INCOME TAXES (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Notes To Consolidated Financial Statements [Abstract]

Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Table Text Block]

NU	For the Years Ended December 31,
(Millions of Dollars)	2011		2010		2009
Current Income Taxes:
Federal	$	3.0	$	9.0	$	4.5
State		(26.0)		(6.5)		52.7
Total Current		(23.0)		2.5		57.2
Deferred Income Taxes, Net:
Federal		187.7		201.2		155.1
State		9.1		9.7		(29.2)
Total Deferred		196.8		210.9		125.9
Investment Tax Credits, Net		(2.8)		(3.0)		(3.2)
Income Tax Expense	$	171.0	$	210.4	$	179.9

	For the Years Ended December 31,
	2011						2010						2009
(Millions of Dollars)	CL&P		PSNH		WMECO		CL&P		PSNH		WMECO		CL&P		PSNH		WMECO
Current Income Taxes:
Federal	$	13.9	$	(25.8)	$	0.1	$	20.7	$	6.1	$	3.1	$	28.3	$	(8.9)	$	(8.6)
State		(34.4)		0.1		0.3		(1.1)		5.6		2.5		40.1		5.8		0.9
Total Current		(20.5)		(25.7)		0.4		19.6		11.7		5.6		68.4		(3.1)		(7.7)
Deferred Income Taxes, Net:
Federal		106.4		67.7		22.1		108.1		37.6		11.0		80.5		34.4		21.3
State		6.2		7.9		1.0		7.0		1.6		-		(27.6)		0.8		1.6
Total Deferred		112.6		75.6		23.1		115.1		39.2		11.0		52.9		35.2		22.9
Investment Tax Credits, Net		(2.1)		-		(0.3)		(2.3)		(0.1)		(0.3)		(2.5)		(0.1)		(0.3)
Income Tax Expense	$	90.0	$	49.9	$	23.2	$	132.4	$	50.8	$	16.3	$	118.8	$	32.0	$	14.9

Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Table Text Block]

A reconciliation between income tax expense and the expected tax expense at the statutory rate is as follows:
NU		For the Years Ended December 31,
(Millions of Dollars, except percentages)		2011			2010			2009
Income Before Income Tax Expense		$	571.5		$	604.5		$	515.5
Statutory Federal Income Tax Expense at 35%			200.0			211.6			180.4
Tax Effect of Differences:
	Depreciation		(14.2)			(9.5)			(2.7)
	Investment Tax Credit Amortization		(2.8)			(3.0)			(3.2)
	Other Federal Tax Credits		(3.5)			(3.8)			(3.8)
	State Income Taxes, Net of Federal Impact		22.1			12.5			11.5
	Medicare Subsidy		-			15.6			(3.5)
	Tax Asset Valuation Allowance/Reserve Adjustments		(33.1)			(10.5)			3.8
	Other, Net		2.5			(2.5)			(2.6)
Income Tax Expense		$	171.0		$	210.4		$	179.9
Effective Tax Rate			29.9	%		34.8	%		34.9	%

	For the Years Ended December 31,
	2011									2010									2009
(Millions of Dollars, except percentages)	CL&P			PSNH			WMECO			CL&P			PSNH			WMECO			CL&P			PSNH			WMECO
Income Before Income Tax Expense	$	340.2		$	150.2		$	66.2		$	376.6		$	140.9		$	39.4		$	335.2		$	97.6		$	41.1
Statutory Federal Income Tax
Expense at 35%		119.1			52.6			23.2			131.8			49.3			13.8			117.3			34.1			14.4
Tax Effect of Differences:
Depreciation		(8.1)			(4.4)			0.1			(6.1)			(3.2)			0.2			(1.7)			(1.2)			0.3
Investment Tax Credit Amortization		(2.1)			-			(0.3)			(2.3)			(0.1)			(0.3)			(2.5)			(0.1)			(0.3)
Other Federal Tax Credits		(0.1)			(3.4)			-			(0.1)			(3.6)			-			(0.1)			(3.7)			-
State Income Taxes, Net of
Federal Impact		4.0			5.2			0.9			8.5			4.7			1.6			8.9			4.3			1.6
Medicare Subsidy		-			-			-			7.8			3.8			1.5			(1.3)			(0.6)			(0.3)
Tax Asset Valuation Allowance/
Reserve Adjustments		(22.3)			-			-			(4.7)			-			-			(0.8)			-			-
Other, Net		(0.5)			(0.1)			(0.7)			(2.5)			(0.1)			(0.5)			(1.0)			(0.8)			(0.8)
Income Tax Expense	$	90.0		$	49.9		$	23.2		$	132.4		$	50.8		$	16.3		$	118.8		$	32.0		$	14.9
Effective Tax Rate		26.5	%		33.2	%		35.0	%		35.2	%		36.1	%		41.4	%		35.4	%		32.8	%		36.3	%

Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]

NU			As of December 31,
(Millions of Dollars)			2011		2010
Deferred Tax Assets:
	Employee Benefits		$	539.6	$	470.1
	Derivative Liabilities and Change in Fair Value of Energy Contracts			415.3		376.5
	Regulatory Deferrals			157.9		135.5
	Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts			45.4		46.4
	Tax Effect - Tax Regulatory Assets			15.5		17.0
	Federal Net Operating Loss Carryforwards			178.6		-
	Other			204.2		188.0
Total Deferred Tax Assets				1,556.5		1,233.5
Less: Valuation Allowance				4.6		19.8
Net Deferred Tax Assets			$	1,551.9	$	1,213.7
Deferred Tax Liabilities:
	Accelerated Depreciation and Other Plant-Related Differences		$	1,920.5	$	1,612.6
	Property Tax Accruals			58.9		55.1
	Regulatory Amounts:
		Other Regulatory Deferrals		1,135.0		873.3
		Tax Effect - Tax Regulatory Assets		184.6		177.1
		Securitized Contract Termination Costs		39.6		65.8
		Derivative Assets		39.1		48.0
		Other		24.5		26.3
Total Deferred Tax Liabilities			$	3,402.2	$	2,858.2

			As of December 31,
			2011						2010
(Millions of Dollars)			CL&P		PSNH		WMECO		CL&P		PSNH		WMECO
Deferred Tax Assets:
	Derivative Liabilities and Change in Fair Value of Energy
		Contracts	$	412.2	$	-	$	2.9	$	371.2	$	5.1	$	-
	Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts			32.4		3.0		3.9		31.5		2.9		5.6
	Regulatory Deferrals			78.4		39.3		15.0		68.9		34.4		6.5
	Employee Benefits			121.4		87.9		13.3		66.9		125.0		2.4
	Tax Effect - Tax Regulatory Assets			6.4		1.6		6.5		7.4		1.6		6.9
	Federal Net Operating Loss Carryforwards			85.5		60.8		-		-		-		-
	Other			76.0		26.0		17.6		82.5		13.6		10.1
Total Deferred Tax Assets			$	812.3	$	218.6	$	59.2	$	628.4	$	182.6	$	31.5
Deferred Tax Liabilities:
	Accelerated Depreciation and Other Plant-Related Differences		$	1,046.9	$	423.8	$	194.9	$	917.0	$	309.8	$	168.4
	Property Tax Accruals			41.9		4.5		3.4		39.5		4.2		3.2
	Regulatory Amounts:
		Securitized Contract Termination Costs		-		29.7		10.0		(0.8)		50.4		16.2
		Other Regulatory Deferrals		734.2		122.5		79.3		546.6		105.1		51.1
		Tax Effect - Tax Regulatory Assets		141.8		16.1		13.7		138.5		14.0		13.7
		Derivative Assets		39.1		-		-		47.9		-		-
		Other		8.2		14.0		1.1		8.4		15.7		2.9
Total Deferred Tax Liabilities			$	2,012.1	$	610.6	$	302.4	$	1,697.1	$	499.2	$	255.5

Summary of Income Tax Contingencies [Table Text Block]

(Millions of Dollars)		NU		CL&P		PSNH		WMECO
Balance as of January 1, 2009		$	156.3	$	106.4	$	12.4	$	3.8
	Gross Increases - Current Year		12.3		8.6		-		-
	Settlement		(44.2)		(26.0)		(12.4)		(3.8)
	Lapse of Statute of Limitations		(0.1)		-		-		-
Balance as of December 31, 2009			124.3		89.0		-		-
	Gross Increases - Current Year		10.8		5.3		-		-
	Gross Increases - Prior Year		0.8		-		-		-
	Settlement		(34.3)		(13.5)		-		-
	Lapse of Statute of Limitations		(0.4)		-		-		-
Balance as of December 31, 2010			101.2		80.8		-		-
	Gross Increases - Current Year		8.0		1.4		-		-
	Gross Decreases - Prior Year		(35.7)		(35.7)		-		-
Balance as of December 31, 2011		$	73.5	$	46.5	$	-	$	-

Other Interest	For the Years Ended December 31,						Accrued Interest	As of December 31,
Expense/(Income)	2011		2010		2009		Expense	2011		2010
(Millions of Dollars)							(Millions of Dollars)
CL&P	$	(3.7)	$	(7.4)	$	(4.2)	CL&P	$	2.7	$	6.4
PSNH		(0.6)		0.1		(1.3)	PSNH		-		0.6
WMECO		-		-		(0.4)	WMECO		-		-
NU Parent and Other		1.5		(17.5)		1.9	NU Parent and Other		4.4		2.9
Total	$	(2.8)	$	(24.8)	$	(4.0)	Total	$	7.1	$	9.9