INCOME TAXES (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

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)	2012		2011		2010
Current Income Taxes:
Federal	$	(30.9)	$	3.0	$	9.0
State		17.6		(26.0)		(6.5)
Total Current		(13.3)		(23.0)		2.5
Deferred Income Taxes, Net:
Federal		291.3		187.7		201.2
State		0.8		9.1		9.7
Total Deferred		292.1		196.8		210.9
Investment Tax Credits, Net		(3.9)		(2.8)		(3.0)
Income Tax Expense	$	274.9	$	171.0	$	210.4

		For the Years Ended December 31,
		2012								2011								2010
				NSTAR								NSTAR								NSTAR
(Millions of Dollars)		CL&P		Electric ⁽¹⁾		PSNH		WMECO		CL&P		Electric⁽¹⁾		PSNH		WMECO		CL&P		Electric⁽¹⁾		PSNH		WMECO
Current Income Taxes:
	Federal	$	(47.8)	$	93.5	$	(0.9)	$	(24.7)	$	13.9	$	64.9	$	(25.8)	$	0.1	$	20.7	$	94.8	$	6.1	$	3.1
	State		3.1		27.6		3.4		3.4		(34.4)		30.2		0.1		0.3		(1.1)		27.0		5.6		2.5
Total Current			(44.7)		121.1		2.5		(21.3)		(20.5)		95.1		(25.7)		0.4		19.6		121.8		11.7		5.6
Deferred Income
	Taxes, Net:
	Federal		141.5		11.4		46.5		51.2		106.4		74.8		67.7		22.1		108.1		41.7		37.6		11.0
	State		(0.5)		(7.1)		12.0		2.7		6.2		(2.8)		7.9		1.0		7.0		(0.1)		1.6		-
Total Deferred			141.0		4.3		58.5		53.9		112.6		72.0		75.6		23.1		115.1		41.6		39.2		11.0
Investment Tax
	Credits, Net		(1.9)		(1.4)		0.0		(0.5)		(2.1)		(1.4)		-		(0.3)		(2.3)		(1.4)		(0.1)		(0.3)
Income Tax Expense		$	94.4	$	124.0	$	61.0	$	32.1	$	90.0	$	165.7	$	49.9	$	23.2	$	132.4	$	162.0	$	50.8	$	16.3

⁽¹⁾	NSTAR Electric amounts are included in NU consolidated from the date of the merger, April 10, 2012, through December 31, 2012. NSTAR Electric amounts are not included in NU consolidated for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010.

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)		2012		2011		2010
Income Before Income Tax Expense		$	808.0	$	571.5	$	604.5

Statutory Federal Income Tax Expense at 35%			282.8		200.0		211.6
Tax Effect of Differences:
	Depreciation		(10.8)		(14.2)		(9.5)
	Investment Tax Credit Amortization		(3.9)		(2.8)		(3.0)
	Other Federal Tax Credits		(3.8)		(3.5)		(3.8)
	State Income Taxes, Net of Federal Impact		4.4		22.1		12.5
	Medicare Subsidy		0.0		-		15.6
	Tax Asset Valuation Allowance/Reserve Adjustments		7.6		(33.1)		(10.5)
	Other, Net		(1.4)		2.5		(2.5)
Income Tax Expense		$	274.9	$	171.0	$	210.4
Effective Tax Rate			34.0%		29.9%		34.8%

		For the Years Ended December 31,
		2012								2011								2010
(Millions of Dollars,				NSTAR								NSTAR								NSTAR
	except percentages)	CL&P		Electric⁽¹⁾		PSNH		WMECO		CL&P		Electric⁽¹⁾		PSNH		WMECO		CL&P		Electric⁽¹⁾		PSNH		WMECO
Income Before Income
	Tax Expense	$	304.2	$	314.2	$	157.9	$	86.6	$	340.2	$	418.2	$	150.2	$	66.2	$	376.6	$	410.6	$	140.9	$	39.4

