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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES A. Environmental Matters Eversource, CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH are subject to environmental laws and regulations intended to mitigate or remove the effect of past operations and improve or maintain the quality of the environment. These laws and regulations require the removal or the remedy of the effect on the environment of the disposal or release of certain specified hazardous substances at current and former operating sites. Eversource, CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH have an active environmental auditing and training program and each believes it is substantially in compliance with all enacted laws and regulations. Environmental reserves are accrued when assessments indicate it is probable that a liability has been incurred and an amount can be reasonably estimated. The approach used estimates the liability based on the most likely action plan from a variety of available remediation options, including no action required or several different remedies ranging from establishing institutional controls to full site remediation and monitoring. These liabilities are estimated on an undiscounted basis and do not assume that the amounts are recoverable from insurance companies or other third parties. The environmental reserves include sites at different stages of discovery and remediation and do not include any unasserted claims. These reserve estimates are subjective in nature as they take into consideration several different remediation options at each specific site. The reliability and precision of these estimates can be affected by several factors, including new information concerning either the level of contamination at the site, the extent of Eversource's, CL&P's, NSTAR Electric's and PSNH's responsibility for remediation or the extent of remediation required, recently enacted laws and regulations or changes in cost estimates due to certain economic factors. It is possible that new information or future developments could require a reassessment of the potential exposure to required environmental remediation. As this information becomes available, management will continue to assess the potential exposure and adjust the reserves accordingly. The amounts recorded as environmental reserves are included in Other Current Liabilities and Other Long-Term Liabilities on the balance sheets and represent management's best estimate of the liability for environmental costs, and take into consideration site assessment, remediation and long-term monitoring costs. The environmental reserves also take into account recurring costs of managing hazardous substances and pollutants, mandated expenditures to remediate contaminated sites and any other infrequent and non-recurring clean-up costs. A reconciliation of the activity in the environmental reserves is as follows:
(Millions of Dollars) | Eversource |  | CL&P |  | NSTAR Electric |  | PSNH
Balance as of January 1, 2023 | $ | 122.6 |  |  | $ | 13.9 |  |  | $ | 3.4 |  |  | $ | 6.1 |
Additions | 16.8 |  |  | 2.6 |  |  | 2.5 |  |  | 1.7 |
Payments/Reductions | (11.2) |  |  | (2.7) |  |  | (0.5) |  |  | (0.2) |
Balance as of December 31, 2023 | 128.2 |  |  | 13.8 |  |  | 5.4 |  |  | 7.6 |
Additions | 11.0 |  |  | 0.8 |  |  | 1.9 |  |  | 0.2 |
Payments/Reductions | (11.2) |  |  | (1.2) |  |  | (0.7) |  |  | (1.5) |
Balance as of December 31, 2024 | $ | 128.0 |  |  | $ | 13.4 |  |  | $ | 6.6 |  |  | $ | 6.3 |
The number of environmental sites for which remediation or long-term monitoring, preliminary site work or site assessment is being performed are as follows:
| Eversource |  | CL&P |  | NSTAR Electric |  | PSNH
2024 | 65 |  | 15 |  | 14 |  | 8
2023 | 65 |  | 16 |  | 12 |  | 8
Included in the number of sites and reserve amounts above are former MGP sites that were operated several decades ago and manufactured natural gas from coal and other processes, which resulted in certain by-products remaining in the environment that may pose a potential risk to human health and the environment, for which Eversource may have potential liability. The reserve balances related to these former MGP sites were $115.9 million and $117.1 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and related primarily to the natural gas business segment. As of December 31, 2024, for 17 environmental sites (9 for CL&P and 2 for NSTAR Electric) that are included in the Company's reserve for environmental costs, management cannot reasonably estimate the exposure to loss in excess of the reserve, or range of loss, as these sites are under investigation and/or there is significant uncertainty as to what remedial actions, if any, the Company may be required to undertake. As of December 31, 2024, $30.7 million (including $5.7 million for CL&P and $1.4 million for NSTAR Electric) had been accrued as a liability for these sites. As of December 31, 2024, for 8 environmental sites (1 for NSTAR Electric) that are included in the Company's reserve for environmental costs, the information known and the nature of the remediation options allow for the Company to estimate the range of losses for environmental costs. As of December 31, 2024, $29.5 million has been accrued as a liability for these sites, which represents the low end of the range of the liabilities for environmental costs. Management believes that additional losses of up to approximately $17.5 million may be incurred in executing current remediation plans for these sites. As of December 31, 2024, for the remaining 40 environmental sites (including 6 for CL&P, 11 for NSTAR Electric and 8 for PSNH) that are included in the Company's reserve for environmental costs, the $67.8 million accrual (including $7.7 million for CL&P, $5.2 million for NSTAR Electric and $6.3 million for PSNH) represents management's best estimate of the probable liability and no additional loss is estimable at this time. PSNH, NSTAR Gas, EGMA and Yankee Gas have rate recovery mechanisms for MGP related environmental costs, therefore, changes in their respective environmental reserves do not impact Net Income. CL&P is allowed to defer certain environmental costs for future recovery. NSTAR Electric does not have a separate environmental cost recovery regulatory mechanism.Long-Term Contractual Arrangements Estimated Future Annual Costs: The estimated future annual costs of significant executed, non-cancelable, long-term contractual arrangements in effect as of December 31, 2024 are as follows:
Eversource |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
(Millions of Dollars) | 2025 |  | 2026 |  | 2027 |  | 2028 |  | 2029 |  | Thereafter |  | Total
Renewable Energy Purchase Contracts | $ | 771.8 |  |  | $ | 865.2 |  |  | $ | 919.9 |  |  | $ | 918.0 |  |  | $ | 785.5 |  |  | $ | 6,289.9 |  |  | $ | 10,550.3 |
Natural Gas Procurement | 532.6 |  |  | 486.1 |  |  | 364.6 |  |  | 308.1 |  |  | 294.9 |  |  | 1,004.4 |  |  | 2,990.7 |
Capacity and Purchased Power | 75.2 |  |  | 2.9 |  |  | 2.7 |  |  | 2.7 |  |  | 2.3 |  |  | 2.3 |  |  | 88.1 |
Peaker CfDs | 28.3 |  |  | 27.7 |  |  | 23.1 |  |  | 23.3 |  |  | 24.1 |  |  | 84.6 |  |  | 211.1 |
Transmission Support Commitments | 17.1 |  |  | 18.8 |  |  | 20.0 |  |  | 20.9 |  |  | 21.8 |  |  | 22.6 |  |  | 121.2 |
Total | $ | 1,425.0 |  |  | $ | 1,400.7 |  |  | $ | 1,330.3 |  |  | $ | 1,273.0 |  |  | $ | 1,128.6 |  |  | $ | 7,403.8 |  |  | $ | 13,961.4 |
CL&P |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
(Millions of Dollars) | 2025 |  | 2026 |  | 2027 |  | 2028 |  | 2029 |  | Thereafter |  | Total
Renewable Energy Purchase Contracts | $ | 651.0 |  |  | $ | 671.9 |  |  | $ | 723.7 |  |  | $ | 724.5 |  |  | $ | 588.4 |  |  | $ | 3,473.6 |  |  | $ | 6,833.1 |
Capacity | 72.4 |  |  | 0.1 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 72.5 |
Peaker CfDs | 28.3 |  |  | 27.7 |  |  | 23.1 |  |  | 23.3 |  |  | 24.1 |  |  | 84.6 |  |  | 211.1 |
Transmission Support Commitments | 6.8 |  |  | 7.4 |  |  | 7.9 |  |  | 8.3 |  |  | 8.6 |  |  | 8.9 |  |  | 47.9 |
Total | $ | 758.5 |  |  | $ | 707.1 |  |  | $ | 754.7 |  |  | $ | 756.1 |  |  | $ | 621.1 |  |  | $ | 3,567.1 |  |  | $ | 7,164.6 |
NSTAR Electric |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
(Millions of Dollars) | 2025 |  | 2026 |  | 2027 |  | 2028 |  | 2029 |  | Thereafter |  | Total
Renewable Energy Purchase Contracts | $ | 120.8 |  |  | $ | 193.3 |  |  | $ | 196.2 |  |  | $ | 193.5 |  |  | $ | 197.1 |  |  | $ | 2,816.3 |  |  | $ | 3,717.2 |
Purchased Power | 2.8 |  |  | 2.8 |  |  | 2.7 |  |  | 2.7 |  |  | 2.3 |  |  | 2.3 |  |  | 15.6 |
Transmission Support Commitments | 6.7 |  |  | 7.4 |  |  | 7.9 |  |  | 8.2 |  |  | 8.6 |  |  | 8.9 |  |  | 47.7 |
Total | $ | 130.3 |  |  | $ | 203.5 |  |  | $ | 206.8 |  |  | $ | 204.4 |  |  | $ | 208.0 |  |  | $ | 2,827.5 |  |  | $ | 3,780.5 |
PSNH |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
(Millions of Dollars) | 2025 |  | 2026 |  | 2027 |  | 2028 |  | 2029 |  | Thereafter |  | Total
Transmission Support Commitments | $ | 3.6 |  |  | $ | 4.0 |  |  | $ | 4.2 |  |  | $ | 4.4 |  |  | $ | 4.6 |  |  | $ | 4.8 |  |  | $ | 25.6 |
