171

iii

EVERSOURCE ENERGY AND SUBSIDIARIES

THE CONNECTICUT LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY

NSTAR ELECTRIC COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARY

PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE AND SUBSIDIARY

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES

LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995

References in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to "Eversource," the "Company," "we," "our," and "us" refer to Eversource Energy and its consolidated subsidiaries. CL&P, NSTAR Electric, and PSNH are each doing business as Eversource Energy.

From time to time, we make statements concerning our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, strategies, assumptions of future events, future financial performance or growth and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can generally identify our forward-looking statements through the use of words or phrases such as "estimate," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "project," "believe," "forecast," "should," "could," and other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations, estimates, assumptions or projections of management and are not guarantees of future performance. These expectations, estimates, assumptions or projections may vary materially from actual results. Accordingly, any such statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to, and are accompanied by, the following important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to:


•	cyber breaches and other disruptions to our information technology system that may compromise the confidentiality of our proprietary information and the personal information of our customers,


•	acts of war, terrorism or grid disturbances that may disrupt our transmission and distribution systems,


•	ability or inability to successfully commence and complete our major strategic development opportunities,


•	actions or inaction of local, state and federal regulatory, public policy and taxing bodies,


•	changes in business conditions, which could include disruptive technology related to our current or future business model,


•	changes in economic conditions, including impact on interest rates, tax policies, and customer demand and payment ability,


•	fluctuations in weather patterns, including extreme weather due to climate change,


•	changes in laws, regulations or regulatory policy,


•	changes in levels or timing of capital expenditures,


•	disruptions in the capital markets or other events that make our access to necessary capital more difficult or costly,


•	developments in legal or public policy doctrines,


•	technological developments and alternative energy sources,


•	changes in accounting standards and financial reporting regulations,


•	actions of rating agencies, and


•	other presently unknown or unforeseen factors.

Other risk factors are detailed in our reports filed with the SEC and updated as necessary, and we encourage you to consult such disclosures.

All such factors are difficult to predict and contain uncertainties that may materially affect our actual results, many of which are beyond our control. You should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, as each speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and, except as required by federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for us to predict all of such factors, nor can we assess the impact of each such factor on the business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. For more information, see Item 1A, Risk Factors, included in this combined Annual Report on Form 10-K. This Annual Report on Form 10-K also describes material contingencies and critical accounting policies in the accompanying Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Combined Notes to Financial Statements. We encourage you to review these items.

EVERSOURCE ENERGY AND SUBSIDIARIES

THE CONNECTICUT LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY

NSTAR ELECTRIC COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARY

PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE AND SUBSIDIARY

PART I

Item 1. Business

Please refer to the Glossary of Terms for definitions of defined terms and abbreviations used in this combined Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Eversource Energy, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts and Hartford, Connecticut, is a public utility holding company subject to regulation by the FERC under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005. We are engaged primarily in the energy delivery business through the following wholly-owned utility subsidiaries:


•	The Connecticut Light and Power Company (CL&P), a regulated electric utility that serves residential, commercial and industrial customers in parts of Connecticut;


•	NSTAR Electric Company (NSTAR Electric), a regulated electric utility that serves residential, commercial and industrial customers in parts of eastern and western Massachusetts and owns solar power facilities;


•	Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH), a regulated electric utility that serves residential, commercial and industrial customers in parts of New Hampshire and owns generation assets used to serve customers;


•	NSTAR Gas Company (NSTAR Gas), a regulated natural gas utility that serves residential, commercial and industrial customers in parts of Massachusetts; and


•	Yankee Gas Services Company (Yankee Gas), a regulated natural gas utility that serves residential, commercial and industrial customers in parts of Connecticut.


•	Aquarion Water Company (Aquarion), a regulated water utility holding company that serves residential, commercial, industrial and fire protection customers through its separate three regulated utilities, AWC-CT, AWC-MA and AWC-NH in parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire;

CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH also serve New England customers through Eversource Energy's electric transmission business, and are each doing business as Eversource Energy in their respective service territories.

On December 31, 2017, Western Massachusetts Electric Company, a former subsidiary of Eversource Energy, merged with and into NSTAR Electric, with NSTAR Electric as the surviving entity. As a result, NSTAR Electric serves all of Eversource Energy’s electric customers in Massachusetts. For purposes of this combined Annual Report on Form 10-K, the financial statements and financial information presented for prior years were retrospectively adjusted as if the merger had occurred on the first day of the earliest period presented. Upon the closing of the merger, all assets, contracts, rights and obligations of Western Massachusetts Electric Company were reflected as part of NSTAR Electric.

On December 4, 2017, Eversource acquired Macquarie Utilities Inc., subsequently renamed Eversource Aquarion Holdings, Inc., and its Aquarion Water Company subsidiaries. Collectively, these water utility companies serve residential, commercial, industrial and fire protection customers in parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Eversource Energy, CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH each report their financial results separately. We also include information in this report on a segment basis for Eversource Energy. Eversource Energy recognizes three reportable segments: electric distribution, electric transmission, and natural gas distribution. Eversource Energy's electric distribution segment includes the results of PSNH's generation facilities and NSTAR Electric's solar power facilities. The energy transmission and distribution segments represented substantially all of Eversource Energy's total consolidated revenues for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015. CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH do not report separate business segments.

ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION SEGMENT

General

Eversource Energy's electric distribution segment consists of the distribution businesses of CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH, which are engaged in the distribution of electricity to retail customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, respectively, plus the regulated electric generation facilities of PSNH and solar power facilities of NSTAR Electric.

The following table shows the sources of electric franchise retail revenues for Eversource Energy's electric distribution companies, collectively, based on categories of customers:



(Thousands of Dollars)	2017		2016		2015
Residential	$	3,457,986	$	3,448,043	$	3,608,155
Commercial	2,459,985		2,465,664		2,476,686
Industrial	330,995		328,103		326,564
Other	94,091		139,527		151,195
Total Retail Electric Revenues	$	6,343,057	$	6,381,337	$	6,562,600

A summary of our distribution companies' retail electric GWh sales volumes and percentage changes for 2017, as compared to 2016, is as follows:



	2017	2016	Percentage Change
Residential	20,496	21,002	(2.4	)%
Commercial	26,570	27,206	(2.3	)%
Industrial	5,180	5,434	(4.7	)%
Total	52,246	53,642	(2.6	)%

Certain Eversource electric, natural gas and water companies, including CL&P and NSTAR Electric (for a portion of its customers), have a regulatory commission approved revenue decoupling mechanism ("decoupled companies"). Distribution revenues are decoupled from customer sales volumes, where applicable, which breaks the relationship between sales volumes and revenues recognized. The decoupled companies reconcile their annual base distribution rate recovery to pre-established levels of baseline distribution delivery service revenues. Any difference between the allowed level of distribution revenue and the actual amount realized is adjusted through rates in a subsequent period.

Retail electric sales volumes at our electric utilities with a traditional rate structure (the eastern region of NSTAR Electric and PSNH) were lower in 2017, as compared to 2016, due primarily to the mild summer weather in 2017, as compared to 2016. Cooling degree days in 2017 were 14.7 percent lower in the Boston metropolitan area and 22.7 percent lower in New Hampshire, as compared to 2016. Sales volumes were positively impacted by improved economic conditions across our service territories, but this trend was offset by lower customer usage driven by the impact of increased customer energy conservation efforts.

CL&P and NSTAR Electric (for its western Massachusetts customer rates) reconcile their annual base distribution rate recovery amounts to their pre-established levels of baseline distribution delivery service revenues of $1.059 billion and $132.4 million, respectively, through December 31, 2017. Effective February 1, 2018, NSTAR Electric, operating entirely under decoupled rates, will reconcile its annual base distribution rate recovery to its new baseline of $974.8 million.

ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION – CONNECTICUT

THE CONNECTICUT LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY

CL&P's distribution business consists primarily of the purchase, delivery and sale of electricity to its residential, commercial and industrial customers. As of December 31, 2017, CL&P furnished retail franchise electric service to approximately 1.2 million customers in 149 cities and towns in Connecticut, covering an area of 4,400 square miles. CL&P does not own any electric generation facilities.

The following table shows the sources of CL&P's electric franchise retail revenues based on categories of customers:



	CL&P
(Thousands of Dollars)	2017		2016		2015
Residential	$	1,649,294	$	1,603,351	$	1,641,165
Commercial	883,904		858,965		841,093
Industrial	144,672		139,556		129,544
Other	29,144		47,672		62,704
Total Retail Electric Revenues	$	2,707,014	$	2,649,544	$	2,674,506

A summary of CL&P's retail electric GWh sales volumes and percentage changes for 2017, as compared to 2016, is as follows:



	2017	2016	Percentage Change
Residential	9,642	9,907	(2.7	)%
Commercial	9,161	9,461	(3.2	)%
Industrial	2,146	2,249	(4.6	)%
Total	20,949	21,617	(3.1	)%

Rates

CL&P is subject to regulation by the PURA, which, among other things, has jurisdiction over rates, certain dispositions of property and plant, mergers and consolidations, issuances of long-term securities, standards of service and construction and operation of facilities. CL&P's present general rate structure consists of various rate and service classifications covering residential, commercial and industrial services. CL&P's retail rates include a delivery service component, which includes distribution, transmission, conservation, renewable energy programs and other charges that are assessed on all customers.

Under Connecticut law, all of CL&P's customers are entitled to choose their energy suppliers, while CL&P remains their electric distribution company. For those customers who do not choose a competitive energy supplier, under SS rates for customers with less than 500 kilowatts of demand (residential customers and small and medium commercial and industrial customers), and LRS rates for customers with 500 kilowatts or more of demand (larger commercial and industrial customers), CL&P purchases power under standard offer contracts and passes the cost of the purchased power to customers through a combined charge on customers' bills.

The rates established by the PURA for CL&P are comprised of the following:


•	An electric GSC, which recovers energy-related costs incurred as a result of providing electric generation service supply to all customers that have not migrated to competitive energy suppliers. The GSC is adjusted periodically and reconciled semi-annually in accordance with the policies and procedures of the PURA, with any differences refunded to, or recovered from, customers.


•	A revenue decoupling adjustment that reconciles the amounts recovered from customers, on an annual basis, to the distribution revenue requirement approved by the PURA in its last rate case, which currently is an annual amount of $1.059 billion.


•	A distribution charge, which includes a fixed customer charge and a demand and/or energy charge to collect the costs of building and expanding the infrastructure to deliver electricity to customers, as well as ongoing operating costs to maintain the infrastructure.

•

An FMCC, which recovers any costs imposed by the FERC as part of the New England Standard Market Design, including locational marginal pricing, locational installed capacity payments, and any costs approved by the PURA to reduce these charges. The FMCC also recovers costs associated with CL&P's system resiliency program. The FMCC is adjusted periodically and reconciled semi-annually in accordance with the policies and procedures of the PURA, with any differences refunded to, or recovered from, customers.


•	A transmission charge that recovers the cost of transporting electricity over high-voltage lines from generating plants to substations, including costs allocated by ISO-NE to maintain the wholesale electric market.


•	A CTA charge, assessed to recover stranded costs associated with electric industry restructuring such as various IPP contracts. The CTA is reconciled annually to actual costs incurred and reviewed by the PURA, with any difference refunded to, or recovered from, customers.

•

An SBC, established to fund expenses associated with various hardship and low income programs and a program that compensates municipalities for lost property tax revenues due to decreased values of generating facilities caused by electric industry restructuring. The SBC is reconciled annually to actual costs incurred and reviewed by the PURA, with any difference refunded to, or recovered from, customers.


•	A Clean Energy Fund charge, which is used to promote investment in renewable energy sources. Amounts collected by this charge are deposited into the Clean Energy Fund and administered by the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority. The Clean Energy Fund charge is set by statute and is currently 0.1 cent per kWh.


•	A conservation charge, comprised of a statutory rate established to implement cost-effective energy conservation programs and market transformation initiatives, plus a conservation adjustment mechanism charge to recover the residual energy efficiency spending associated with the expanded energy efficiency costs directed by the Comprehensive Energy Strategy Plan for Connecticut.

As required by regulation, CL&P, jointly with UI, entered into the following contracts whereby UI will share 20 percent and CL&P will share 80 percent of the costs and benefits (CL&P's portion of these costs are either recovered from, or refunded to, customers through the FMCC):

•

Four capacity CfDs (totaling approximately 787 MW of capacity) with three electric generation units and one demand response project, which extend through 2026 and have terms of up to 15 years beginning in 2009. The capacity CfDs obligate both CL&P and UI to make or receive payments on a monthly basis to or from the project and generation owners based on the difference between a contractually set capacity price and the capacity market prices that the project and generation owners receive in the ISO-NE capacity markets.

•

Three peaker CfDs (totaling approximately 500 MW of peaking capacity) with three peaking generation units. The three peaker CfDs pay the generation owners the difference between capacity, forward reserve and energy market revenues and a cost-of-service payment stream for 30 years beginning in 2008 (including costs of plant operation and the prices that the generation owners receive for capacity and other products in the ISO-NE markets).

Distribution Rates: On April 20, 2017, PURA approved the joint request of CL&P, the Connecticut Office of Consumer Counsel ("OCC") and the Connecticut Attorney General to amend the deadline to establish new electric distribution rates in the 2012 Connecticut merger settlement agreement from "no later than December 1, 2017" to "no later than July 1, 2018." On November 22, 2017, CL&P filed its application with PURA, which sought a rate increase of $255.8 million, $45.0 million and $36.0 million effective May 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively. On December 15, 2017, CL&P, the Prosecutorial Unit of PURA, and the OCC reached a settlement in principle.

On January 11, 2018, CL&P filed the distribution rate case settlement agreement for approval by PURA, which included, among other things, rate increases of $97.1 million, $32.7 million and $24.7 million, effective May 1, 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively, an authorized regulatory ROE of 9.25 percent, 53 percent common equity in CL&P's capital structure, and a new capital tracker through 2020 for capital additions, system resiliency, and grid modernization. The rate increases associated with the settlement agreement will be reduced by the impact of the decrease in the federal corporate income tax rate, as part of the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act", which we currently estimate to average approximately $45 million to $50 million per year, while amounts related to ADIT will be addressed in a separate manner. We expect to receive final approval from PURA in the second quarter of 2018.

Sources and Availability of Electric Power Supply

As noted above, CL&P does not own any generation assets and purchases energy supply to serve its SS and LRS loads from a variety of competitive sources through requests for proposals. CL&P continues to supply approximately 42 percent of its customer load at SS or LRS rates while the other 58 percent of its customer load has migrated to competitive energy suppliers. Because this customer migration is only for energy supply service, it has no impact on CL&P's electric distribution business or its operating income.

CL&P periodically enters into full requirements contracts for SS loads for periods of up to one year. CL&P typically enters into full requirements contracts for LRS loads every three months. Currently, CL&P has full requirements contracts in place for 100 percent of its SS loads for the first half of 2018. For the second half of 2018, CL&P has 60 percent of its SS load under full requirements contracts, and intends to purchase an additional 40 percent of full requirements. None of the SS load for 2019 has been procured. CL&P has full requirements contracts in place for its LRS loads through June 2018 and intends to purchase 100 percent of full requirements for the remainder of 2018.

ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION – MASSACHUSETTS

NSTAR ELECTRIC COMPANY

NSTAR Electric's distribution business consists primarily of the purchase, delivery and sale of electricity to residential, commercial and industrial customers within its franchise service territory. As of December 31, 2017, NSTAR Electric furnished retail franchise electric service to approximately 1.4 million customers in Boston and 139 cities and towns in eastern and western Massachusetts, including Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and the greater Springfield metropolitan area, covering an aggregate area of approximately 3,200 square miles. NSTAR Electric does not own any generating facilities used to supply customers and purchases its energy requirements from competitive energy suppliers.

On December 29, 2016, the DPU approved NSTAR Electric's application to develop 62 MW of new solar power facilities. Currently, NSTAR Electric owns 8 MW of solar power facilities on sites in Pittsfield, Springfield, and East Springfield, Massachusetts that were completed from 2010 through 2014. We expect development of the new facilities to be completed in 2018. Similar to NSTAR Electric’s current practice on the existing 8MW of solar power facilities, we expect that NSTAR Electric will sell energy from the new facilities into the ISO-NE market. We estimate our investment in these new facilities will be approximately $180 million.

