Eversource Energy

Eversource Energy, a public utility holding company, engages in the energy delivery business. The company operates through Electric Distribution, Electric Transmission, Natural Gas Distribution, and Water Distribution segments. It is involved in the transmission and distribution of electricity; solar power facilities; and distribution of natural gas. 

The company operates regulated water utilities that provide water services to approximately 226,000 customers. It serves residential, commercial, industrial, municipal and fire protection, and other customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. The company was formerly known as Northeast Utilities and changed its name to Eversource Energy in April 2015. Eversource Energy is based in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Eversource predecessor, Northeast Utilities was formed on July 1, 1966, with the merger of Connecticut Light and Power Company, Western Massachusetts Electric Company, and the Hartford Electric Light Company under a single parent company, creating the first new multi-state public utility holding company since the enactment of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935. In 1967, Holyoke Water Power Company joined the NU System, and in 1992 the Public Service Company of New Hampshire followed.

After some up-and-down growth under CEO Lelan Sillin and his successor, William B. Ellis, PSNH declared bankruptcy in January 1988 due to problems getting a license for the completed Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant. In 1999, Con Edison and Northeast Utilities entered negotiations that would have created one of the largest utilities in the United States. However, Con Edison backed out of the merger in 2001 after Connecticut's Attorney General Richard Blumenthal threatened lawsuits to block it. Legislation passed in the late 1990s deregulated the electricity market in New England and required regulated utilities to divest generating stations to competitive suppliers. The company divested all of the generating assets of WMECO and CL&P per requirements of the Massachusetts and Connecticut legislation. The company retained some of these assets by transferring them to a new subsidiary called Northeast Generation which functioned as a competitive supplier and sold the other assets entirely: WMECO's West Springfield Generating Station and several related hydroelectric and fossil fuel generating units were sold to Con Edison, while other assets were transferred to Northeast Generation.

In 2001, NU sold the assets and operations of its subsidiary, the Holyoke Water Power Company, to the City of Holyoke including the HWP electrical distribution system and customer base and all generation with the exception of the Mt. Tom coal-fired power plant which NU retained. The city's municipal gas and electric department assumed responsibility for the generators and absorbed the HWP distribution customer base. Between 2000 and 2002 due to state laws, NU divested WMECO, CL&P, and PSNH's nuclear generating assets which consisted of their stakes in the Seabrook, Millstone, and Vermont Yankee stations.

In November 2005, the company announced it would sell its unregulated competitive businesses, including generation and energy services. In November next year the company had essentially completed the divestiture of its competitive businesses. Also in 2006, NU decided to sell the generating units it had earlier retained in the 1999 divestiture as competitive suppliers and shut down its competitive generation business units. The Northeast Generation assets, including Mount Tom Station and Northfield Mountain, were all sold to Energy Capital Partners. PSNH continued to operate regulated hydroelectric and fossil fuel generation assets to serve its default/basic service customers who did not choose an alternative competitive supplier.

In October 2010, Northeast Utilities announced that it would merge with NSTAR, the major electric and gas provider in Greater Boston, with the resulting company retaining the Northeast Utilities name for the next several years. After government approvals, the deal closed in April 2012. In 2015 the company agreed to sell all of its New Hampshire generation assets, in the same manner, it sold its assets in Massachusetts and Connecticut between 2000 and 2006. The sale of the New Hampshire generation fleet was approved by the state's Public Utilities Commission on November 29, 2017, and completed on January 10, 2018.

In June 2017 Eversource announced its merger with Aquarion Water Company for $1.675 billion. Aquarion would become a fully owned subsidiary and retain its own name, adding 300 employees and 230,000 customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. In December 2017, the merger was completed after government approval.

“our mission of delivering reliable energy and superior customer service in our daily work, in community service and leadership, and in doing the right thing for our customers, co-workers, shareholders and the environment.”

“Eversource is a catalyst for clean energy. We're adopting innovative technology and offering industry-leading energy efficiency programs and services to reduce emissions and advance a clean energy future – while providing strong service to all our customers.”