The contractual obligations table above does not include CL&P's, NSTAR Electric's or PSNH's standard/basic service contracts for the purchase of energy supply, the amounts of which vary with customers' energy needs. Renewable Energy Purchase Contracts: Renewable energy purchase contracts include non-cancellable commitments under contracts of CL&P and NSTAR Electric for the purchase of energy and capacity from renewable energy facilities. Such contracts extend through 2046 for CL&P and 2045 for NSTAR Electric. In 2024, the NHPUC approved the termination of a PPA for the purchase of capacity, renewable energy and RECs from a New Hampshire generation plant and there are no remaining long-term renewable energy purchase contracts at PSNH. Renewable energy purchase contracts include long-term commitments of NSTAR Electric pertaining to the Vineyard Wind LLC contract awarded under the Massachusetts Clean Energy 83C procurement solicitation. NSTAR Electric, along with other Massachusetts distribution companies, entered into 20-year contracts to purchase electricity generated by this 800 megawatt offshore wind project. Construction on the Vineyard Wind project commenced in 2022. Estimated energy costs under this contract are expected to begin when the facilities are in service in 2025 and range between $100 million and $200 million per year und er NSTAR Electric’s 20-year contract, totaling approximately $2.6 billion. As required by 2018 regulation, CL&P and UI each entered into PURA-approved ten-year contracts in 2019 to purchase a combined total of approximately 9 million MWh annually from the Millstone Nuclear Power Station generation facility, which represents a combined amount of approximately 50 percent of the facility's output (approximately 40 percent by CL&P). Also as required by 2018 regulation, CL&P and UI each entered into PURA-approved eight-year contracts in 2019 to purchase a combined amount of approximately 18 percent of the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant’s output (approximately 15 percent by CL&P) beginning January 1, 2022. The total estimated remaining future cost of the Millstone Nuclear Power Station and Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant energy purchase contracts are $2.6 billion and are reflected in the table above. As required by law, CL&P cannot use this power to satisfy its customers’ supply obligations. CL&P sells the energy purchased under these contracts into the market and uses the proceeds from these energy sales to offset the contract costs. As the net costs under these contracts are recovered from customers in future rates, the contracts do not have an impact on the net income of CL&P. These contracts do not meet the definition of a derivative, and accordingly, the costs of these contracts are being accounted for as incurred. The contractual obligations table above does not include long-term commitments signed by CL&P and NSTAR Electric, as required by the PURA and the DPU, respectively, for the purchase of renewable energy and related products that are contingent on the future construction of energy facilities, such as the long-term commitments of NSTAR Electric pertaining to the Massachusetts Clean Energy 83D contract entered into in 2018. Natural Gas Procurement: Eversource's natural gas distribution businesses have long-term contracts for the purchase, transportation and storage of natural gas as part of its portfolio of supplies, which extend through 2045. Capacity and Purchased Power: These contracts include capacity CfDs with generation facilities at CL&P through 2026, and a purchase obligation for electricity which extends through 2031 for NSTAR Electric. CL&P's portion of the costs and benefits under these capacity contracts are recovered from, or refunded to, CL&P's customers. Peaker CfDs: CL&P, along with UI, has three peaker CfDs for a total of approximately 500 MW of peaking capacity through 2042. CL&P has a sharing agreement with UI, whereby CL&P is responsible for 80 percent and UI for 20 percent of the net costs or benefits of these CfDs. The Peaker CfDs pay the generation facility owner the difference between capacity, forward reserve and energy market revenues and a cost-of-service payment stream for 30 years. The ultimate cost or benefit to CL&P under these contracts will depend on the costs of plant operation and the prices that the projects receive for capacity and other products in the ISO-NE markets. CL&P's portion of the amounts paid or received under the Peaker CfDs are recovered from, or refunded to, CL&P's customers. Transmission Support Commitments: Along with other New England utilities, CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH have entered into agreements to support the costs of, and receive rights to use, transmission and terminal facilities that import electricity from the Hydro-Québec system in Canada. CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH are obligated to pay, over a 20-year period ending in 2040, their proportionate shares of the annual operation and maintenance expenses and capital costs of those facilities. The total costs incurred under these agreements were as follows:
Eversource | For the Years Ended December 31,
(Millions of Dollars) | 2024 |  | 2023 |  | 2022
Renewable Energy Purchase Contracts | $ | 591.4 |  |  | $ | 581.4 |  |  | $ | 678.1 |