The following table shows the sources of the electric franchise retail revenues of NSTAR Electric based on categories of customers:



	NSTAR Electric
(Thousands of Dollars)	2017		2016		2015
Residential	$	1,271,253	$	1,322,778	$	1,461,184
Commercial	1,278,739		1,310,743		1,322,674
Industrial	113,952		117,683		120,106
Other	45,347		54,666		53,388
Total Retail Electric Revenues	$	2,709,291	$	2,805,870	$	2,957,352

A summary of NSTAR Electric's retail electric GWh sales volumes and percentage changes for 2017, as compared to 2016, is as follows:



	NSTAR Electric
	2017	2016	Percentage Change
Residential	7,721	7,959	(3.0	)%
Commercial	14,127	14,404	(1.9	)%
Industrial	1,691	1,802	(6.2	)%
Total	23,539	24,165	(2.6	)%

In 2017 and 2016, NSTAR Electric operated under two different rate structures based on its service territory geography. For customers in eastern Massachusetts, including metropolitan Boston, Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard, NSTAR Electric operated using Traditional rates. For customers in western Massachusetts, including the metropolitan Springfield region, NSTAR Electric operated using Decoupled rates. Effective February 1, 2018, all of NSTAR Electric's distribution revenues were decoupled as a result of the DPU-approved rate decision. See "Regulatory Developments and Rate Matters - Massachusetts - NSTAR Electric Distribution Rate Case Decision" in the accompanying Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Rates

NSTAR Electric is subject to regulation by the DPU, which, among other things, has jurisdiction over rates, certain dispositions of property and plant, mergers and consolidations, issuances of long-term securities, acquisition of securities, standards of service and construction and operation of facilities. The present general rate structure for NSTAR Electric consists of various rate and service classifications covering residential, commercial and industrial services.

Under Massachusetts law, all customers of NSTAR Electric are entitled to choose their energy suppliers, while NSTAR Electric remains their electric distribution company. NSTAR Electric purchases power from competitive suppliers on behalf of, and passes the related cost through to, its customers who do not choose a competitive energy supplier (basic service). Most of the residential customers of NSTAR Electric have continued to buy their power from NSTAR Electric at basic service rates. Most commercial and industrial customers have switched to a competitive energy supplier.

The Cape Light Compact, an inter-governmental organization consisting of the 21 towns and two counties on Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard, serves 200,000 customers through the delivery of energy efficiency programs, effective consumer advocacy, competitive electricity supply and green power options. NSTAR Electric continues to provide electric service to these customers including the delivery of power, maintenance of infrastructure, capital investment, meter reading, billing, and customer service.

NSTAR Electric continues to supply approximately 50 percent of its Residential customer load, 41 percent of its Small Commercial and Industrial (C&I) customer load, and 9 percent of its Large C&I customer load at basic service rates. The remainder of its customer load is distributed between Municipal Aggregation and Competitive Supply. Because customer migration is limited to energy supply service, it has no impact on the delivery business or operating income of NSTAR Electric.

The rates established by the DPU for NSTAR Electric are comprised of the following:

•

A basic service charge that represents the collection of energy costs, including costs related to charge-offs of uncollectible energy costs from customers. Electric distribution companies in Massachusetts are required to obtain and resell power to retail customers through basic service for those who choose not to buy energy from a competitive energy supplier. Basic service rates are reset every six months (every three months for large commercial and industrial customers). Additionally, the DPU has authorized NSTAR Electric to recover the cost of its NSTAR Green wind contracts through the basic service charge. Basic service costs are reconciled annually, with any differences refunded to, or recovered from, customers.


•	A distribution charge, which includes a fixed customer charge and a demand and/or energy charge to collect the costs of building and expanding the distribution infrastructure to deliver power to its destination, as well as ongoing operating costs.


•	A revenue decoupling adjustment that reconciles distribution revenue, on an annual basis, to the amount of distribution revenue approved by the DPU. During 2017 only the western Massachusetts customer rates, including the metropolitan Springfield region,

were decoupled, which resulted in allowed distribution revenues of approximately $132.4 million. Effective February 1, 2018, NSTAR Electric is allowed to collect distribution revenues of $974.8 million annually, which covers its entire service territory.


•	A transmission charge that recovers the cost of transporting electricity over high-voltage lines from generating plants to substations, including costs allocated by ISO-NE to maintain the wholesale electric market.


•	A transition charge that represents costs to be collected primarily from previously held investments in generating plants, costs related to existing above-market power contracts, and contract costs related to long-term power contract buy-outs.


•	A renewable energy charge that represents a legislatively-mandated charge to support the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust Fund.


•	An energy efficiency charge that represents a legislatively-mandated charge to collect costs for energy efficiency programs.


•	Reconciling adjustment charges that recover certain DPU-approved costs, including pension and PBOP benefits, low income customer discounts, lost revenue and credits associated with net-metering facilities installed by customers, costs associated with the solar power facilities, storms, long-term renewable contracts and energy efficiency programs.

As required by regulation, NSTAR Electric, along with two other Massachusetts electric utilities, signed long-term commitments to purchase a combined estimated generating capacity of approximately 334 MW of wind power from two wind farms in Maine over 15 years. One wind farm began operating in late 2015, and the other wind farm began operating in late 2016. In addition, NSTAR Electric previously signed a long-term commitment to purchase an estimated generating capacity of approximately 37.5 MW of wind power from a wind farm in Maine over 15 years that began operating in 2016.

Distribution Rates: On November 30, 2017, the DPU issued its decision in the NSTAR Electric distribution rate case, which approved an annual distribution rate increase of $37 million, with rates effective February 1, 2018. On January 3, 2018, NSTAR Electric filed a motion to reflect a revenue requirement reduction of $56 million (due to the decrease in the federal corporate income tax rate, as part of the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act"), resulting in an annual net decrease in rates of $19 million.

In addition to its decision regarding rates, the DPU approved an authorized regulatory ROE of 10 percent, the establishment of a revenue decoupling rate mechanism for the portion of the NSTAR Electric business that did not previously have a decoupling mechanism, and the implementation of an inflation-based adjustment mechanism with a five-year stay-out until January 1, 2023.

Among other items, the DPU approved the recovery of previously expensed merger-related costs over a 10-year period and the recovery of previously deferred storm costs with carrying charges at the prime rate, but disallowed certain property taxes. The rate case decision resulted in the recognition of an aggregate $44.1 million pre-tax benefit recorded in 2017.

Service Quality Metrics: NSTAR Electric is subject to service quality ("SQ") metrics that measure safety, reliability and customer service, and could be required to pay to customers a SQ charge of up to 2.5 percent of annual transmission and distribution revenues for failing to meet such metrics. NSTAR Electric will not be required to pay a SQ charge for its 2017 performance as the company achieved results at or above target for all of its SQ metrics in 2017.

Sources and Availability of Electric Power Supply

As noted above, NSTAR Electric does not own any generation assets (other than solar power facilities), and it purchases its energy requirements from a variety of competitive sources through requests for proposals issued periodically, consistent with DPU regulations. NSTAR Electric enters into supply contracts for basic service for 50 percent of its residential and small commercial and industrial customers twice per year for twelve month terms. NSTAR Electric enters into supply contracts for basic service for 100 percent of large commercial and industrial customers every three months.

ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION – NEW HAMPSHIRE

PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

PSNH's distribution business consists primarily of the generation, delivery and sale of electricity to its residential, commercial and industrial customers. As of December 31, 2017, PSNH furnished retail franchise electric service to approximately 515,000 retail customers in 211 cities and towns in New Hampshire, covering an area of approximately 5,630 square miles. As of December 31, 2017, PSNH owned and operated approximately 1,200 MW of coal-, natural gas-, oil-fired, and hydro electricity generation facilities. PSNH's distribution business included the activities of its generation facilities.

On October 11, 2017, PSNH entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement for the sale of its thermal generation facilities and a separate Purchase and Sale Agreement for the sale of its hydroelectric generation facilities. On January 10, 2018, PSNH completed the sale of its thermal generation facilities. The thermal generation facilities included approximately 1,100 MW of coal, natural gas, biomass and oil-fired electricity generation facilities. The sale of the hydroelectric generation facilities is targeted to close by the end of the first quarter of 2018. For further information, see "Generation Divestiture" below.

The following table shows the sources of PSNH's electric franchise retail revenues based on categories of customers:



	PSNH
(Thousands of Dollars)	2017		2016		2015
Residential	$	537,439	$	521,914	$	505,806
Commercial	297,342		295,956		312,918
Industrial	72,371		70,864		76,914
Other	19,600		37,188		35,103
Total Retail Electric Revenues	$	926,752	$	925,922	$	930,741

A summary of PSNH's retail electric GWh sales volumes and percentage changes for 2017, as compared to 2016, is as follows:



	2017	2016	Percentage Change
Residential	3,134	3,136	(0.1	)%
Commercial	3,282	3,342	(1.8	)%
Industrial	1,342	1,382	(2.9	)%
Total	7,758	7,860	(1.3	)%

Rates

PSNH is subject to regulation by the NHPUC, which, among other things, has jurisdiction over rates, certain dispositions of property and plant, mergers and consolidations, issuances of securities, standards of service and construction and operation of facilities.

Under New Hampshire law, all of PSNH's customers are entitled to choose competitive energy suppliers. Prior to the Generation Divestiture, PSNH provided default energy service under its ES rate for those customers who did not choose a competitive energy supplier. At the end of 2017, approximately 26 percent of all of PSNH's customers (approximately 56 percent of load) were taking service from competitive energy suppliers, compared to 25 percent of customers (approximately 56 percent of load) at the end of 2016.

The rates established by the NHPUC for PSNH are comprised of the following:

•

A default energy service charge which recovers energy-related costs incurred as a result of providing electric generation service supply to all customers that have not migrated to competitive energy suppliers. Through March 31, 2018, the default energy service charge recovers the costs of PSNH's generation, as well as purchased power, and includes an allowed ROE of 9.81 percent. Effective April 1, 2018, as a result of the divestiture of its generation assets, PSNH will obtain power for retail customers who have not chosen a competitive supplier through a periodic market solicitation with the rate set to recover the cost of that power and statutorily mandated renewable portfolio standard costs. Effective April 1, 2018, any remaining costs from ownership of generation will be recovered as part of the SCRC described below.

•

A distribution charge, which includes an energy and/or demand-based charge to recover costs related to the maintenance and operation of PSNH's infrastructure to deliver power to its destination, as well as power restoration and service costs. This includes a customer charge to collect the cost of providing service to a customer; such as the installation, maintenance, reading and replacement of meters and maintaining accounts and records.


•	A transmission charge that recovers the cost of transporting electricity over high-voltage lines from generating plants to substations, including costs allocated by ISO-NE to maintain the wholesale electric market.

•

An SCRC, which allows PSNH to recover its stranded costs, including above-market expenses incurred under mandated power purchase obligations and other long-term investments and obligations. The stranded costs associated with the sale of the generation facilities, which are targeted to be sold in their entirety by the end of the first quarter of 2018, will be recovered in the SCRC rate charged to PSNH customers.


•	An SBC, which funds energy efficiency programs for all customers, as well as assistance programs for residential customers within certain income guidelines.


•	An electricity consumption tax, which is a state mandated tax on electric energy consumption.

The default energy service charge and SCRC rates change semi-annually and are reconciled annually in accordance with the policies and procedures of the NHPUC, with any differences refunded to, or recovered from, customers.

In New Hampshire, PSNH distribution rates were established in a settlement approved by the NHPUC in 2010. Prior to the expiration of that settlement on June 30, 2015, the NHPUC approved the continuation of those rates, and increased funding via rates, of PSNH's reliability enhancement program.

Generation Divestiture

In June 2015, Eversource and PSNH entered into the 2015 Public Service Company of New Hampshire Restructuring and Rate Stabilization Agreement, under the terms of which PSNH agreed to divest its generation assets, subject to NHPUC approval. The NHPUC approval for this agreement, as well as NHPUC approval of the final divestiture plan and auction process, were received in the second half of 2016. In October 2017, PSNH entered into two Purchase and Sale Agreements ("Agreements") to sell its thermal and hydroelectric generation assets to private investors at purchase prices of $175 million and $83 million, respectively, subject to adjustments as set forth in the Agreements. The NHPUC approved the Agreements in late November 2017.

On January 10, 2018, PSNH completed the sale of its thermal generation facilities. In accordance with the Purchase and Sale Agreement, the original purchase price of $175 million was adjusted to reflect working capital adjustments, closing date adjustments and proration of taxes and fees prior to closing, totaling $40.9 million, resulting in net proceeds of $134.1 million. We are targeting for PSNH to complete the sale of its hydroelectric generation facilities by the end of the first quarter of 2018 at a sale price of $83 million, subject to adjustment. On January 30, 2018, the NHPUC approved the issuance of rate reduction bonds up to $690 million to recover stranded costs, subject to an audit by the NHPUC Audit Staff. This order is subject to an appeal period of 30 days.

Upon completion of the divestiture, full recovery of PSNH's generation assets and transaction-related costs are expected to occur through a combination of cash flows during the remaining operating period, sales proceeds, and recovery of stranded costs via the issuance of bonds that will be secured by a non-bypassable charge or through recoveries in future rates billed to PSNH's customers.

Sources and Availability of Electric Power Supply

During 2017, approximately 47 percent of PSNH's load was met through its own generation, long-term power supply provided pursuant to orders of the NHPUC, and contracts with competitive energy suppliers. The remaining 53 percent of PSNH's load was met by short-term (less than one year) purchases and spot purchases in the competitive New England wholesale power market. Included in the above are PSNH's obligations to purchase power from approximately two dozen IPPs, the output of which it either uses to serve its customer load or sells into the ISO-NE market. With the anticipated completion of the divestiture of its own generation facilities in the first quarter of 2018, PSNH will meet its load requirements in 2018 with purchases of energy requirements from competitive sources through requests for proposals issued periodically, consistent with NHPUC regulations.

ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION SEGMENT

General

Each of CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH owns and maintains transmission facilities that are part of an interstate power transmission grid over which electricity is transmitted throughout New England. Each of CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH, and most other New England utilities, are parties to a series of agreements that provide for coordinated planning and operation of the region's transmission facilities and the rules by which they acquire transmission services. Under these arrangements, ISO-NE, a non-profit corporation whose board of directors and staff are independent of all market participants, serves as the regional transmission organization of the New England transmission system.

Wholesale Transmission Revenues

A summary of Eversource Energy's wholesale transmission revenues is as follows:



(Thousands of Dollars)	2017		2016		2015
CL&P	$	609,880	$	575,735	$	513,025
NSTAR Electric	514,151		483,050		428,743
PSNH	177,821		151,354		127,509
Total Wholesale Transmission Revenues	$	1,301,852	$	1,210,139	$	1,069,277

Wholesale Transmission Rates

Wholesale transmission revenues are recovered through FERC-approved formula rates. Annual transmission revenue requirements include recovery of transmission costs and include a return on equity applied to transmission rate base. Transmission revenues are collected from New England customers, including distribution customers of CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH. The transmission rates provide for an annual true-up of estimated to actual costs. The financial impacts of differences between actual and estimated costs are deferred for future recovery from, or refunded to, transmission customers.

