CL&P
                            News
             From The Northeast Utilities System

CONTACT: Sandra Ahearn
Office: (860) 665-5472

CL&P Seeks Increase in Generation Rates to Protect Supply
Contracts, Customers

BERLIN, Connecticut, November 19, 2001 - The Connecticut Light &
Power Company (CL&P), a wholly owned subsidiary of Northeast Utilities
NU), today filed an application with the Connecticut Department of
Public Utility Control (DPUC), seeking to increase the generation
charge of customers' bills by one cent per kilowatt hour to
protect its ability to continue delivering energy to its customers
and to spur retail competition.

"Mid-way through the standard offer period established by the General
Assembly in Public Act 98-28, there is little, if any, meaningful
competition among retail electric suppliers," said Michael G. Morris,
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Northeast
Utilities.  This is due largely to the fact that market prices for
electricity remain higher than the current generation charge, he said.

NRG Power Marketing Inc. (NRG) has formally requested that CL&P move
to re-open the standard offer docket to "restore the original intention
of the (standard offer) agreement to foster a competitive electric
marketplace." NRG supplies 45 percent of CL&P's standard offer service
requirements. If NRG, or another supplier, was unable to maintain its
level of service, CL&P could be forced to buy electricity on the open
market to meet customers demand and under the restructuring
law would recover these unknown costs from its customers, Morris said.

As a result, Morris said, CL&P is seeking to increase the Generation
Service Charge (GSC) - the charge on customers bills for generating
the power they consume. The CL&P proposal would increase the average
standard offer rate from 4.9 cents per kilowatt hour to 5.9 cents per
kilowatt hour. For the average residential customer using
500 kWh per month, this would mean an additional $5.00 per month. The
CL&P filing also includes a proposal to create a mechanism that would
provide customers with adjustments if future market prices change.

Morris noted that the state legislature made provisions for this kind
of event when it passed the restructuring law in 1998.



The additional rates collected through the increased generation service
charge will be passed through to the company's standard offer service
suppliers. NRG, Duke Energy Trading and Marketing and Select Energy
supply electricity to CL&P's customers through the standard offer
contract.

Under the state's electric utility restructuring law, customers may
choose an energy supplier or stay with their current utility and pay
for generation supply under the so-called standard offer.
The standard offer rates were set 10 percent lower than electric rates
in effect on Dec. 31, 1996. To date, there are only 2 suppliers
competing for residential customers and 99 percent of the state's
electric customers remain on standard offer service. Standard offer
service expires at the end of 2003 and all customers will have to
choose a supplier at that time.

Standard offer service contracts were awarded through a competitive
bid process run by JP Morgan, on behalf of the DPUC.

Northeast Utilities operates New England's largest energy delivery
system, serving more than 1.7 million electric power customers in
Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire and 187,000 natural gas
customers in Connecticut. NU is one of the largest competitive
energy suppliers in New England and is a major energy trader
in the Northeast. NU is a community and economic development
partner, committed to environmental leadership and stewardship.
For more information on the Northeast Utilities system, please see
our Web site at www.nu.com.