Natural Gas Procurement | 695.0 |  |  | 695.8 |  |  | 1,042.8 |
Capacity and Purchased Power | 70.5 |  |  | 69.0 |  |  | 61.6 |
Peaker CfDs | 23.1 |  |  | 20.1 |  |  | 13.4 |
Transmission Support Commitments | 16.7 |  |  | 14.2 |  |  | 12.7 |
| For the Years Ended December 31,
| 2024 |  | 2023 |  | 2022
(Millions of Dollars) | CL&P |  | NSTAR Electric |  | PSNH |  | CL&P |  | NSTAR Electric |  | PSNH |  | CL&P |  | NSTAR Electric |  | PSNH
Renewable Energy Purchase Contracts | $ | 529.0 |  |  | $ | 62.4 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 474.1 |  |  | $ | 60.0 |  |  | $ | 47.3 |  |  | $ | 513.2 |  |  | $ | 90.8 |  |  | $ | 74.1 |
Capacity and Purchased Power | 67.6 |  |  | 2.9 |  |  | — |  |  | 65.5 |  |  | 2.9 |  |  | 0.6 |  |  | 57.7 |  |  | 3.0 |  |  | 0.9 |
Peaker CfDs | 23.1 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 20.1 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 13.4 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Transmission Support Commitments | 6.6 |  |  | 6.6 |  |  | 3.5 |  |  | 5.6 |  |  | 5.6 |  |  | 3.0 |  |  | 5.0 |  |  | 5.0 |  |  | 2.7 |
Spent Nuclear Fuel Obligations - Yankee Companies CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH have plant closure and fuel storage cost obligations to the Yankee Companies, which have each completed the physical decommissioning of their respective nuclear power facilities and are now engaged in the long-term storage of their spent fuel. The Yankee Companies fund these costs through litigation proceeds received from the DOE and, to the extent necessary, through wholesale, FERC-approved rates charged under power purchase agreements with several New England utilities, including CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH. CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH, in turn recover these costs from their customers through state regulatory commission-approved retail rates. The Yankee Companies collect amounts that management believes are adequate to recover the remaining plant closure and fuel storage cost estimates for the respective plants. Management believes CL&P and NSTAR Electric will recover their shares of these obligations from their customers. PSNH has recovered its total share of these costs from its customers. Spent Nuclear Fuel Litigation: The Yankee Companies have filed complaints against the DOE in the Court of Federal Claims seeking monetary damages resulting from the DOE's failure to accept delivery of, and provide for a permanent facility to store, spent nuclear fuel pursuant to the terms of the 1983 spent fuel and high-level waste disposal contracts between the Yankee Companies and the DOE. The court previously awarded the Yankee Companies damages for Phases I, II, III and IV of litigation resulting from the DOE's failure to meet its contractual obligations. These Phases covered damages incurred in the years 1998 through 2016, and the awarded damages have been received by the Yankee Companies with certain amounts of the damages refunded to their customers. DOE Phase V Damages - On March 25, 2021, each of the Yankee Companies filed a fifth set of lawsuits against the DOE in the Court of Federal Claims resulting from the DOE's failure to begin accepting spent nuclear fuel for disposal covering the years from 2017 to 2020. The Yankee Companies filed claims seeking monetary damages totaling $120.4 million for CYAPC, YAEC and MYAPC. Pursuant to a June 2, 2022 court order, the Yankee Companies were subsequently permitted to include monetary damages relating to the year 2021 in the DOE Phase V complaint. The Yankee Companies submitted a supplemental filing to include these costs of $33.1 million on June 8, 2022. In September 2024, the parties reached an agreement in principle to settle the Phase V complaint totaling $145 million for CYAPC, YAEC, and MYAPC. The settlement was approved on November 19, 2024 and the Department of Justice filed a Notice of Appeal on January 17, 2025 on an issue outside the scope of the settlement. Oral arguments are expected to be scheduled in the second half of 2025. D. Guarantees and Indemnifications In the normal course of business, Eversource parent provides credit assurances on behalf of its subsidiaries, including CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH, in the form of guarantees. Management does not anticipate a material impact to net income or cash flows as a result of these various guarantees and indemnifications. Guarantees issued on behalf of unconsolidated entities, including equity method ownership interests, for which Eversource parent is the guarantor, are recorded at fair value as a liability on the balance sheet at the inception of the guarantee. The fair value of guarantees issued on behalf of unconsolidated entities are recorded within Other Long-Term