FERC Base ROE Complaints

Four separate complaints have been filed at the FERC by combinations of New England state attorneys general, state regulatory commissions, consumer advocates, consumer groups, municipal parties and other parties (collectively the "Complainants"). In each of the first three

complaints, the Complainants challenged the NETOs' base ROE of 11.14 percent that had been utilized since 2005, and sought an order to reduce

it prospectively from the date of the final FERC order and for the 15-month complaint periods arising from the separate complaints. In the

fourth complaint, the Complainants challenged the NETOs' base ROE of 10.57 percent and the maximum ROE for transmission incentive ("incentive cap") of 11.74 percent, asserting that these ROEs were unjust and unreasonable. In response to appeals of the FERC decision in the first complaint filed by the NETOs and the Complainants, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision on April 14, 2017 vacating and remanding the FERC's decision. For further information, see "FERC Regulatory Issues - FERC ROE Complaints" in the accompanying Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Transmission Projects

During 2017, we were involved in the planning, development and construction of a series of electric transmission projects, including the Greater Hartford Central Connecticut projects and the Greater Boston Reliability Solutions, that will be built within the next five years and that will enhance system reliability and improve capacity. We were also involved in the planning and development of Northern Pass and the Seacoast Reliability Project. On February 1, 2018, the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee ("NHSEC") voted to deny Northern Pass’ siting application. Consistent with Eversource’s and HQ’s long-term relationship to bring clean energy into New England, Eversource and HQ continue to support Northern Pass and the many benefits this project will bring to our customers and region. Eversource intends to seek reconsideration of the NHSEC’s decision and to review all options for moving this critical clean energy project forward. For further information, see "Business Development and Capital Expenditures - Electric Transmission Business" in the accompanying Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Transmission Rate Base

Transmission rate base under our FERC-approved tariff primarily consists of our investment in transmission net utility plant less accumulated deferred income taxes.

Under our FERC-approved tariff, and with the exception of transmission projects that received specific FERC approval to include CWIP in rate base, transmission projects generally enter rate base after they are placed in commercial operation. At the end of 2017, our estimated transmission rate base was approximately $6 billion, including approximately $2.7 billion at CL&P, $2.5 billion at NSTAR Electric, and $765 million at PSNH.

NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION SEGMENT

NSTAR Gas distributes natural gas to approximately 292,000 customers in 51 communities in central and eastern Massachusetts covering 1,067 square miles, and Yankee Gas distributes natural gas to approximately 232,000 customers in 72 cities and towns in Connecticut covering 2,187 square miles. Total throughput (sales and transportation) in 2017 was approximately 69.4 Bcf for NSTAR Gas and 56.0 Bcf for Yankee Gas. Our natural gas businesses provide firm natural gas sales service to retail customers who require a continuous natural gas supply throughout the year, such as residential customers who rely on natural gas for heating, hot water and cooking needs, and commercial and industrial customers who choose to purchase natural gas from Eversource Energy's natural gas distribution companies. A portion of the storage of natural gas supply for NSTAR Gas during the winter heating season is provided by Hopkinton LNG Corp., an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Eversource Energy. NSTAR Gas has access to Hopkinton LNG Corp. facilities in Hopkinton, Massachusetts consisting of a LNG liquefaction and vaporization plant and three above-ground cryogenic storage tanks having an aggregate capacity of 3.0 Bcf of liquefied natural gas. NSTAR Gas also has access to Hopkinton LNG Corp. facilities in Acushnet, Massachusetts that include additional storage capacity of 0.5 Bcf and additional vaporization capacity.

Yankee Gas owns a 1.2 Bcf LNG facility in Waterbury, Connecticut, which is used primarily to assist Yankee Gas in meeting its supplier-of-last-resort obligations and also enables it to provide economic supply and make economic refill of natural gas typically during periods of low demand.

NSTAR Gas and Yankee Gas generate revenues primarily through the sale and/or transportation of natural gas. Predominantly all residential customers in the NSTAR Gas service territory buy natural gas supply and delivery from NSTAR Gas while all customers may choose their natural gas suppliers. Retail natural gas service in Connecticut is partially unbundled: residential customers in Yankee Gas' service territory buy natural gas supply and delivery only from Yankee Gas while commercial and industrial customers may choose their natural gas suppliers. NSTAR Gas offers firm transportation service to all customers who purchase natural gas from sources other than NSTAR Gas while Yankee Gas offers firm transportation service to its commercial and industrial customers who purchase natural gas from sources other than Yankee Gas. In addition, both natural gas distribution companies offer interruptible transportation and interruptible natural gas sales service to those high volume commercial and industrial customers, generally during the colder months, that have the capability to switch from natural gas to an alternative fuel on short notice, for whom NSTAR Gas and Yankee Gas can interrupt service during peak demand periods or at any other time to maintain distribution system integrity.

The following table shows the sources of the total Eversource Energy natural gas franchise retail revenues based on categories of customers:



(Thousands of Dollars)	2017		2016		2015
Residential	$	500,229	$	446,052	$	497,873
Commercial	312,034		279,001		327,439
Industrial	90,024		80,093		93,378
Total Retail Natural Gas Revenues	$	902,287	$	805,146	$	918,690

A summary of our firm natural gas sales volumes in million cubic feet and percentage changes for 2017, as compared to 2016, is as follows:



	2017	2016	Percentage Change
Residential	37,421	35,734	4.7	%
Commercial	42,992	41,895	2.6	%
Industrial	20,613	20,413	1.0	%
Total	101,026	98,042	3.0	%
Total, Net of Special Contracts⁽¹⁾	96,617	93,346	3.5	%

⁽¹⁾ Special contracts are unique to the customers who take service under such an arrangement and generally specify the amount of distribution revenue to be paid to Yankee Gas regardless of the customers' usage.

Our firm natural gas sales volumes are subject to many of the same influences as our retail electric sales volumes. In addition, they have benefited from customer growth in both of our natural gas distribution companies. Consolidated firm natural gas sales volumes were higher in 2017, as compared to 2016, due primarily to colder winter weather in the fourth quarter of 2017, as compared to 2016. Heating degree days in 2017 were 2.5 percent higher in Connecticut, as compared to 2016. Sales volumes were also positively impacted by improved economic conditions across our natural gas service territories.

For NSTAR Gas, the DPU approved a distribution revenue decoupling mechanism effective January 1, 2016. Natural gas distribution revenues are decoupled from their customer sales volumes, where applicable, which breaks the relationship between sales volumes and revenues recognized. As a result, fluctuations in natural gas sales volumes in Massachusetts do not impact earnings.

Rates

NSTAR Gas and Yankee Gas are subject to regulation by the DPU and the PURA, respectively, which, among other things, have jurisdiction over rates, certain dispositions of property and plant, mergers and consolidations, issuances of long-term securities, standards of service and construction and operation of facilities.

Retail natural gas delivery and supply rates are established by the DPU and the PURA and are comprised of:


•	A distribution charge consisting of a fixed customer charge and a demand and/or energy charge that collects the costs of building and expanding the natural gas infrastructure to deliver natural gas supply to its customers. This also includes collection of ongoing operating costs.

•

A seasonal cost of gas adjustment clause ("CGAC") at NSTAR Gas that collects natural gas supply costs, pipeline and storage capacity costs, costs related to charge-offs of uncollected energy costs and working capital related costs. The CGAC is reset semi-annually. In addition, NSTAR Gas files interim changes to its CGAC factor when the actual costs of natural gas supply vary from projections by more than five percent.


•	A local distribution adjustment clause ("LDAC") at NSTAR Gas that collects all energy efficiency and related program costs, environmental costs, pension and PBOP related costs, attorney general consultant costs, and costs associated with low income customers. The LDAC is reset annually and provides for the recovery of certain costs applicable to both sales and transportation customers.

•

Purchased Gas Adjustment ("PGA") clause, which allows Yankee Gas to recover the costs of the procurement of natural gas for its firm and seasonal customers. Differences between actual natural gas costs and collection amounts on August 31st of each year are deferred and then recovered from or refunded to customers during the following year. Carrying charges on outstanding balances are calculated using Yankee Gas' weighted average cost of capital in accordance with the directives of the PURA.

•

Conservation Adjustment Mechanism ("CAM") at Yankee Gas, which allows 100 percent recovery of conservation costs through this mechanism including program incentives to promote energy efficiency, as well as recovery of any lost revenues associated with implementation of energy conservation measures. A reconciliation of CAM revenues to expenses is performed annually with any difference being recovered from or refunded to customers, with carrying charges, during the following year.

NSTAR Gas purchases financial contracts based on the New York Mercantile Exchange ("NYMEX") natural gas futures in order to reduce cash flow variability associated with the purchase price for approximately one-third of its normal winter season natural gas supplies. These purchases are made under a program approved by the DPU in 2006. This practice attempts to minimize the impact of fluctuations in natural gas prices to NSTAR Gas' firm natural gas customers. These financial contracts do not procure natural gas supply. All costs incurred or benefits realized when these contracts are settled are included in the CGAC.

NSTAR Gas is subject to SQ metrics that measure safety, reliability and customer service and could be required to pay to customers a SQ charge of up to 2.5 percent of annual distribution revenues for failing to meet such metrics. NSTAR Gas will not be required to pay a SQ charge for its 2017 performance as it achieved results at or above target for all of its SQ metrics in 2017.

NSTAR Gas distribution rates were set in its 2015 DPU approved rate case, which included an annualized base rate increase of $15.8 million, plus other increases of approximately $11.5 million, mostly relating to recovery of pension and PBOP expenses and the Hopkinton Gas Service Agreement, effective January 1, 2016. In the order, the DPU also approved an authorized regulatory ROE of 9.8 percent, the establishment of a revenue decoupling mechanism, the recovery of certain bad debt expenses, and a 52.1 percent equity component of its capital structure.

Yankee Gas' last rate case proceeding was in 2011, which approved an allowed ROE of 8.83 percent and allowed for a substantial increase in annual spending for bare steel and cast iron pipeline replacement. In 2015, Yankee Gas entered into a settlement agreement with the PURA staff pursuant to which Yankee Gas provided a $1.5 million rate credit to firm customers beginning in December 2015, and established an earnings sharing mechanism whereby Yankee Gas and its customers will share equally in any earnings exceeding a 9.5 percent ROE in a twelve month period commencing with the period from April 1, 2015 through March 31, 2016. As of December 31, 2017, Yankee Gas had not triggered any of the earnings sharing thresholds.

Massachusetts Natural Gas Replacement and Expansion

On July 7, 2014, Massachusetts enacted "An Act Relative to Natural Gas Leaks" (the "Act"). The Act established a uniform natural gas leak classification standard for all Massachusetts natural gas utilities and a program that accelerates the replacement of aging natural gas infrastructure. The program enabled companies, including NSTAR Gas, to better manage the scheduling and costs of replacement. The Act called for the DPU to authorize natural gas utilities to design and offer programs to customers that will increase the availability, affordability and feasibility of natural gas service for new customers.

In October 2014, pursuant to the Act, NSTAR Gas filed the Gas System Enhancement Program ("GSEP") with the DPU. NSTAR Gas' program accelerates the replacement of certain natural gas distribution facilities in the system to within 25 years. The GSEP includes a new tariff effective January 1, 2016 that provides NSTAR Gas an opportunity to collect the costs for the program on an annual basis through a newly designed reconciling factor. On April 30, 2015, the DPU approved the GSEP. We expect capital expenditures of approximately $374.4 million for the period 2016 through 2020 for the GSEP.

Connecticut Natural Gas Expansion Plan

In 2013, in accordance with Connecticut law and regulations, the PURA approved a comprehensive joint natural gas infrastructure expansion plan (the "Expansion Plan") filed by Yankee Gas and other Connecticut natural gas distribution companies. The Expansion Plan described how Yankee Gas expects to add approximately 82,000 new natural gas heating customers over a 10-year period. Yankee Gas estimates that its portion of the Expansion Plan will cost approximately $700 million over 10 years. In January 2015, the PURA approved a joint settlement agreement proposed by Yankee Gas and other Connecticut natural gas distribution companies and regulatory agencies that clarified the procedures and oversight criteria applicable to the Expansion Plan. On November 30, 2016, Yankee Gas received PURA approval of its initial 2014 System Expansion Reconciliation as well as its 2015 Reconciliation after a combined review of the reconciliations by PURA. Yankee Gas filed its 2016 System Expansion Reconciliation in March 2017, which was approved by PURA on September 13, 2017.

Sources and Availability of Natural Gas Supply

NSTAR Gas maintains a flexible resource portfolio consisting of natural gas supply contracts, transportation contracts on interstate pipelines, market area storage and peaking services. NSTAR Gas purchases transportation, storage, and balancing services from Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company and Algonquin Gas Transmission Company, as well as other upstream pipelines that transport gas from major gas producing regions in the U.S., including the Gulf Coast, Mid-continent region, and Appalachian Shale supplies to the final delivery points in the NSTAR Gas service area. NSTAR Gas purchases all of its natural gas supply under a firm portfolio management contract with a term of one year. In addition to the firm transportation and natural gas storage supplies mentioned above, NSTAR Gas utilizes contracts for underground storage and LNG facilities to meet its winter peaking demands. The LNG facilities, described below, are located within NSTAR Gas' distribution system and are used to liquefy and store pipeline natural gas during the warmer months for vaporization and use during the heating season. During the summer injection season, excess pipeline capacity and supplies are used to deliver and store natural gas in market area underground storage facilities located in the New York and Pennsylvania regions. Stored natural gas is withdrawn during the winter season to supplement flowing pipeline supplies in order to meet firm heating demand. NSTAR Gas has firm underground storage contracts and total storage capacity entitlements of approximately 6.6 Bcf. A portion of the storage of natural gas supply for NSTAR Gas during the winter heating season is provided by Hopkinton LNG Corp., which owns an LNG liquefaction and vaporization plant and three above-ground cryogenic storage tanks having an aggregate capacity of 3.0 Bcf of liquefied natural gas. NSTAR Gas also has access to Hopkinton LNG Corp. facilities that include additional storage capacity of 0.5 Bcf and additional vaporization capacity.

The PURA requires that Yankee Gas meet the needs of its firm customers under all weather conditions. Specifically, Yankee Gas must structure its supply portfolio to meet firm customer needs under a design day scenario (defined as the coldest day in 30 years) and under a design year scenario (defined as the average of the four coldest years in the last 30 years). Yankee Gas' on-system stored LNG and underground storage supplies help to meet consumption needs during the coldest days of winter. Yankee Gas obtains its interstate capacity from the three interstate pipelines that directly serve Connecticut: the Algonquin, Tennessee and Iroquois Pipelines, which connect to other upstream pipelines that transport gas from major gas producing regions, including the Gulf Coast, Mid-continent, Canadian regions and Appalachian Shale supplies.

Based on information currently available regarding projected growth in demand and estimates of availability of future supplies of pipeline natural gas, NSTAR Gas and Yankee Gas each believes that participation in planned and anticipated pipeline and storage expansion projects will be required in order for it to meet current and future sales growth opportunities.

WATER BUSINESS

Eversource Water Ventures, Inc., a Connecticut corporation, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Eversource Aquarion Holdings, Inc. (Aquarion), operates regulated water utilities in Connecticut (Aquarion Water Company of Connecticut, or “AWC-CT”), Massachusetts (Aquarion Water Company of Massachusetts, or “AWC -MA”) and New Hampshire (Aquarion Water Company of New Hampshire, or “AWC-NH”). These regulated companies provide water services to approximately 226,000 residential, commercial, industrial, municipal and fire protection and other customers, in 59 towns and cities in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. As of December 31, 2017, approximately 87 percent of Aquarion’s customers were based in Connecticut.

For the period from December 4, 2017, the date Aquarion was acquired by Eversource, through December 31, 2017, water franchise retail revenues based on categories of customers for residential, commercial, municipal and fire protection, industrial and other totaled $9.9 million, $2.3 million, $2.5 million, $0.2 million and $1.0 million, respectively.

Rates

Aquarion's water utilities are subject to regulation by the PURA, the DPU and the NHPUC in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, respectively. These regulatory agencies, have jurisdiction over, among other things, rates, certain dispositions of property and plant, mergers and consolidations, issuances of long-term securities, standards of service and construction and operation of facilities.

Aquarion’s general rate structure consists of various rate and service classifications covering residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal and fire protection services.

The rates established by the PURA, DPU and NHPUC are comprised of the following:


•	A base rate, which is comprised of fixed charges based on meter/fire connection sizes, as well as volumetric charges based on the amount of water sold. Together these charges are designed to recover the full cost of service resulting from a general rate proceeding.


•	A revenue adjustment mechanism (“RAM”) that reconciles earned revenues, with certain allowed adjustments, on an annual basis, to the revenue requirement approved by the PURA in AWC-CT’s last rate case (2013), which is an annual amount of $178.0 million.


•	The water infrastructure conservation adjustment (“WICA”) charge, which is applied between rate case proceedings and seeks recovery of allowed costs associated with WICA-eligible capital projects placed in-service. The WICA is updated semiannually in Connecticut and annually in New Hampshire.


•	Treatment plant surcharges, which are a series of three surcharges in Massachusetts (one fixed and two volumetric in nature) that are designed to recover certain operating costs and the costs of the lease of the treatment plant located in Hingham. These surcharges are applicable only to customers in Hingham, Hull and Cohasset.

Sources and Availability of Water Supply

Our water utilities obtain their water supplies from owned surface water sources (reservoirs) and groundwater supplies (wells) with a total supply yield of approximately 131 million gallons per day, as well as water purchased from other water suppliers. Approximately 98 percent of our annual production is self-supplied and processed at 10 surface water treatment plants and numerous well stations, which are all located in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.

The capacities of Aquarion’s sources of supply, and water treatment, pumping and distribution facilities, are considered sufficient to meet the present requirements of Aquarion’s customers under normal conditions. On occasion, drought declarations are issued for portions of Aquarion’s service territories in response to extended periods of dry weather conditions.

OFFSHORE WIND PROJECT

Bay State Wind is a proposed offshore wind project being jointly developed by Eversource and Denmark-based Ørsted. Bay State Wind will be located in a 300-square-mile area approximately 25 miles off the coast of Massachusetts that has the ultimate potential to generate more than 2,000 MW of clean, renewable energy. Eversource and Ørsted each hold a 50 percent ownership interest in Bay State Wind.

For more information regarding the clean energy legislation, see "Regulatory Developments and Rate Matters – Massachusetts – Massachusetts RFPs" in the accompanying Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

PROJECTED CAPITAL EXPENDITURES

We project to make capital expenditures of approximately $10.8 billion from 2018 through 2021, of which we expect approximately $5.7 billion to be in our electric and natural gas distribution segments, approximately $4.1 billion to be in our electric transmission segment and $0.4 billion to be in our water utility business. We also project to invest approximately $0.5 billion in information technology and facilities upgrades and enhancements. These projections do not include any expected investments related to Bay State Wind.

FINANCING

Our credit facilities and indentures require that Eversource parent and certain of its subsidiaries, including CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH, NSTAR Gas, and Yankee Gas, and Aquarion comply with certain financial and non-financial covenants as are customarily included in such agreements, including maintaining a ratio of consolidated debt to total capitalization of no more than 65 percent. All of these companies currently are, and expect to remain, in compliance with these covenants.

As of December 31, 2017, $961.0 million of Eversource's long-term debt, including $450.0 million, $300.0 million, $110.0 million, $100.0 million and $1.0 million for Eversource parent, CL&P, PSNH, Yankee Gas and Aquarion, respectively, will be paid within the next 12 months.

NUCLEAR FUEL STORAGE

CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH, and several other New England electric utilities are stockholders in three inactive regional nuclear generation companies, CYAPC, MYAPC and YAEC (collectively, the Yankee Companies). The Yankee Companies have completed the physical decommissioning of their respective generation facilities and are now engaged in the long-term storage of their spent nuclear fuel. The Yankee Companies have completed collection of their decommissioning and closure costs through the proceeds from the spent nuclear fuel litigation against the DOE and has refunded amounts to its member companies. These proceeds were used by the Yankee Companies to offset the decommissioning and closure cost amounts due from their member companies or to decrease the wholesale FERC-approved rates charged under power purchase agreements with CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH and several other New England utilities. The decommissioning rates charged by the Yankee Companies have been reduced to zero. CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH can recover these costs from, or refund proceeds to, their customers through state regulatory commission-approved retail rates.

We consolidate the assets and obligations of CYAPC and YAEC on our consolidated balance sheet because we own more than 50 percent of these companies.

OTHER REGULATORY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS

General

We are regulated in virtually all aspects of our business by various federal and state agencies, including FERC, the SEC, and various state and/or local regulatory authorities with jurisdiction over the industry and the service areas in which each of our companies operates, including the PURA, which has jurisdiction over CL&P, Yankee Gas, and Aquarion, the NHPUC, which has jurisdiction over PSNH and Aquarion, and the DPU, which has jurisdiction over NSTAR Electric, NSTAR Gas, and Aquarion.

Environmental Regulation

We are subject to various federal, state and local requirements with respect to water quality, air quality, toxic substances, hazardous waste and other environmental matters. Additionally, major generation and transmission facilities may not be constructed or significantly modified without a review of the environmental impact of the proposed construction or modification by the applicable federal or state agencies.

Water Quality Requirements

The Clean Water Act requires every "point source" discharger of pollutants into navigable waters to obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System ("NPDES") permit from the EPA or state environmental agency specifying the allowable quantity and characteristics of its effluent. States may also require additional permits for discharges into state waters.

Air Quality Requirements

The Clean Air Act Amendments ("CAAA"), as well as New Hampshire law, impose stringent requirements on emissions of SO₂ and NO_X for the purpose of controlling acid rain and ground level ozone. In addition, the CAAA address the control of toxic air pollutants. Requirements for the installation of continuous emissions monitors and expanded permitting provisions also are included. Following the completion of the sale of PSNH’s thermal generation facilities on January 10, 2018, we no longer own facilities subject to the provisions of the CAAA.

Renewable Portfolio Standards

Each of the states in which we do business also has Renewable Portfolio Standards ("RPS") requirements, which generally require fixed percentages of our energy supply to come from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydropower, landfill gas, fuel cells and other similar sources.

New Hampshire's RPS provision requires increasing percentages of the electricity sold to retail customers to have direct ties to renewable sources. In 2017, the total RPS obligation was 17.6 percent and it will ultimately reach 25.2 percent in 2025. The costs of the RECs are recovered by PSNH through rates charged to customers.

Similarly, Connecticut's RPS statute requires increasing percentages of the electricity sold to retail customers to have direct ties to renewable sources. In 2017, the total RPS obligation was 22.5 percent and will ultimately reach 28 percent in 2020. CL&P is permitted to recover any costs incurred in complying with RPS from its customers through its GSC rate.

Massachusetts' RPS program also requires electricity suppliers to meet renewable energy standards. For 2017, the requirement was 22.34 percent, and will ultimately reach 26.1 percent in 2020. NSTAR Electric is permitted to recover any costs incurred in complying with RPS from its customers through rates. NSTAR Electric also owns renewable solar power facilities. The RECs generated from NSTAR Electric's solar power facilities are sold to other energy suppliers, and the proceeds from these sales are credited back to customers.

Hazardous Materials Regulations

We have recorded a liability for what we believe, based upon currently available information, is our reasonably estimable environmental investigation, remediation, and/or Natural Resource Damages costs for waste disposal sites for which we have probable liability. Under federal and state law, government agencies and private parties can attempt to impose liability on us for recovery of investigation and remediation costs at hazardous waste sites. As of December 31, 2017, the liability recorded for our reasonably estimable and probable environmental remediation costs for known sites needing investigation and/or remediation, exclusive of recoveries from insurance or from third parties, was $54.9 million, representing 59 sites. These costs could be significantly higher if additional remediation becomes necessary or when additional information as to the extent of contamination becomes available.

The most significant liabilities currently relate to future clean-up costs at former MGP facilities. These facilities were owned and operated by our predecessor companies from the mid-1800's to mid-1900's. By-products from the manufacture of gas using coal resulted in fuel oils, hydrocarbons, coal tar, purifier wastes, metals and other waste products that may pose risks to human health and the environment. We currently have partial or full ownership responsibilities at former MGP sites that have a reserve balance of $49.0 million of the total $54.9 million as of December 31, 2017. MGP costs are recoverable through rates charged to our customers.

Electric and Magnetic Fields

For more than twenty years, published reports have discussed the possibility of adverse health effects from electric and magnetic fields ("EMF") associated with electric transmission and distribution facilities and appliances and wiring in buildings and homes. Although weak health risk associations reported in some epidemiology studies remain unexplained, most researchers, as well as numerous scientific review panels, considering all significant EMF epidemiology and laboratory studies, have concluded that the available body of scientific information does not support the conclusion that EMF affects human health.

In accordance with recommendations of various regulatory bodies and public health organizations, we reduce EMF associated with new transmission lines by the use of designs that can be implemented without additional cost or at a modest cost. We do not believe that other capital expenditures are appropriate to minimize unsubstantiated risks.

Global Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emission Issues

Global climate change and greenhouse gas emission issues have received an increased focus from state governments and the federal government. The EPA initiated a rulemaking addressing greenhouse gas emissions and, on December 7, 2009, issued a finding that concluded that greenhouse gas emissions are "air pollution" that endangers public health and welfare and should be regulated. The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. is the electricity generating sector. The EPA has mandated greenhouse gas emission reporting beginning in 2011 for emissions for certain aspects of our business including stationary combustion, volume of gas supplied to large customers and fugitive emissions of SF6 gas and methane.

We are continually evaluating the regulatory risks and regulatory uncertainty presented by climate change concerns. Such concerns could potentially lead to additional rules and regulations that impact how we operate our business, both in terms of the generating facilities we own and operate as well as general utility operations. These could include federal "cap and trade" laws, carbon taxes, fuel and energy taxes, or regulations requiring additional capital expenditures at our generating facilities. We expect that any costs of these rules and regulations would be recovered from customers.

Connecticut, New Hampshire and Massachusetts are each members of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a cooperative effort by nine northeastern and mid-Atlantic states, to develop a regional program for stabilizing and reducing CO₂ emissions from coal- and oil-fired electric generating plants. Because CO₂ allowances issued by any participating state are usable across all nine RGGI state programs, the individual state CO₂ trading programs, in the aggregate, form one regional compliance market for CO₂ emissions. The third three-year control period took effect on January 1, 2015 and extended through December 31, 2017. In this control period, each regulated power plant must hold CO₂ allowances equal to 50 percent of its emissions during each of the first two years of the three-year period, and hold CO₂ allowances equal to 100 percent of its remaining emissions for the three-year control period at the end of the period.

FERC Hydroelectric Project Licensing

Federal Power Act licenses may be issued for hydroelectric projects for terms of 30 to 50 years as determined by the FERC. Upon the expiration of an existing license, (i) the FERC may issue a new license to the existing licensee, (ii) the United States may take over the project, or (iii) the FERC may issue a new license to a new licensee, upon payment to the existing licensee of the lesser of the fair value or the net investment in the project, plus severance damages, less certain amounts earned by the licensee in excess of a reasonable rate of return.

PSNH currently owns nine hydroelectric generation facilities with a current claimed capability representing winter rates of approximately 71 MW, eight of which are licensed by the FERC under long-term licenses. PSNH and its hydroelectric facilities are subject to conditions set forth in such licenses, the Federal Power Act and related FERC regulations, including provisions related to the condemnation of a project upon payment of just compensation, amortization of project investment from excess project earnings, possible takeover of a project after expiration of its license upon payment of net investment and severance damages and other matters. We are targeting for PSNH to close on the sale of its hydroelectric generation facilities by the end of the first quarter of 2018.

EMPLOYEES

As of December 31, 2017, Eversource Energy employed a total of 8,084 employees, excluding temporary employees, of which 1,270 were employed by CL&P, 1,922 were employed by NSTAR Electric, and 918 were employed by PSNH. Approximately 50 percent of our employees are members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the Utility Workers Union of America or The United Steelworkers, and are covered by 11 collective bargaining agreements.

INTERNET INFORMATION

Our website address is www.eversource.com. We make available through our website a link to the SEC's EDGAR website (http://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html), at which site Eversource Energy's, CL&P's, NSTAR Electric's and PSNH's Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports may be reviewed. Information contained on the Company's website or that can be accessed through the website is not incorporated into and does not constitute a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Printed copies of these reports may be obtained free of charge by writing to our Investor Relations Department at Eversource Energy, 107 Selden Street, Berlin, CT 06037.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

In addition to the matters set forth under "Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995" included immediately prior to Item 1, Business, above, we are subject to a variety of significant risks. Our susceptibility to certain risks, including those discussed in detail below, could exacerbate other risks. These risk factors should be considered carefully in evaluating our risk profile.

Cyberattacks could severely impair operations, negatively impact our business, lead to the disclosure of confidential information and adversely affect our reputation.

A successful cyberattack on the information technology systems that control our transmission and distribution systems or other assets could impair or prevent us from managing these systems and facilities, operating our systems effectively, or properly managing our data, networks and programs. The breach of certain information technology systems could adversely affect our ability to correctly record, process and report financial information. A major cyber incident could result in significant expenses to investigate and to repair system damage or security breaches and could lead to litigation, fines, other remedial action, heightened regulatory scrutiny and damage to our reputation.

We have instituted safeguards to protect our information technology systems and assets. We devote substantial resources to network and application security, encryption and other measures to protect our computer systems and infrastructure from unauthorized access or misuse and interface with numerous external entities to improve our cybersecurity situational awareness. The FERC, through the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, requires certain safeguards to be implemented to deter cyberattacks. These safeguards may not always be effective due to the evolving nature of cyberattacks.

Any such cyberattacks could result in loss of service to customers and a significant decrease in revenues, which could have a material adverse impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Acts of war or terrorism, both threatened and actual, or physical attacks could adversely affect our ability to operate our systems and could adversely affect our financial results and liquidity.

Acts of war or terrorism, both threatened and actual, or actual physical attacks that damage our transmission and distribution systems or other assets could negatively impact our ability to transmit or distribute energy, distribute water, or operate our systems efficiently or at all. Because our electric transmission systems are part of an interconnected regional grid, we face the risk of blackout due to grid disturbances or disruptions on a neighboring interconnected system. If our assets were physically damaged and were not recovered in a timely manner, it could result in a loss of service to customers and a significant decrease in revenues

Any such acts of war or terrorism, physical attacks or grid disturbances could result in a significant decrease in revenues, significant expense to repair system damage, costs associated with governmental actions in response to such attacks, and liability claims, all of which could have a material adverse impact on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Strategic development opportunities may not be successful and projects may not commence operation as scheduled or be completed, which could have a material adverse effect on our business prospects.

We are pursuing broader strategic development investment opportunities that will benefit the New England region related to the construction of electric transmission facilities, off-shore wind electric generation facilities, interconnections to generating resources and other investment opportunities. The development of these activities involve numerous risks. Various factors could result in increased costs or result in delays or cancellation of these projects. Risks include regulatory approval processes, new legislation, economic events or factors, environmental and community concerns, design and siting issues, difficulties in obtaining required rights of way, competition from incumbent utilities and other entities, and actions of strategic partners. Should any of these factors result in such delays or cancellations, our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows could be adversely affected or our future growth opportunities may not be realized as anticipated.

As a result of legislative and regulatory changes, the states in which we provide service have implemented new procedures to select for construction new major electric transmission, natural gas pipeline, off-shore wind and other clean energy facilities. These procedures require the review of competing projects and permit the selection of only those projects that are expected to provide the greatest benefit to customers. If the projects in which we have invested are not selected for construction, or even if our projects are selected, other legislative or regulatory actions could result in our projects not being probable of entering the construction phase, it could have a material adverse effect on our future financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

After being selected as the winning bidder in the Massachusetts clean energy RFP in January 2018, on February 1, 2018, the NHSEC voted to deny the siting application for our Northern Pass project. Following the NHSEC's decision, the Massachusetts EDCs, in coordination with the DOER and the independent evaluator, notified NPT that the EDCs will continue contract negotiations, with the option of discontinuing discussions and terminating its conditional selection by March 27, 2018.

The actions of regulators and legislators can significantly affect our earnings, liquidity and business activities.

The rates that our electric, natural gas and water companies charge their customers are determined by their state regulatory commissions and by the FERC. These commissions also regulate the companies' accounting, operations, the issuance of certain securities and certain other matters. The FERC also regulates the transmission of electric energy, the sale of electric energy at wholesale, accounting, issuance of certain securities and certain other matters.

Under state and federal law, our electric, natural gas and water companies are entitled to charge rates that are sufficient to allow them an opportunity to recover their reasonable operating and capital costs and a reasonable ROE, to attract needed capital and maintain their financial integrity, while also protecting relevant public interests. Each of these companies prepares and submits periodic rate filings with their respective regulatory commissions for review and approval.