Liabilities on the balance sheet, and were $1.2 million and $4.4 million as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Eversource regularly reviews performance risk under these guarantee arrangements, and believes the likelihood of payments being required under the guarantees is remote. In the event it becomes probable that Eversource parent will be required to perform under the guarantee, the amount of probable payment will be recorded. On September 30, 2024, Eversource completed the sale of its 50 percent ownership share in the South Fork Wind and Revolution Wind projects to GIP. Under the agreement with GIP, Eversource’s existing and certain additional credit support obligations for Revolution Wind are expected to roll off as the project completes construction. On July 9, 2024, Eversource completed the sale of its 50 percent ownership share of Sunrise Wind to Ørsted. Under the agreement with Ørsted, Eversource’s existing credit support obligations for Sunrise Wind were either terminated or indemnified by Ørsted as a result of the sale. The following table summarizes Eversource parent's exposure to guarantees and indemnifications of its subsidiaries and affiliates to external parties, and primarily relates to its previously-owned offshore wind investments:
As of December 31, 2024
Company (Obligor) |  | Description |  | Maximum Exposure (in millions)
Revolution Wind, LLC and TurbineCo, LLC |  | Offshore wind construction-related purchase agreements with third-party contractors (1) |  | $ | 357.0 |
Eversource Investment LLC, Eversource Investment Service Company LLC and South Fork Class B Member, LLC |  | Offshore wind funding and indemnification obligations (2) |  | 277.5 |
Eversource Investment LLC |  | Letters of Credit (3) |  | 5.3 |
Eversource TEI LLC |  | South Fork Wind Tax Equity (4) |  | 50.0 |
South Fork Wind, LLC |  | Power Purchase Agreement Security (5) |  | 7.1 |
Various Eversource subsidiaries |  | Surety bonds (6) |  | 30.7 |
(1) Eversource parent issued guarantees on behalf of its previously 50 percent-owned affiliate, Revolution Wind, LLC, and on behalf of TurbineCo, LLC (successor in interest to North East Offshore, LLC (NEO)), under which Eversource parent agreed to guarantee each entity’s performance of obligations under certain construction-related purchase agreements with third-party contractors, in an aggregate amount not to exceed $935.6 million. Eversource parent’s obligations under the guarantees expire upon the earlier of (i) dates ranging between December 2024 and November 2027 and (ii) full performance of the guaranteed obligations. (2) Eversource parent issued guarantees on behalf of its wholly-owned subsidiary Eversource Investment LLC (EI), which held Eversource's previous investments in offshore wind-related equity method investments until sale, and on behalf of its previously 50 percent-owned affiliate, South Fork Class B Member, LLC, whereby Eversource parent will guarantee each entity’s performance of certain funding obligations of the South Fork and Revolution Wind projects. Eversource parent also guaranteed certain indemnification obligations of EI associated with third party credit support for EI’s investment in NEO. On September 30, 2024, Eversource parent issued a guaranty on behalf of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Eversource Investment Service Company LLC, whereby Eversource parent will guarantee Eversource Investment Service Company LLC’s performance of certain indemnification obligations during the onshore construction phase of the Revolution Wind project, in an amount not to exceed $100.0 million. These guarantees will not exceed $1.62 billion and expire upon the full performance of the guaranteed obligations. (3) Eversource parent entered into a guarantee on behalf of EI, under which Eversource parent would guarantee EI's obligations under a letter of credit facility with a financial institution that EI may request in an aggregate amount of up to approximately $25 million. As of December 31, 2024, EI has issued two letters of credit on behalf of South Fork Wind, LLC and one letter of credit on behalf of Revolution Wind, LLC totaling $5.3 million. The guarantee will remain in effect until full performance of the guaranteed obligations. On January 24, 2025, the $1.0 million letter of credit issued on behalf of Revolution Wind, LLC was terminated. (4) Eversource parent issued a guarantee on behalf of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Eversource TEI LLC, whereby Eversource parent will guarantee Eversource TEI LLC’s performance of certain obligations, in an amount not to exceed $50.0 million, in connection with any remaining obligations under the LLC agreement. Eversource parent’s obligations expire upon the full performance of the guaranteed obligations. (5) Eversource parent issued a guarantee