The FERC has jurisdiction over our transmission costs recovery and our allowed ROE. Certain outside parties have filed four complaints against all electric companies under the jurisdiction of ISO-NE alleging that our allowed ROE is unjust and unreasonable. An adverse decision in any of these four complaints could adversely affect our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

FERC's policy has encouraged competition for transmission projects, even within existing service territories of electric companies. Implementation of FERC's goals, including within our service territories, may expose us to competition for construction of transmission projects, additional regulatory considerations, and potential delay with respect to future transmission projects, which may adversely affect our results of operation.

There is no assurance that the commissions will approve the recovery of all costs incurred by our electric, natural gas and water companies, including costs for construction, operation and maintenance, as well as a reasonable return on their respective regulated assets. The amount of costs incurred by the companies, coupled with increases in fuel and energy prices, could lead to consumer or regulatory resistance to the timely recovery of such costs, thereby adversely affecting our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

We outsource certain business functions to third-party suppliers and service providers, and substandard performance by those third parties could harm our business, reputation and results of operations.

We outsource certain services to third parties in areas including information technology, transaction processing, human resources, payroll and payroll processing and other areas. Outsourcing of services to third parties could expose us to substandard quality of service delivery or substandard deliverables, which may result in missed deadlines or other timeliness issues, non-compliance (including with applicable legal requirements and industry standards) or reputational harm, which could negatively impact our results of operations. We also continue to pursue enhancements to standardize our systems and processes. If any difficulties in the operation of these systems were to occur, they could adversely affect our results of operations, or adversely affect our ability to work with regulators, unions, customers or employees.

The effects of climate change, including severe storms, could cause significant damage to any of our facilities requiring extensive expenditures, the recovery for which is subject to approval by regulators.

Climate change creates physical and financial risks. Physical risks from climate change may include an increase in sea levels and changes in weather conditions, such as changes in precipitation and extreme weather events including drought. Customers’ energy needs vary with weather conditions, primarily temperature and humidity. For residential customers, heating and cooling represent their largest energy use. For water customers, conservation measures imposed by the communities we serve could impact water usage. To the extent weather conditions are affected by climate change, customers’ energy and water usage could increase or decrease depending on the duration and magnitude of the changes.

Severe weather, such as ice and snow storms, hurricanes and other natural disasters, may cause outages and property damage, which may require us to incur additional costs that may not be recoverable from customers. The cost of repairing damage to our operating subsidiaries' facilities and the potential disruption of their operations due to storms, natural disasters or other catastrophic events could be substantial, particularly as regulators and customers demand better and quicker response times to outages. If, upon review, any of our state regulatory authorities finds that our actions were imprudent, some of those restoration costs may not be recoverable from customers. The inability to recover a significant amount of such costs could have an adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Our transmission and distribution systems may not operate as expected, and could require unplanned expenditures, which could adversely affect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Our ability to properly operate our transmission and distribution systems is critical to the financial performance of our business. Our transmission and distribution businesses face several operational risks, including the breakdown, failure of, or damage to operating equipment, information technology systems, or processes, especially due to age; labor disputes; disruptions in the delivery of electricity, natural gas and water, including impacts on us or our customers; increased capital expenditure requirements, including those due to environmental regulation; catastrophic events such as fires, explosions, or other similar occurrences; extreme weather conditions beyond equipment and plant design capacity; other unanticipated operations and maintenance expenses and liabilities; and potential claims for property damage or personal injuries beyond the scope of our insurance coverage. Many of our transmission projects are expected to alleviate identified reliability issues and reduce customers' costs. However, if the in-service date for one or more of these projects is delayed due to economic events or factors, or regulatory or other delays, the risk of failures in the electricity transmission system may increase. Any failure of our transmission and distribution systems to operate as planned may result in increased capital costs, reduced earnings or unplanned increases in operation and maintenance costs. The inability to recover a significant amount of such costs could have an adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows

New technology, conservation measures and alternative energy sources could adversely affect our operations and financial results.

Advances in technology that reduce the costs of alternative methods of producing electric energy to a level that is competitive with that of current electric production methods, could result in loss of market share and customers, and may require us to make significant expenditures to remain competitive. These changes in technology could also alter the channels through which electric customers buy or utilize energy, which could reduce

our revenues or increase our expenses. Economic downturns or periods of high energy supply costs typically can lead to the development of legislative and regulatory policy designed to promote reductions in energy consumption and increased energy efficiency and self-generation by customers. Customers' increased use of energy efficiency measures, distributed generation and energy storage technology could result in lower demand. Similarly, mandatory water conservation imposed due to drought conditions could result in lower demand for water. Reduced demand for electricity due to energy efficiency measures and the use of distributed generation, and reduced demand for water due to mandatory or voluntary conservation efforts, to the extent not substantially offset through ratemaking or decoupling mechanisms, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

The unauthorized access to and the misappropriation of confidential and proprietary customer, employee, financial or system operating information could adversely affect our business operations and adversely impact our reputation.

In the regular course of business, we maintain sensitive customer, employee, financial and system operating information and are required by various federal and state laws to safeguard this information. Cyber intrusions, security breaches, theft or loss of this information by cybercrime or otherwise could lead to the release of critical operating information or confidential customer or employee information, which could adversely affect our business operations or adversely impact our reputation, and could result in significant costs, fines and litigation. We maintain limited privacy protection liability insurance to cover limited damages and defense costs arising from unauthorized disclosure of, or failure to protect, private information, as well as costs for notification to, or for credit card monitoring of, customers, employees and other persons in the event of a breach of private information. This insurance covers amounts paid to avert, prevent or stop a network attack or the disclosure of personal information, and costs of a qualified forensics firm to determine the cause, source and extent of a network attack or to investigate, examine and analyze our network to find the cause, source and extent of a data breach. While we have implemented measures designed to prevent cyberattacks and mitigate their effects should they occur, these measures may not be effective due to the continually evolving nature of efforts to access confidential information.

Contamination of our water supplies, the failure of dams on reservoirs providing water to our customers, or requirements to repair, upgrade or dismantle any of these dams, may disrupt our ability to distribute water to our customers and result in substantial additional costs, which could adversely affect our financial condition, and results of operations.

Our water supplies, including water provided to our customers, are subject to possible contamination from naturally occurring compounds or man-made substances.

Our water systems include impounding dams and reservoirs of various sizes. Although we believe our dams are structurally sound and well-maintained, significant damage to these facilities, or a significant decrease in the water in our reservoirs, could adversely affect our ability to provide water to our customers until the facilities and a sufficient amount of water in our reservoirs can be restored. A failure of a dam could result in personal injuries and downstream property damage for which we may be liable. The failure of a dam would also adversely affect our ability to supply water in sufficient quantities to our customers. Any losses or liabilities incurred due to a failure of one of our dams may not be covered by existing insurance, may exceed such insurance coverage limits, or may not be recoverable in rates. Any such losses may make it difficult for us to obtain insurance at acceptable rates in the future, and may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Our goodwill is valued and recorded at an amount that, if impaired and written down, could adversely affect our future operating results and total capitalization.

We have a significant amount of goodwill on our consolidated balance sheet, which, as of December 31, 2017, totaled $4.4 billion. The carrying value of goodwill represents the fair value of an acquired business in excess of identifiable assets and liabilities as of the acquisition date. We test our goodwill balances for impairment on an annual basis or whenever events occur or circumstances change that would indicate a potential for impairment. A determination that goodwill is deemed to be impaired would result in a non-cash charge that could materially adversely affect our financial position, results of operations and total capitalization. The annual goodwill impairment test in 2017 resulted in a conclusion that our goodwill was not impaired.

Eversource Energy and its utility subsidiaries are exposed to significant reputational risks, which make them vulnerable to increased regulatory oversight or other sanctions.

Because utility companies, including our electric, natural gas and water utility subsidiaries, have large customer bases, they are subject to adverse publicity focused on the reliability of their distribution services and the speed with which they are able to respond to electric outages, natural gas leaks and similar interruptions caused by storm damage or other unanticipated events. Adverse publicity of this nature could harm the reputations of Eversource Energy and its subsidiaries; may make state legislatures, utility commissions and other regulatory authorities less likely to view them in a favorable light; and may cause them to be subject to less favorable legislative and regulatory outcomes or increased regulatory oversight. Unfavorable regulatory outcomes can include more stringent laws and regulations governing our operations, such as reliability and customer service quality standards or vegetation management requirements, as well as fines, penalties or other sanctions or requirements. The imposition of any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on the business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows of Eversource Energy and each of its utility subsidiaries.

Limits on our access to and increases in the cost of capital may adversely impact our ability to execute our business plan.

We use short-term debt and the long-term capital markets as a significant source of liquidity and funding for capital requirements not obtained from our operating cash flow. If access to these sources of liquidity becomes constrained, our ability to implement our business strategy could be

adversely affected. In addition, higher interest rates would increase our cost of borrowing, which could adversely impact our results of operations. A downgrade of our credit ratings or events beyond our control, such as a disruption in global capital and credit markets, could increase our cost of borrowing and cost of capital or restrict our ability to access the capital markets and negatively affect our ability to maintain and to expand our businesses.

Our counterparties may not meet their obligations to us or may elect to exercise their termination rights, which could adversely affect our earnings.

We are exposed to the risk that counterparties to various arrangements who owe us money, have contracted to supply us with energy, coal, or other commodities or services, or who work with us as strategic partners, including on significant capital projects, will not be able to perform their obligations, will terminate such arrangements or, with respect to our credit facilities, fail to honor their commitments. Should any of these counterparties fail to perform their obligations or terminate such arrangements, we might be forced to replace the underlying commitment at higher market prices and/or have to delay the completion of, or cancel a capital project. Should any lenders under our credit facilities fail to perform, the level of borrowing capacity under those arrangements could decrease. In any such events, our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows could be adversely affected.

Costs of compliance with environmental laws and regulations may increase and have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Our subsidiaries' operations are subject to extensive federal, state and local environmental statutes, rules and regulations that govern, among other things, air emissions, water quality, water discharges, and the management of hazardous and solid waste. Compliance with these requirements requires us to incur significant costs relating to environmental monitoring, maintenance and upgrading of facilities, remediation and permitting. The costs of compliance with existing legal requirements or legal requirements not yet adopted may increase in the future. An increase in such costs, unless promptly recovered, could have an adverse impact on our business and our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

For further information, see Item 1, Business - Other Regulatory and Environmental Matters, included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Market performance or changes in assumptions may require us to make significant contributions to our pension and other postretirement benefit plans.

We provide a defined benefit pension plan and other postretirement benefits for a substantial number of employees, former employees and retirees. Our future pension obligations, costs and liabilities are highly dependent on a variety of factors beyond our control. These factors include estimated investment returns, interest rates, discount rates, health care cost trends, benefit changes, salary increases and the demographics of plan participants. If our assumptions prove to be inaccurate, our future costs could increase significantly. In addition, various factors, including underperformance of plan investments and changes in law or regulation, could increase the amount of contributions required to fund our pension plan in the future. Additional large funding requirements, when combined with the financing requirements of our construction program, could impact the timing and amount of future financings and negatively affect our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. For further information, see Note 9A, "Employee Benefits - Pensions and Postretirement Benefits Other Than Pensions," to the financial statements.

The loss of key personnel or the inability to hire and retain qualified employees could have an adverse effect on our business, financial position and results of operations.

Our operations depend on the continued efforts of our employees. Retaining key employees and maintaining the ability to attract new employees are important to both our operational and financial performance. We cannot guarantee that any member of our management or any key employee at the Eversource parent or subsidiary level will continue to serve in any capacity for any particular period of time. In addition, a significant portion of our workforce in our subsidiaries, including many workers with specialized skills maintaining and servicing the electric, gas and water infrastructure, will be eligible to retire over the next five to ten years. Such highly skilled individuals cannot be quickly replaced due to the technically complex work they perform. We have developed strategic workforce plans to identify key functions and proactively implement plans to assure a ready and qualified workforce, but cannot predict the impact of these plans on our ability to hire and retain key employees.

As a holding company with no revenue-generating operations, Eversource parent's liquidity is dependent on dividends from its subsidiaries, its commercial paper program, and its ability to access the long-term debt and equity capital markets.

Eversource parent is a holding company and as such, has no revenue-generating operations of its own. Its ability to meet its debt service obligations and to pay dividends on its common shares is largely dependent on the ability of its subsidiaries to pay dividends to or repay borrowings from Eversource parent, and/or Eversource parent's ability to access its commercial paper program or the long-term debt and equity capital markets. Prior to funding Eversource parent, the subsidiary companies have financial obligations that must be satisfied, including among others, their operating expenses, debt service, preferred dividends of certain subsidiaries, and obligations to trade creditors. Additionally, the subsidiary companies could retain their free cash flow to fund their capital expenditures in lieu of receiving equity contributions from Eversource parent. Should the subsidiary companies not be able to pay dividends or repay funds due to Eversource parent, or if Eversource parent cannot access its commercial paper programs or the long-term debt and equity capital markets, Eversource parent's ability to pay interest, dividends and its own debt obligations would be restricted.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

We do not have any unresolved SEC staff comments.

Item 2. Properties

Transmission and Distribution System

As of December 31, 2017, Eversource and our electric operating subsidiaries owned the following:



	Electric Distribution	Electric Transmission
Eversource	Electric Distribution	Electric Transmission
Number of substations owned	508	74
Transformer capacity (in kVa)	42,810,000	17,012,000
Overhead lines (in circuit miles)	40,532	3,947
Capacity range of overhead transmission lines (in kV)	N/A	69 to 345
Underground lines (distribution in circuit miles and transmission in cable miles)	17,438	405
Capacity range of underground transmission lines (in kV)	N/A	69 to 345



	CL&P		NSTAR Electric		PSNH
	Distribution	Transmission	Distribution	Transmission	Distribution	Transmission
Number of substations owned	182	20	178	34	148	20
Transformer capacity (in kVa)	19,965,000	3,633,000	17,535,000	7,465,000	5,310,000	5,914,000
Overhead lines (in circuit miles)	16,955	1,673	11,404	1,233	12,173	1,041
Capacity range of overhead transmission lines (in kV)	N/A	69 to 345	N/A	69 to 345	N/A	115 to 345
Underground lines (distribution in circuit miles and transmission in cable miles)	6,639	137	8,875	267	1,924	1
Capacity range of underground transmission lines (in kV)	N/A	69 to 345	N/A	115 to 345	N/A	115



	Eversource	CL&P	NSTAR Electric	PSNH
Underground and overhead line transformers in service	624,472	289,986	170,383	164,103
Aggregate capacity (in kVa)	36,140,835	15,684,715	13,996,195	6,459,925

Electric Generating Plants

As of December 31, 2017, PSNH owned the following electric generating plants:



Type of Plant	Number of Units	Year Installed	Claimed Capability* (kilowatts)
Steam Plants	5	1952-74	934,940
Hydro	20	1901-83	58,951
Internal Combustion	5	1968-70	101,535
Biomass	1	2006	42,594
Total PSNH Generating Plant	31		1,138,020


*	Claimed capability represents winter ratings as of December 31, 2017. The combined nameplate capacity of the generating plants is approximately 1,200 MW.

On January 10, 2018, Eversource and PSNH completed the sale of PSNH's thermal generation assets, including the steam, internal combustion and biomass units, above. See Note 12, "Assets Held for Sale," in the accompanying Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data for further information.

As of December 31, 2017, NSTAR Electric owned the following solar power facilities:


**	Claimed capability represents the direct current nameplate capacity of the plant.

CL&P does not own any electric generating plants.

Natural Gas Distribution System

As of December 31, 2017, Yankee Gas owned 28 active gate stations, 197 district regulator stations, and approximately 3,362 miles of natural gas main pipeline. Yankee Gas also owns a liquefaction and vaporization plant and above ground storage tank with a storage capacity equivalent of 1.2 Bcf of natural gas in Waterbury, Connecticut.

As of December 31, 2017, NSTAR Gas owned 21 active gate stations, 166 district regulator stations, and approximately 3,292 miles of natural gas main pipeline. Hopkinton, another subsidiary of Eversource, owns a satellite vaporization plant and above ground storage tanks in Acushnet, MA. In addition, Hopkinton owns a liquefaction and vaporization plant with above ground storage tanks in Hopkinton, MA. Combined, the two plants' tanks have an aggregate storage capacity equivalent to 3.5 Bcf of natural gas that is provided to NSTAR Gas under contract.