on behalf of its previously 50 percent-owned affiliate, South Fork Wind, LLC, whereby Eversource parent will guarantee South Fork Wind, LLC's performance of certain obligations, in an amount not to exceed $7.1 million, under a Power Purchase Agreement between the Long Island Power Authority and South Fork Wind, LLC (the Agreement). The guarantee expires upon the later of (i) the end of the Agreement term, January 2044, with the option to extend to January 2049 and (ii) full performance of the guaranteed obligations. (6) Surety bonds expire in 2025. Expiration dates reflect termination dates, the majority of which will be renewed or extended. Certain surety bonds contain credit ratings triggers that would require Eversource parent to post collateral in the event that the unsecured debt credit ratings of Eversource parent are downgraded. On September 30, 2024, Eversource entered into an agreement with GIP and Ørsted to contingently provide future credit support up to a maximum of $850 million in guarantees, if required, to support third party tax equity financing for Revolution Wind. FERC ROE Complaints Four separate complaints were 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, filed on October 1, 2011, December 27, 2012, and July 31, 2014, respectively, 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 separate 15-month complaint periods. In the fourth complaint, filed April 29, 2016, the Complainants challenged the NETOs' base ROE billed 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. The ROE originally billed during the period October 1, 2011 (beginning of the first complaint period) through October 15, 2014 consisted of a base ROE of 11.14 percent and incentives up to 13.1 percent. On October 16, 2014, FERC issued Opinion No. 531-A and set the base ROE at 10.57 percent and the incentive cap at 11.74 percent for the first complaint period. This was also effective for all prospective billings to customers beginning October 16, 2014. This FERC order was vacated on April 14, 2017 by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (the Court). All amounts associated with the first complaint period have been refunded, which totaled $38.9 million (pre-tax and excluding interest) at Eversource and reflected both the base ROE and incentive cap prescribed by the FERC order. The refund consisted of $22.4 million for CL&P, $13.7 million for NSTAR Electric and $2.8 million for PSNH. Eversource has recorded a reserve of $39.1 million (pre-tax and excluding interest) for the second complaint period as of both December 31, 2024 and 2023. This reserve represents the difference between the billed rates during the second complaint period and a 10.57 percent base ROE and 11.74 percent incentive cap. The reserve consisted of $21.4 million for CL&P, $14.6 million for NSTAR Electric and $3.1 million for PSNH as of both December 31, 2024 and 2023. On October 16, 2018, FERC issued an order on all four complaints describing how it intends to address the issues that were remanded by the Court. FERC proposed a new framework to determine (1) whether an existing ROE is unjust and unreasonable and, if so, (2) how to calculate a replacement ROE. Initial briefs were filed by the NETOs, Complainants and FERC Trial Staff on January 11, 2019 and reply briefs were filed on March 8, 2019. The NETOs' brief was supportive of the overall ROE methodology determined in the October 16, 2018 order provided the FERC does not change the proposed methodology or alter its implementation in a manner that has a material impact on the results. The FERC order included illustrative calculations for the first complaint using FERC's proposed frameworks with financial data from that complaint. Those illustrative calculations indicated that for the first complaint period, for the NETOs, which FERC concludes are of average financial risk, the preliminary just and reasonable base ROE is 10.41 percent and the preliminary incentive cap on total ROE is 13.08 percent. If the results of the illustrative calculations were included in a final FERC order for each of the complaint periods, then a 10.41 percent base ROE and a 13.08 percent incentive cap would not have a significant impact on our financial statements for all of the complaint periods. These preliminary calculations are not binding and do not represent what we believe to be the most likely outcome of a final FERC order. On November 21, 2019, FERC issued Opinion No. 569 affecting the two pending transmission ROE complaints against the Midcontinent ISO (MISO) transmission owners, in which FERC adopted a new methodology for determining base ROEs. Various parties sought rehearing. On December 23, 2019, the NETOs filed supplementary materials in the NETOs' four pending cases to respond to this new methodology because of the uncertainty of the applicability