Water Distribution System

Aquarion’s properties consist of water transmission and distribution mains and associated valves, hydrants and service lines, water treatment plants, pumping facilities, wells, tanks, meters, dams, reservoirs, buildings, and other facilities and equipment used for the operation of our systems, including the collection, treatment, storage, and distribution of water.

As of December 31, 2017, Aquarion owned and operated sources of water supply with a combined yield of approximately 131 million gallons per day; 3,614 miles of transmission and distribution mains; 10 surface water treatment plants; 31 dams; and 106 wellfields.

Franchises

CL&P Subject to the power of alteration, amendment or repeal by the General Assembly of Connecticut and subject to certain approvals, permits and consents of public authority and others prescribed by statute, CL&P has, subject to certain exceptions not deemed material, valid franchises free from burdensome restrictions to provide electric transmission and distribution services in the respective areas in which it is now supplying such service.

In addition to the right to provide electric transmission and distribution services as set forth above, the franchises of CL&P include, among others, limited rights and powers, as set forth under Connecticut law and the special acts of the General Assembly constituting its charter, to manufacture, generate, purchase and/or sell electricity at retail, including to provide Standard Service, Supplier of Last Resort service and backup service, to sell electricity at wholesale and to erect and maintain certain facilities on public highways and grounds, all subject to such consents and approvals of public authority and others as may be required by law. The franchises of CL&P include the power of eminent domain. Connecticut law prohibits an electric distribution company from owning or operating generation assets. However, under "An Act Concerning Electricity and Energy Efficiency," enacted in 2007, an electric distribution company, such as CL&P, is permitted to purchase an existing electric generating plant located in Connecticut that is offered for sale, subject to prior approval from the PURA and a determination by the PURA that such purchase is in the public interest.

NSTAR Electric Through its charter, which is unlimited in time, NSTAR Electric has the right to engage in the business of delivering and selling electricity within its respective service territory, and has the power incidental thereto and is entitled to all the rights and privileges of and subject to the duties imposed upon electric companies under Massachusetts laws. The locations in public ways for electric transmission and distribution lines are obtained from municipal and other state authorities who, in granting these locations, act as agents for the state. In some cases, the actions of these authorities are subject to appeal to the DPU. The rights to these locations are not limited in time and are subject to the action of these authorities and the legislature. Under Massachusetts law, with the exception of municipal-owned utilities, no other entity may provide electric delivery service to retail customers within NSTAR Electric service territory without the written consent of NSTAR Electric. This consent must be filed with the DPU and the municipality so affected. The franchises of NSTAR Electric include the power of eminent domain.

The Massachusetts restructuring legislation defines service territories as those territories actually served on July 1, 1997 and following municipal boundaries to the extent possible. The restructuring legislation further provides that until terminated by law or otherwise, distribution companies shall have the exclusive obligation to serve all retail customers within their service territories and no other person shall provide distribution service within such service territories without the written consent of such distribution companies. Pursuant to the Massachusetts restructuring legislation, the DPU (then, the Department of Telecommunications and Energy) was required to define service territories for each distribution company, including NSTAR Electric. The DPU subsequently determined that there were advantages to the exclusivity of service territories and issued a report to the Massachusetts Legislature recommending against, in this regard, any changes to the restructuring legislation.

PSNH The NHPUC, pursuant to statutory requirements, has issued orders granting PSNH exclusive franchises to distribute electricity in the respective areas in which it is now supplying such service.

In addition to the right to distribute electricity as set forth above, the franchises of PSNH include, among others, rights and powers to manufacture, generate, purchase, and transmit electricity, to sell electricity at wholesale to other utility companies and municipalities and to erect and maintain certain facilities on certain public highways and grounds, all subject to such consents and approvals of public authority and others as may be required by law. PSNH's status as a public utility gives it the ability to petition the NHPUC for the right to exercise eminent domain for distribution services and for transmission eligible for regional cost allocation.

PSNH is also subject to certain regulatory oversight by the Maine Public Utilities Commission and the Vermont Public Utility Commission.

NSTAR Gas Through its charter, which is unlimited in time, NSTAR Gas has the right to engage in the business of delivering and selling natural gas within its respective service territory, and has the power incidental thereto and is entitled to all the rights and privileges of and subject to the duties imposed upon natural gas companies under Massachusetts laws. The locations in public ways for natural gas distribution pipelines are obtained from municipal and other state authorities who, in granting these locations, act as agents for the state. In some cases, the actions of these authorities are subject to appeal to the DPU. The rights to these locations are not limited in time and are subject to the action of these authorities and the legislature. Under Massachusetts law, with the exception of municipal-owned utilities, no other entity may provide natural gas delivery service to retail customers within the NSTAR Gas service territory without the written consent of NSTAR Gas. This consent must be filed with the DPU and the municipality so affected.

Yankee Gas Yankee Gas holds valid franchises to sell natural gas in the areas in which Yankee Gas supplies natural gas service, which it acquired either directly or from its predecessors in interest. Generally, Yankee Gas holds franchises to serve customers in areas designated by those franchises as well as in most other areas throughout Connecticut so long as those areas are not occupied and served by another natural gas utility under a valid franchise of its own or are not subject to an exclusive franchise of another natural gas utility or by consent. Yankee Gas' franchises are perpetual but remain subject to the power of alteration, amendment or repeal by the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut, the power of revocation by the PURA and certain approvals, permits and consents of public authorities and others prescribed by statute. Generally, Yankee Gas' franchises include, among other rights and powers, the right and power to manufacture, generate, purchase, transmit and distribute natural gas and to erect and maintain certain facilities on public highways and grounds, and the right of eminent domain, all subject to such consents and approvals of public authorities and others as may be required by law.

Aquarion Water Company of Connecticut AWC-CT derives its rights and franchises to operate from special acts of the Connecticut General Assembly and subject to certain approvals, permits and consents of public authority and others prescribed by statute and by its charter, AWC-CT has, with minor exceptions, solid franchises free from burdensome restrictions and unlimited as to time, and is authorized to sell potable water in the towns (or parts thereof) in which water is now being supplied by AWC-CT.

In addition to the right to sell water as set forth above, the franchises of AWC-CT include rights and powers to erect and maintain certain facilities on public highways and grounds, all subject to such consents and approvals of public authority and others as may be required by law. Under the Connecticut General Statutes, AWC-CT may, upon payment of compensation, take and use such lands, springs, streams or ponds, or such rights or interests therein as the Connecticut Superior Court, upon application, may determine is necessary to enable AWC-CT to supply potable water for public or domestic use in its franchise areas.

Aquarion Water Company of Massachusetts Through its charters, which are unlimited in time, AWC-MA has the right to engage in the business of distributing and selling water within its service territories, and has the power incidental thereto and is entitled to all the rights and privileges of and subject to the duties imposed upon water companies under Massachusetts laws. AWC-MA has the right to construct and maintain its mains and distribution pipes in and under any public ways and to take and hold water within its respective service territories. Subject to DPU regulation, AWC-MA has the right to establish and fix rates for use of the water distributed and to establish reasonable regulations regarding same. Certain of the towns within our service area have the right, at any time, to purchase the corporate property and all rights and privileges of AWC-MA according to pricing formulas and procedures specifically described in AWC-MA's respective charters and in compliance with Massachusetts law.

Aquarion Water Company of New Hampshire The NHPUC, pursuant to statutory law, has issued orders granting and affirming AWC-NH’s exclusive franchise to own, operate, and manage plant and equipment and any part of the same, for the conveyance of water for the public located within its franchise territory. That franchise territory encompasses the towns of Hampton, North Hampton and Rye. Subject to NHPUC’s regulations, AWC-NH has the right to establish and fix rates for use of the water distributed and to establish reasonable regulations regarding the same.

In addition to the right to provide water supply, the franchise also allows AWC-NH to sell water at wholesale to other water utilities and municipalities and to construct plant and equipment and maintain such plant and equipment on certain public highways and grounds, all subject to such consents and approvals of public authority and others as may be required by law.

AWC-NH's status as a regulated public utility gives it the ability to petition the NHPUC for the right to exercise eminent domain for the establishment of plant and equipment. It can also petition the NHPUC for exemption from the operation of any local ordinance when certain utility structures are reasonably necessary for the convenience or welfare of the public and the local conditions, and, if the purpose of the structure relates to water supply withdrawal, the exemption is recommended by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

1. Yankee Companies v. U.S. Department of Energy

DOE Phase I Damages - In 1998, the Yankee Companies filed separate complaints against the DOE in the Court of Federal Claims seeking monetary damages resulting from the DOE's failure to begin accepting spent nuclear fuel for disposal by January 31, 1998 pursuant to the terms of the 1983 spent fuel and high-level waste disposal contracts between the Yankee Companies and the DOE ("DOE Phase I Damages"). Phase I covered damages for the years 1998 through 2002. Following multiple appeals and cross-appeals in December 2012, the judgment awarding $39.6 million, $38.3 million and $81.7 million to CYAPC, YAEC and MYAPC, respectively, became final.

In January 2013, the proceeds from the DOE Phase I Damages Claim were received by the Yankee Companies and transferred to each Yankee Company's respective decommissioning trust.

In June 2013, FERC approved CYAPC, YAEC and MYAPC to reduce rates in their wholesale power contracts through the application of the DOE proceeds for the benefit of customers. Changes to the terms of the wholesale power contracts became effective on July 1, 2013. In accordance with the FERC order, CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH began receiving the benefit of the DOE proceeds, and the benefits have been passed on to customers.

On September 17, 2014, in accordance with the MYAPC refund plan, MYAPC returned a portion of the DOE Phase I Damages proceeds to the member companies, including CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH, in the amount of $3.2 million, $1.9 million and $1.4 million, respectively.

DOE Phase II Damages - In December 2007, the Yankee Companies each filed subsequent lawsuits against the DOE seeking recovery of actual damages incurred related to the alleged failure of the DOE to provide for a permanent facility to store spent nuclear fuel generated in years 2001 through 2008 for CYAPC and YAEC and from 2002 through 2008 for MYAPC ("DOE Phase II Damages"). In November 2013, the court issued a final judgment awarding $126.3 million, $73.3 million, and $35.8 million to CYAPC, YAEC and MYAPC, respectively. On January 14, 2014, the Yankee Companies received a letter from the U.S. Department of Justice stating that the DOE will not appeal the court's final judgment.

In March and April 2014, CYAPC, YAEC and MYAPC received payment of $126.3 million, $73.3 million and $35.8 million, respectively, of the DOE Phase II Damages proceeds and made the required informational filing with FERC in accordance with the process and methodology outlined in the 2013 FERC order. The Yankee Companies returned the DOE Phase II Damages proceeds to the member companies, including CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH, for the benefit of their respective customers, on June 1, 2014. Refunds to CL&P's, NSTAR Electric's and PSNH's customers for these DOE proceeds began in the third quarter of 2014 and all refunds under these proceedings have been disbursed.

DOE Phase III Damages - In August 2013, the Yankee Companies each filed subsequent lawsuits against the DOE seeking recovery of actual damages incurred in the years 2009 through 2012 ("DOE Phase III"). The DOE Phase III trial concluded on July 1, 2015, followed by a post-trial briefing that concluded on October 4, 2015. On March 25, 2016, the court issued its decision and awarded CYAPC, YAEC and MYAPC damages of $32.6 million, $19.6 million and $24.6 million, respectively. In total, the Yankee Companies were awarded $76.8 million of the $77.9 million in damages sought in the DOE Phase III. The decision became final on July 18, 2016, and the Yankee Companies received the awards from the DOE on October 14, 2016. The Yankee Companies received FERC approval of their proposed distribution of certain amounts of the awarded damages proceeds to member companies, including CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH, which CYAPC and MYAPC made in December 2016. MYAPC also refunded $56.5 million from its spent nuclear fuel trust, a portion of which was also refunded to the Eversource utility subsidiaries. In total, Eversource received $26.1 million, of which CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH received $13.6 million, $8.6 million and $3.9 million, respectively. All refunds under these proceedings have been disbursed.

DOE Phase IV Damages - On May 22, 2017, each of the Yankee Companies filed subsequent lawsuits against the DOE in the Court of Federal Claims seeking monetary damages totaling approximately $100 million for CYAPC, YAEC and MYAPC, resulting from the DOE's failure to begin accepting spent nuclear fuel for disposal covering the years from 2013 to 2016 (“DOE Phase IV”). The DOE Phase IV trial is expected to begin in 2018.

2. Other Legal Proceedings

For further discussion of legal proceedings, see Item 1, Business: "– Electric Distribution Segment," "– Electric Transmission Segment," and "– Natural Gas Distribution Segment" for information about various state and federal regulatory and rate proceedings, civil lawsuits related thereto, and information about proceedings relating to power, transmission and pricing issues; "– Nuclear Fuel Storage" for information related to nuclear waste; and "– Other Regulatory and Environmental Matters" for information about proceedings involving water and air quality requirements, toxic substances and hazardous waste, electric and magnetic fields, and other matters. In addition, see Item 1A, Risk Factors, for general information about several significant risks.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT

The following table sets forth the executive officers of Eversource Energy as of February 23, 2018. All of the Company's officers serve terms of one year and until their successors are elected and qualified:



Name	Age	Title
James J. Judge	62	President and Chief Executive Officer
Philip J. Lembo	62	Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Gregory B. Butler	60	Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Christine M. Carmody	55	Executive Vice President-Human Resources and Information Technology
Joseph R. Nolan, Jr.	54	Executive Vice President-Customer and Corporate Relations
Leon J. Olivier	70	Executive Vice President-Enterprise Energy Strategy and Business Development
Werner J. Schweiger	58	Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Jay S. Buth	48	Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer

James J. Judge. Mr. Judge has served as Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Eversource Energy since May 3, 2017; as a Trustee of Eversource Energy and as Chairman of CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH since May 4, 2016; and as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Eversource Service and Chairman of NSTAR Gas and Yankee Gas since May 9, 2016. Mr. Judge has served as a Director of CL&P, PSNH, Yankee Gas and Eversource Service since April 10, 2012; and of NSTAR Electric and NSTAR Gas since September 27, 1999. Previously, Mr. Judge served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Eversource Energy from May 4, 2016 until May 3, 2017; as Chairman of WMECO from May 4, 2016 until December 31, 2017; as a Director of WMECO from April 10, 2012 until December 31, 2017; and as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Eversource Energy, CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO from April 10, 2012 until May 4, 2016; of NSTAR Gas, Yankee Gas and Eversource Service from April 10, 2012 until May 9, 2016. Mr. Judge serves as a director of Analogic Corporation and as chairman of its audit committee. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Edison Electric Institute and the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. Mr. Judge has served as Chairman of the Board of Eversource Energy Foundation, Inc. since May 9, 2016; and as a Director since April 10, 2012. He previously served as Treasurer of the Eversource Energy Foundation, Inc. from May 10, 2012 until May 9, 2016. He has served as a Trustee of the NSTAR Foundation since December 12, 1995.

Philip J. Lembo. Mr. Lembo has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Eversource Energy since May 3, 2017; and of CL&P, NSTAR Electric, NSTAR Gas, PSNH, Yankee Gas and Eversource Service since March 31, 2017. Mr. Lembo has served as a Director of CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH since May 4, 2016; and of NSTAR Gas, Yankee Gas and Eversource Service since May 9, 2016. Mr. Lembo previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of WMECO from May 3, 2017 until December 31, 2017; as a Director of WMECO from May 4, 2016 until December 31, 2017; as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Eversource Energy from August 8, 2016 until May 3, 2017; of CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH, WMECO, NSTAR Gas, Yankee Gas and Eversource Service from August 8, 2016 until March 31, 2017; as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Eversource Energy, CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO from May 4, 2016 until August 8, 2016; and of NSTAR Gas, Yankee Gas and Eversource Service from May 9, 2016 until August 8, 2016; as Vice President and Treasurer of Eversource Energy, CL&P, PSNH and WMECO from April 10, 2012 until May 4, 2016; and of Yankee Gas and Eversource Service from April 10, 2012 until May 9, 2016. Mr. Lembo served as Vice President and Treasurer of NSTAR Electric and NSTAR Gas from March 29, 2006 until May 4, 2016. Mr. Lembo has served as a Director of Eversource Energy Foundation, Inc. since May 9, 2016. He previously served as Treasurer of Eversource Energy Foundation, Inc. from May 9, 2016 until March 31, 2017. He has served as a Trustee of the NSTAR Foundation since May 9, 2016.

Gregory B. Butler. Mr. Butler has served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Eversource Energy, CL&P, NSTAR Electric, NSTAR Gas, PSNH, Yankee Gas and Eversource Service since August 8, 2016. Mr. Butler has served as a Director of NSTAR Electric and NSTAR Gas since April 10, 2012; of Eversource Service since November 27, 2012; and of CL&P, PSNH and Yankee Gas since April 22, 2009. Mr. Butler previously served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of WMECO from August 8, 2016 until December 31, 2017; as a Director of WMECO from April 22, 2009 until December 31, 2017; as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Eversource Energy from May 1, 2014 until August 8, 2016; of NSTAR Electric and NSTAR Gas from April 10, 2012 until August 8, 2016; of CL&P, PSNH, WMECO, Yankee Gas and Eversource Service from March 9, 2006 until August 8, 2016; and as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Eversource Energy from April 10, 2012 until May 1, 2014. He has served as a Director of Eversource Energy Foundation, Inc. since December 1, 2002. He has been a Trustee of the NSTAR Foundation since April 10, 2012.

Christine M. Carmody. Ms. Carmody has served as Executive Vice President-Human Resources and Information Technology of Eversource Energy and Eversource Service since August 8, 2016. Ms. Carmody has served as a Director of Eversource Service since November 27, 2012. Previously Ms. Carmody served as Senior Vice President-Human Resources of Eversource Energy from May 4, 2016 until August 8, 2016; of Eversource Service from April 10, 2012 until August 8, 2016; as Senior Vice President-Human Resources of CL&P, PSNH, WMECO and Yankee Gas from November 27, 2012 until September 29, 2014; of NSTAR Electric and NSTAR Gas from August 1, 2008 until September 29, 2014; and as a Director of CL&P, PSNH, WMECO and Yankee Gas from April 10, 2012 until September 29, 2014; and of NSTAR Electric and NSTAR Gas from November 27, 2012 until September 29, 2014. Ms. Carmody has served as a Director of Eversource Energy Foundation, Inc. since April 10, 2012. She has served as a Trustee of the NSTAR Foundation since August 1, 2008.

Joseph R. Nolan, Jr. Mr. Nolan has served as Executive Vice President-Customer and Corporate Relations of Eversource Energy and Eversource Service since August 8, 2016. Mr. Nolan has served as a Director of Eversource Service since November 27, 2012. Previously Mr. Nolan served as Senior Vice President-Corporate Relations of Eversource Energy from May 4, 2016 until August 8, 2016; of Eversource Service from April 10, 2012 to August 8, 2016; of NSTAR Electric and NSTAR Gas from April 10, 2012 until September 29, 2014; and of CL&P, PSNH, WMECO and Yankee Gas from November 27, 2012 until September 29, 2014. Mr. Nolan previously served as a Director of CL&P, PSNH, WMECO and Yankee Gas from April 10, 2012 until September 29, 2014; and of NSTAR Electric and NSTAR Gas from November 27, 2012 until September 29,

2014. Mr. Nolan has served as a Director of Eversource Energy Foundation, Inc. since April 10, 2012, and as Executive Director of Eversource Energy Foundation, Inc. since October 15, 2013. He has served as a Trustee of the NSTAR Foundation since October 1, 2000.

Leon J. Olivier. Mr. Olivier has served as Executive Vice President-Enterprise Energy Strategy and Business Development of Eversource Energy since September 2, 2014; and of Eversource Service since August 11, 2014. Mr. Olivier has served as a Director of Eversource Service since January 17, 2005. Mr. Olivier previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Eversource Energy from May 13, 2008 until September 2, 2014; of Eversource Service from May 13, 2008 until August 11, 2008; as Chief Executive Officer of NSTAR Electric and NSTAR Gas from April 10, 2012 until August 11, 2014; of CL&P, PSNH, WMECO and Yankee Gas from January 15, 2007 until August 11, 2014; and of CL&P from September 10, 2001 until September 29, 2014; as a Director of NSTAR Electric and NSTAR Gas from November 27, 2012 until September 29, 2014; of PSNH, WMECO and Yankee Gas from January 17, 2005 until September 29, 2014; and of CL&P from September 10, 2001 until September 29, 2014. He has served as a Director of Eversource Energy Foundation, Inc. since April 1, 2006. Mr. Olivier has served as a Trustee of the NSTAR Foundation since April 10, 2012.

Werner J. Schweiger. Mr. Schweiger has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Eversource Energy since September 2, 2014; of Eversource Service since August 11, 2014; and as Chief Executive Officer of CL&P, NSTAR Electric, NSTAR Gas, PSNH and Yankee Gas since August 11, 2014. Mr. Schweiger has served as a Director of Eversource Service, NSTAR Gas and Yankee Gas since September 29, 2014; and of CL&P, PSNH and NSTAR Electric since May 28, 2013. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of WMECO from August 11, 2014 until December 31, 2017; as a Director of WMECO from May 28, 2013 until December 31, 2017; as President of CL&P from June 2, 2015 until June 27, 2016; as President of NSTAR Gas and Yankee Gas from September 29, 2014 until November 10, 2014; as President-Electric Distribution of Eversource Service from January 16, 2013 until August 11, 2014; as President of NSTAR Electric from April 10, 2012 until January 16, 2013; and as a Director of NSTAR Electric from November 27, 2012 until January 16, 2013. Mr. Schweiger has served as a Director of Eversource Energy Foundation, Inc. since September 29, 2014. He has served as a Trustee of the NSTAR Foundation since September 29, 2014.

Jay S. Buth. Mr. Buth has served as Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer of Eversource Energy, CL&P, NSTAR Electric, NSTAR Gas, PSNH, Yankee Gas and Eversource Service since April 10, 2012. Previously, Mr. Buth served as Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer of WMECO from April 10, 2012 until December 31, 2017; and as Vice President-Accounting and Controller of Eversource Energy, CL&P, PSNH, WMECO, Yankee Gas and Eversource Service from June 9, 2009 until April 10, 2012.

PART II

Item 5. Market for the Registrants' Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

(a) Market Information and (c) Dividends

Eversource. Our common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The ticker symbol is "ES." The high and low sales prices of our common shares and the dividends declared, for the past two years, by quarter, are shown below.



Year	Quarter	High		Low		Dividends Declared
2017	First	$	60.36	$	54.08	$	0.4750
	Second	63.34		58.11		0.4750
	Third	64.19		59.55		0.4750
	Fourth	66.15		59.59		0.4750

2016	First	$	58.81	$	50.01	$	0.4450
	Second	59.95		53.90		0.4450
	Third	60.44		53.08		0.4450
	Fourth	55.74		50.56		0.4450

Information with respect to dividend restrictions for us, CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH is contained in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, in the Combined Notes to Financial Statements, within this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

There is no established public trading market for the common stock of CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH. All of the common stock of CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH is held solely by Eversource.

Common stock dividends approved and paid to Eversource during the year were as follows:



	For the Years Ended December 31,
(Millions of Dollars)	2017		2016
CL&P	$	254.8	$	199.6
NSTAR Electric	272.0		316.3
PSNH ⁽¹⁾	23.9		77.6

⁽¹⁾ The 2017 amount does not include $150.0 million of dividends declared but not paid as of December 31, 2017.

(b) Holders

As of January 31, 2018, there were 37,428 registered common shareholders of our company on record. As of the same date, there were a total of 316,885,808 shares issued.

(d) Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

For information regarding securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans, see Item 12, Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters, included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

(e) Performance Graph

The performance graph below illustrates a five-year comparison of cumulative total returns based on an initial investment of $100 in 2012 in Eversource Energy common stock, as compared with the S&P 500 Stock Index and the EEI Index for the period 2012 through 2017, assuming all dividends are reinvested.



December 31,
	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017
Eversource Energy	$100	$112	$147	$145	$161	$190
EEI Index	$100	$113	$146	$140	$164	$184
S&P 500	$100	$132	$151	$153	$171	$208

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

The following table discloses purchases of our common shares made by us or on our behalf for the periods shown below. The common shares purchased consist of open market purchases made by the Company or an independent agent. These share transactions related to shares awarded under the Company's Incentive Plan and Dividend Reinvestment Plan and matching contributions under the Eversource 401k Plan.



Period	Total Number of Shares Purchased	Average Price Paid per Share		Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs	Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans and Programs (at month end)
October 1 - October 31, 2017	101,737	$	60.52	—	—
November 1 - November 30, 2017	6,411	64.22		—	—
December 1 - December 31, 2017	190,873	62.86		—	—
Total	299,021	$	62.09	—	—

Item 6. Selected Consolidated Financial Data

Eversource Selected Consolidated Financial Data (Unaudited)



(Thousands of Dollars, except percentages and common share information)	2017		2016		2015		2014		2013
Balance Sheet Data:
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	$	23,617,463	$	21,350,510	$	19,892,441	$	18,647,041	$	17,576,186
Total Assets	36,220,386		32,053,173		30,580,309		29,740,387		27,760,315
Common Shareholders' Equity	11,086,242		10,711,734		10,352,215		9,976,815		9,611,528
Noncontrolling Interest - Preferred Stock of Subsidiaries	155,570		155,568		155,568		155,568		155,568
Long-Term Debt ^(a)	12,325,520		9,603,237		9,034,457		8,851,600		8,310,179
Obligations Under Capital Leases^(a)	9,898		8,924		8,222		9,434		10,744
Income Statement Data:
Operating Revenues	$	7,751,952	$	7,639,129	$	7,954,827	$	7,741,856	$	7,301,204
Net Income	$	995,515	$	949,821	$	886,004	$	827,065	$	793,689
Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests	7,519		7,519		7,519		7,519		7,682
Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders	$	987,996	$	942,302	$	878,485	$	819,546	$	786,007
Common Share Data:
Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders:
Basic Earnings Per Common Share	$	3.11	$	2.97	$	2.77	$	2.59	$	2.49
Diluted Earnings Per Common Share	$	3.11	$	2.96	$	2.76	$	2.58	$	2.49
Dividends Declared Per Common Share	$	1.90	$	1.78	$	1.67	$	1.57	$	1.47
Market Price - Closing (end of year) ^(b)	$	63.18	$	55.23	$	51.07	$	53.52	$	42.39
Book Value Per Common Share (end of year)	$	34.98	$	33.80	$	32.64	$	31.47	$	30.49
Tangible Book Value Per Common Share (end of year) ^(c)	$	21.00	$	22.70	$	21.54	$	20.37	$	19.32
Rate of Return Earned on Average Common Equity (%) ^(d)	9.1		9.0		8.7		8.4		8.3
Market-to-Book Ratio (end of year) ^(e)	1.8		1.6		1.6		1.7		1.4



CL&P Selected Financial Data (Unaudited)
(Thousands of Dollars)	2017		2016		2015		2014		2013
Balance Sheet Data:
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	$	8,271,030	$	7,632,392	$	7,156,809	$	6,809,664	$	6,451,259
Total Assets	10,630,246		10,035,044		9,592,957		9,344,400		8,965,906
Common Stockholder's Equity	3,587,127		3,470,387		3,140,717		2,936,767		2,702,494
Preferred Stock Not Subject to Mandatory Redemption	116,200		116,200		116,200		116,200		116,200
Long-Term Debt ^(a)	3,059,135		2,766,010		2,763,682		2,841,951		2,741,208
Obligations Under Capital Leases^(a)	5,711		6,767		7,624		8,439		9,309
Income Statement Data:
Operating Revenues	2,887,359		2,805,955		2,802,675		2,692,582		2,442,341
Net Income	376,726		334,254		299,360		287,754		279,412
Common Stock Data:
Cash Dividends on Common Stock	254,800		199,599		196,000		171,200		151,999

^(a)Includes portions due within one year.

^(b)Market price information reflects closing prices as reflected by the New York Stock Exchange.

^(c)Common Shareholders' Equity adjusted for goodwill and intangibles divided by total common shares outstanding.

^(d)Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders divided by average Common Shareholders' Equity.

^(e)The closing market price divided by the book value per share.

See the Combined Notes to Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a description of the acquisition of Aquarion on December 4, 2017, the classification as held for sale of PSNH's thermal and hydroelectric generating assets as result of generation divestiture, and any accounting changes materially affecting the comparability of the information reflected in the tables above.

Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

EVERSOURCE ENERGY AND SUBSIDIARIES

The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related combined notes included in this combined Annual Report on Form 10-K. References in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to "Eversource," the "Company," "we," "us," and "our" refer to Eversource Energy and its consolidated subsidiaries. All per-share amounts are reported on a diluted basis. The consolidated financial statements of Eversource, NSTAR Electric and PSNH and the financial statements of CL&P are herein collectively referred to as the "financial statements."

Refer to the Glossary of Terms included in this combined Annual Report on Form 10-K for abbreviations and acronyms used throughout this Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

The only common equity securities that are publicly traded are common shares of Eversource. The earnings and EPS of each business discussed below do not represent a direct legal interest in the assets and liabilities of such business but rather represent a direct interest in our assets and liabilities, as a whole. EPS by business is a financial measure not recognized under GAAP that is calculated by dividing the Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders of each business by the weighted average diluted Eversource common shares outstanding for the period. The discussion below also includes non-GAAP financial measures referencing our 2015 earnings and EPS excluding certain integration costs incurred by Eversource parent and our Electric and Natural Gas companies. We use these non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate and to provide details of earnings by business and to more fully compare and explain our 2017, 2016 and 2015 results without including the impact of these items. Due to the nature and significance of these items on Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders, we believe that the non-GAAP presentation is a meaningful representation of our financial performance and provides additional and useful information to readers of this report in analyzing historical and future performance by business. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as an alternative to reported Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders or EPS determined in accordance with GAAP as an indicator of operating performance.

Reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures of consolidated diluted EPS and Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders are included under "Financial Condition and Business Analysis – Overview – Consolidated" and "Financial Condition and Business Analysis – Overview – Electric and Natural Gas Companies" in this Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, herein.

The results of Aquarion and its subsidiaries, hereinafter referred to as "Aquarion," are included from the date of the acquisition, December 4, 2017, through December 31, 2017 throughout this Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Financial Condition and Business Analysis

Executive Summary

Results and Future Outlook:


•	We earned $988.0 million, or $3.11 per share, in 2017, compared with $942.3 million, or $2.96 per share, in 2016.

•

Our electric distribution segment, which includes generation results, earned $497.4 million, or $1.57 per share, in 2017, compared with $462.8 million, or $1.46 per share, in 2016. Our electric transmission segment earned $391.9 million, or $1.23 per share, in 2017, compared with $370.8 million, or $1.16 per share, in 2016. Our natural gas distribution segment earned $74.6 million, or $0.23 per share, in 2017, compared with $77.7 million, or $0.24 per share, in 2016.


•	Eversource parent and other companies earned $24.1 million, or $0.08 per share, in 2017, compared with $31.0 million, or $0.10 per share, in 2016.


•	We currently project 2018 earnings of between $3.20 per share and $3.30 per share.

Liquidity:


•	Cash flows provided by operating activities totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, compared with $2.2 billion in 2016. Investments in property, plant and equipment totaled $2.3 billion in 2017 and $2.0 billion in 2016. Cash and cash equivalents totaled $38.2 million as of December 31, 2017, compared with $30.3 million as of December 31, 2016.

•

In 2017, we issued $2.5 billion of new long-term debt, consisting of $1.2 billion by Eversource parent, $700 million by NSTAR Electric, $525 million by CL&P and $75 million by Yankee Gas. Proceeds from these new issuances were used primarily to pay short-term borrowings and repay long-term debt at maturity. In 2017, Eversource, NSTAR Electric, CL&P, PSNH and NSTAR Gas repaid, at maturity, $745 million, $400 million, $250 million, $70 million and $25 million, respectively, of previously issued long-term debt.

•

In 2017, we paid cash dividends on common shares of $602.1 million, compared with $564.5 million in 2016. On February 7, 2018, our Board of Trustees approved a common share dividend of $0.505 per share, payable on March 30, 2018 to shareholders of record as of March 6, 2018. The 2018 dividend represents an increase of 6.3 percent over the dividend paid in December 2017, and is the equivalent to dividends on common shares of approximately $640 million on an annual basis.