to the NETOs' cases. On May 21, 2020, the FERC issued its order in Opinion No. 569-A on the rehearing of the MISO transmission owners' cases, in which FERC again changed its methodology for determining the MISO transmission owners' base ROEs. On November 19, 2020, the FERC issued Opinion No. 569-B denying rehearing of Opinion No. 569-A and reaffirmed the methodology previously adopted in Opinion No. 569-A. The new methodology differs significantly from the methodology proposed by FERC in its October 16, 2018 order to determine the NETOs' base ROEs in their four pending cases. FERC Opinion Nos. 569-A and 569-B were appealed to the Court. On August 9, 2022, the Court issued its decision vacating MISO ROE FERC Opinion Nos. 569, 569-A and 569-B and remanded to FERC to reopen the proceedings. The Court found that FERC’s development of the new return methodology was arbitrary and capricious due to FERC’s failure to offer a reasonable explanation for its decision to reintroduce the risk-premium financial model in its new methodology for calculating a just and reasonable return. On October 17, 2024, FERC issued an order on the remand of the MISO ROE proceedings. The order addressed the Court’s decision that the reintroduction of the risk-premium financial model in the ROE methodology was arbitrary and capricious by removing the risk-premium financial model from the ROE methodology. The removal of the risk-premium financial model was the only revision to FERC’s ROE methodology and resulted in a two-model approach utilizing the two-step discounted cash flow model and the capital asset pricing model. MISO was directed to provide refunds for the period November 12, 2013 to February 11, 2015 (the first MISO ROE complaint refund period) and for the period from September 28, 2016 (the date of FERC’s order on the first MISO ROE complaint) to October 17, 2024 by December 1, 2025. The order also stated that FERC does not preclude the use of the risk-premium financial model in future proceedings if the parties can demonstrate that FERC’s stated concerns around the inclusion of the model have been addressed. On November 13, 2024, the NETOs filed a supplemental brief in their four pending ROE proceedings to explain to FERC that it cannot apply the reasoning and methodologies of the MISO ROE case to the NETOs’ cases due to the entirely different set of facts in the MISO and NETOs ROE proceedings. Doing so would violate the substance of the Court’s April 14, 2017 order and would violate the legal standard required by the Federal Power Act. On February 4, 2025, the MISO transmission owners submitted a petition for review with the Court requesting review of the October 17, 2024 MISO ROE order on remand and a December 19, 2024 notice of denial of rehearing. The petition requests review of FERC’s decision to retroactively backdate the MISO transmission owners’ base ROE to the date of an earlier order that FERC abandoned when it issued Order No. 569, treat an underlying unlawful complaint as if it were legitimate, and order eight years of interest as part of the directed refunds. Given the significant uncertainty regarding the applicability of the FERC order in the MISO transmission owners’ two complaint cases to the NETOs’ pending four complaint cases due to the complex differences between the cases, Eversource concluded that there is no reasonable basis for a change to the reserve or recognized ROEs for any of the complaints or subsequent periods at this time and Eversource cannot reasonably estimate any potential range of loss for any of the four complaint proceedings at this time. The resolution of these proceedings could have a material impact on the financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Eversource, CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH currently record revenues at the 10.57 percent base ROE and incentive cap at 11.74 percent established in the October 16, 2014 FERC order. A change of 10 basis points to the base ROE used to establish the reserves would impact Eversource’s after-tax earnings by an average of approximately $3 million for each of the four 15-month complaint periods. F. Litigation and Legal Proceedings Eversource, including CL&P, NSTAR Electric and PSNH, are involved in legal, tax and regulatory proceedings regarding matters arising in the ordinary course of business, which involve management's assessment to determine the probability of whether a loss will occur and, if probable, its best estimate of probable loss. The Company records and discloses losses when these losses are probable and reasonably estimable, and discloses matters when losses are probable but not estimable or when losses are reasonably possible. Legal costs related to the defense of loss contingencies are expensed as incurred.

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