•

We project to make capital expenditures of $10.8 billion from 2018 through 2021, of which we expect $5.7 billion to be in our electric and natural gas distribution segments, $4.1 billion to be in our electric transmission segment and $0.4 billion to be in our water utility business. We also project to invest $0.5 billion in information technology and facilities upgrades and enhancements. These projections do not include any expected investments related to Bay State Wind.

Strategic Items:

•

On January 25, 2018, Northern Pass was selected from the 46 proposals submitted as the winning bidder in the Massachusetts clean energy request for proposal ("RFP"), which successfully positioned Northern Pass to provide a firm delivery of hydropower to Massachusetts. Northern Pass is Eversource's planned 1,090 MW HVDC transmission line from the Québec-New Hampshire border to Franklin, New Hampshire and an associated alternating current radial transmission line between Franklin and Deerfield, New Hampshire. On February 1, 2018, the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee ("NHSEC") voted to deny Northern Pass’ siting application. We intend to seek reconsideration of the NHSEC’s decision and to review all options for moving this critical clean energy project forward. As of December 31, 2017, we have approximately $277 million in capitalized costs associated with Northern Pass.


•	On December 20, 2017, Bay State Wind submitted two proposals, one for 400 MW and the other for 800 MW, in response to the Massachusetts clean energy RFP.


•	On December 4, 2017, Eversource completed the acquisition of Aquarion (formerly Macquarie Utilities Inc.) from Macquarie Infrastructure Partners for $1.675 billion, consisting of approximately $880 million in cash and $795 million of assumed debt. As a result, Aquarion became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eversource.

Legislative, Regulatory, Policy and Other Items:

•

On November 30, 2017, the DPU issued its decision in the NSTAR Electric distribution rate case, which approved an annual distribution rate increase of $37 million, with rates effective February 1, 2018. As a result of this decision, we recognized an aggregate $44.1 million pre-tax benefit to earnings in 2017. On January 3, 2018, NSTAR Electric filed a motion to reflect a revenue requirement reduction of $56 million due to the decrease in the federal corporate income tax rate, as part of the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act", resulting in an annual net decrease in rates of $19 million.

•

On January 11, 2018, CL&P filed a distribution rate case settlement agreement for approval with PURA, which included, among other things, rate increases of $97.1 million, $32.7 million and $24.7 million, effective May 1, 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively, an authorized regulatory ROE of 9.25 percent, and 53 percent common equity in CL&P's capital structure. The rate increases associated with the settlement agreement will be reduced by the impact of the decrease in the federal corporate income tax rate, as part of the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act", which we currently estimate to average approximately $45 million to $50 million per year.

•

On December 22, 2017, the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" (the "Act") became law, which amended existing federal tax rules and included numerous provisions that impacted corporations. In particular, the Act reduced the federal corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent effective January 1, 2018. As of December 31, 2017, we estimated approximately $2.9 billion of provisional regulated excess ADIT liabilities that we expect to benefit our customers in future periods. The ultimate amount and timing of when certain income tax benefits resulting from the Act benefit our customers will vary by jurisdiction.

•

Overview

Consolidated: Below is a summary of our earnings by business, which also reconciles the non-GAAP financial measure of EPS by business to the most directly comparable GAAP measure of diluted EPS, for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015. Also included in the summary for the year ended December 31, 2015, is a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure of consolidated non-GAAP earnings to the most directly comparable GAAP measure of consolidated Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders.



	For the Years Ended December 31,
	2017				2016				2015
(Millions of Dollars, Except Per Share Amounts)	Amount		Per Share		Amount		Per Share		Amount			Per Share
Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders (GAAP)	$	988.0	$	3.11	$	942.3	$	2.96	$	878.5		$	2.76
Electric and Natural Gas Companies	$	963.9	$	3.03	$	911.3	$	2.86	$	884.8		$	2.78
Eversource Parent and Other Companies	24.1		0.08		31.0		0.10		9.5			0.03
Non-GAAP Earnings	N/A		N/A		N/A		N/A		894.3			2.81
Integration Costs (after-tax) ⁽¹⁾	—		—		—		—		(15.8		)	(0.05		)
Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders (GAAP)	$	988.0	$	3.11	$	942.3	$	2.96	$	878.5		$	2.76

(1)The 2015 integration costs were associated with our branding efforts and severance costs.

Electric and Natural Gas Companies: Our electric and natural gas companies consist of the electric distribution (including PSNH's generation facilities and NSTAR Electric's solar power facilities), electric transmission and natural gas distribution segments. A summary of our segment earnings and EPS is as follows:



	For the Years Ended December 31,
	2017				2016				2015
(Millions of Dollars, Except Per Share Amounts)	Amount		Per Share		Amount		Per Share		Amount			Per Share
Electric Distribution	$	497.4	$	1.57	$	462.8	$	1.46	$	507.9		$	1.59
Electric Transmission	391.9		1.23		370.8		1.16		304.5			0.96
Natural Gas Distribution	74.6		0.23		77.7		0.24		72.4			0.23
Non-GAAP Earnings	N/A		N/A		N/A		N/A		884.8			2.78
Integration Costs (after-tax) ⁽¹⁾	—		—		—		—		(0.8		)	—
Net Income - Electric and Natural Gas Companies	$	963.9	$	3.03	$	911.3	$	2.86	$	884.0		$	2.78

(1) The 2015 Electric and Natural Gas Companies' integration costs include severance in connection with cost saving initiatives.

Our electric distribution segment earnings increased $34.6 million in 2017, as compared to 2016, due primarily to a lower effective tax rate, lower non-tracked operations and maintenance expense, higher lost base revenues at NSTAR Electric and higher distribution revenues at CL&P due in part to a higher rate base for the system resiliency program, partially offset by higher depreciation expense, lower sales volumes primarily driven by the mild summer weather in 2017, as compared to 2016 (primarily at NSTAR Electric), and higher property tax expense.

Our electric transmission segment earnings increased $21.1 million in 2017, as compared to 2016, due primarily to a higher transmission rate base as a result of our continued investment in our transmission infrastructure, partially offset by the absence in 2017 of the FERC-allowed recovery of certain previously expensed merger-related costs in 2016, and a lower benefit in the second quarter of 2017 related to the annual billing and cost reconciliation filing with the FERC.

Our natural gas distribution segment earnings decreased $3.1 million in 2017, as compared to 2016, due primarily to higher depreciation expense, lower demand revenues in Connecticut driven by lower peak usage in 2017, as compared to 2016, higher non-tracked operations and maintenance expense, and higher property tax expense, partially offset by higher sales volumes driven by colder winter weather in the fourth quarter of 2017, as compared to 2016.

Eversource Parent and Other Companies: Eversource parent and other companies earned $24.1 million in 2017, compared with $31.0 million in 2016. The decrease in earnings was due primarily to a higher effective tax rate, higher interest expense and the absence in 2017 of the earnings and gain on the sale of an unregulated business in 2016. These decreases were partially offset by the 2017 DPU-allowed recovery of certain previously expensed merger-related costs in NSTAR Electric's distribution rates, and increased gains on investments recorded in 2017.

Electric and Natural Gas Sales Volumes: Weather, fluctuations in energy supply costs, conservation measures (including utility-sponsored energy efficiency programs), and economic conditions affect customer energy usage. Industrial sales volumes are less sensitive to temperature variations than residential and commercial sales volumes. In our service territories, weather impacts electric sales volumes during the summer and both electric and natural gas sales volumes during the winter; however, natural gas sales volumes are more sensitive to temperature variations than are electric sales volumes. Customer heating or cooling usage may not directly correlate with historical levels or with the level of degree-days that occur.

Fluctuations in retail electric sales volumes at certain of our electric utilities impact earnings ("Traditional" in the table below). For others, fluctuations in retail electric sales volumes do not impact earnings due to their regulatory commission approved distribution revenue decoupling mechanisms ("Decoupled" in the table below). These distribution revenues are decoupled from their customer sales volumes, which breaks the relationship between sales volumes and revenues recognized.

In 2017 and 2016, NSTAR Electric operated under two different rate structures based on its service territory geography. For customers that were served in eastern Massachusetts, including metropolitan Boston, Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard, NSTAR Electric operated using Traditional rates. For customers that were served in western Massachusetts, including the metropolitan Springfield region, NSTAR Electric operated using Decoupled rates. Effective February 1, 2018, all of NSTAR Electric's distribution revenues were decoupled as a result of the

DPU-approved rate decision. See "Regulatory Developments and Rate Matters - Massachusetts - NSTAR Electric Distribution Rate Case Decision" in this Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

CL&P and NSTAR Electric (for its western Massachusetts customer rates) reconciled their annual base distribution rate recovery amounts to their pre-established levels of baseline distribution delivery service revenues of $1.059 billion and $132.4 million, respectively, through December 31, 2017. Effective February 1, 2018, NSTAR Electric, operating entirely under decoupled rates, will reconcile its annual base distribution rate recovery to its new baseline of $974.8 million. Any difference between the allowed level of distribution revenue and the actual amount realized during a 12-month period is adjusted through rates in the following period.

Fluctuations in natural gas sales volumes in Connecticut impact earnings ("Traditional" in the table below). In Massachusetts, fluctuations in natural gas sales volumes do not impact earnings due to the DPU-approved natural gas distribution revenue decoupling mechanism approved in the last rate case decision ("Decoupled" in the table below). These distribution revenues are decoupled from their customer sales volumes, which breaks the relationship between sales volumes and revenues recognized.

A summary of our retail electric GWh sales volumes and our firm natural gas sales volumes in MMcf and percentage changes is as follows:



	Electric				Firm Natural Gas
	For the Year Ended December 31, 2017 Compared to 2016				For the Year Ended December 31, 2017 Compared to 2016
	Sales Volumes (GWh)		Percentage Decrease		Sales Volumes (MMcf)		Percentage Increase/(Decrease)
	2017	2016	Percentage Decrease		2017	2016	Percentage Increase/(Decrease)
Traditional:
Residential	9,453	9,654	(2.1	)%	15,502	15,118	2.5	%
Commercial	15,958	16,267	(1.9	)%	20,649	19,846	4.0	%
Industrial	2,444	2,558	(4.5	)%	10,806	10,350	4.4	%
Total - Traditional	27,855	28,479	(2.2	)%	46,957	45,314	3.6	%

Decoupled:
Residential	11,043	11,347	(2.7	)%	21,919	20,616	6.3	%
Commercial	10,612	10,940	(3.0	)%	21,859	21,583	1.3	%
Industrial	2,736	2,876	(4.9	)%	5,882	5,833	0.8	%
Total - Decoupled	24,391	25,163	(3.1	)%	49,660	48,032	3.4	%
Special Contracts⁽¹⁾	N/A	N/A	N/A		4,409	4,696	(6.1	)%
Total - Decoupled and Special Contracts	24,391	25,163	(3.1	)%	54,069	52,728	2.5	%
Total Sales Volumes	52,246	53,642	(2.6	)%	101,026	98,042	3.0	%


(1)	Special contracts are unique to the natural gas distribution customers who take service under such an arrangement and generally specify the amount of distribution revenue to be paid to Yankee Gas regardless of the customers' usage.

On January 28, 2016, Eversource received approval of a three-year energy efficiency plan in Massachusetts, which included recovery of LBR in the NSTAR Electric eastern Massachusetts service territory until it was covered under a decoupled rate structure, which occurred on February 1, 2018. NSTAR Electric recorded LBR related to reductions in sales volume as a result of successful energy efficiency programs. LBR was recovered from retail customers through rates. NSTAR Electric recognized LBR of $73.7 million and $60.7 million in 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Liquidity

Consolidated: Cash and cash equivalents totaled $38.2 million as of December 31, 2017, compared with $30.3 million as of December 31, 2016.

Long-Term Debt Issuances and Repayments: The following table summarizes long-term debt issuances and repayments:



(Millions of Dollars)	Issue Date	Issuances/(Repayments)			Maturity Date	Use of Proceeds
CL&P:
3.20% 2017 Series A First Mortgage Bonds	March 2017	$	300.0		2027	Repay short-term debt borrowings
4.30% 2014 Series A First Mortgage Bonds ⁽¹⁾	August 2017	225.0			2044	Refinance short-term debt and fund working capital and capital expenditures
5.375% 2007 Series A First Mortgage Bonds	March 2007	(150.0		)	2017	N/A
5.75% 2007 Series C First Mortgage Bonds	September 2007	(100.0		)	2017	N/A
NSTAR Electric:
3.20% Debentures	May 2017	350.0			2027	Repay short-term borrowings and fund capital expenditures and working capital
3.20% Debentures ⁽²⁾	October 2017	350.0			2027	Redeem long-term debt that matured in 2017
5.625% Debentures	November 2007	(400.0		)	2017	N/A
PSNH:
6.15% Series N First Mortgage Bonds	September 2007	(70.0		)	2017	N/A
Other:
Yankee Gas 3.02% Series N First Mortgage Bonds	September 2017	75.0			2027	Repay short-term borrowings
NSTAR Gas 7.04% Series M First Mortgage Bonds	September 1997	(25.0		)	2017	N/A
Eversource Parent 2.75% Series K Senior Notes	March 2017	300.0			2022	Repay short-term borrowings
Eversource Parent 2.75% Series K Senior Notes ⁽³⁾	October 2017	450.0			2022	Repay short-term borrowings
Eversource Parent 2.90% Series L Senior Notes	October 2017	450.0			2024	Repay short-term borrowings
Eversource Parent 2.50% Series I Senior Notes ⁽⁴⁾	January 2018	200.0			2021	Repay long-term debt due to mature in 2018 and repay short-term borrowings
Eversource Parent 3.30% Series M Senior Notes	January 2018	450.0			2028	Repay long-term debt due to mature in 2018
Eversource Parent 1.60% Series G Senior Notes ⁽⁵⁾	January 2015	(150.0		)	2018	N/A


(1)	These bonds are part of the existing series initially issued by CL&P in 2014. The aggregate outstanding principal amount for these bonds is now $475 million.


(2)	These debentures are part of the same series initially issued by NSTAR Electric in May 2017. The aggregate outstanding principal amount for these debentures is now $700 million.


(3)	These notes are part of the same series issued by Eversource parent in March 2017. The aggregate outstanding principal amount for these notes is now $750 million.


(4)	These notes are part of the same series issued by Eversource parent in March 2016. The aggregate outstanding principal amount for these notes is now $450 million.


(5)	Represents a repayment at maturity on January 15, 2018.

Commercial Paper Programs and Credit Agreements: Eversource parent has a $1.45 billion commercial paper program allowing Eversource parent to issue commercial paper as a form of short-term debt. Eversource parent, CL&P, PSNH, NSTAR Gas and Yankee Gas are also parties to a five-year $1.45 billion revolving credit facility. On December 8, 2017, Eversource parent amended and restated the revolving credit facility. The amended and restated revolving credit facility terminates on December 8, 2022 and serves to backstop Eversource parent's $1.45 billion commercial paper program. There were no borrowings outstanding on the revolving credit facility as of December 31, 2017 or 2016.

NSTAR Electric has a $650 million commercial paper program allowing NSTAR Electric to issue commercial paper as a form of short-term debt. On December 8, 2017, NSTAR Electric increased its commercial paper program from $450 million to $650 million. NSTAR Electric is also a party to a five-year $650 million revolving credit facility. On December 8, 2017, NSTAR Electric amended and restated the revolving credit facility, increasing it from $450 million to $650 million. The amended and restated revolving credit facility terminates on December 8, 2022 and serves to backstop NSTAR Electric's $650 million commercial paper program. There were no borrowings outstanding on the revolving credit facility as of December 31, 2017 or 2016.

The amount of borrowings outstanding and available under the commercial paper programs and revolving credit facility was as follows:



	Borrowings Outstanding as of December 31,				Available Borrowing Capacity as of December 31,				Weighted-Average Interest Rate as of December 31,
(Millions of Dollars)	2017		2016		2017		2016		2017		2016
Eversource Parent Commercial Paper Program	$	979.3	$	1,022.0	$	470.7	$	428.0	1.86	%