Statutory Federal Income
	Tax Expense at 35%		106.5		110.0		55.3		30.3		119.1		146.4		52.6		23.2		131.8		143.7		49.3		13.8
Tax Effect of Differences:
	Depreciation		(9.0)		0.0		(0.3)		0.2		(8.1)		0.0		(4.4)		0.1		(6.1)		0.0		(3.2)		0.2
	Investment Tax Credit
	Amortization		(1.9)		(1.4)		0.0		(0.5)		(2.1)		(1.4)		-		(0.3)		(2.3)		(1.4)		(0.1)		(0.3)
	Other Federal Tax Credits		0.0		0.0		(3.8)		0.0		(0.1)		0.0		(3.4)		0.0		(0.1)		0.0		(3.6)		-
	State Income Taxes, Net
	of Federal Impact		0.1		13.4		10.0		4.0		4.0		17.9		5.2		0.9		8.5		17.4		4.7		1.6
	Medicare Subsidy		0.0		0.0		0.0		0.0		-		0.0		-		-		7.8		0.0		3.8		1.5
	Tax Asset Valuation
	Allowance/Reserve
	Adjustments		1.6		0.0		0.0		0.0		(22.3)		0.0		-		-		(4.7)		0.0		-		-
	Regulatory Decision Non-
	Plant flow through		0.0		0.0		0.0		(1.3)		0.0		0.0		-		-		0.0		0.0		-		-
	Other, Net		(2.9)		2.0		(0.2)		(0.6)		(0.5)		2.8		(0.1)		(0.7)		(2.5)		2.3		(0.1)		(0.5)
Income Tax Expense		$	94.4	$	124.0	$	61.0	$	32.1	$	90.0	$	165.7	$	49.9	$	23.2	$	132.4	$	162.0	$	50.8	$	16.3
Effective Tax Rate			31.0%		39.5%		38.6%		37.1%		26.5%		39.6%		33.2%		35.0%		35.2%		39.5%		36.1%		41.4%

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

NU			As of December 31,
(Millions of Dollars)			2012		2011
Deferred Tax Assets:
	Employee Benefits		$	811.4	$	539.6
	Derivative Liabilities and Change in Fair Value of Energy Contracts			380.6		415.3
	Regulatory Deferrals			257.9		157.9
	Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts			64.2		45.4
	Tax Effect - Tax Regulatory Assets			17.2		15.5
	Federal Net Operating Loss Carryforwards			214.6		178.6
	Purchase Accounting Adjustment			146.4		-
	Other			242.4		204.2
Total Deferred Tax Assets				2,134.7		1,556.5
Less: Valuation Allowance				4.2		4.6
Net Deferred Tax Assets			$	2,130.5	$	1,551.9
Deferred Tax Liabilities:
	Accelerated Depreciation and Other Plant-Related Differences		$	3,468.8	$	1,920.5
	Property Tax Accruals			89.6		58.9
	Regulatory Amounts:
		Other Regulatory Deferrals		1,561.1		1,135.0
		Tax Effect - Tax Regulatory Assets		217.2		184.6
		Goodwill - 1999 Merger		210.9		-
		Derivative Assets		36.2		39.1
		Securitized Contract Termination Costs		16.6		39.6
		Other		136.1		24.5
Total Deferred Tax Liabilities			$	5,736.5	$	3,402.2

			As of December 31,
			2012								2011
					NSTAR								NSTAR
(Millions of Dollars)			CL&P		Electric		PSNH		WMECO		CL&P		Electric ⁽¹⁾		PSNH		WMECO
Deferred Tax Assets:
	Derivative Liabilities and Change in
		Fair Value of Energy Contracts	$	375.9	$	5.8	$	-	$	(1.7)	$	412.2	$	1.3	$	-	$	2.9
	Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts			30.4		16.2		2.9		3.2		32.4		9.5		3.0		3.9
	Regulatory Deferrals			35.5		123.6		43.9		6.3		78.4		114.9		39.3		15.0
	Employee Benefits			141.2		116.3		64.8		16.3		121.4		115.3		87.9		13.3
	Tax Effect - Tax Regulatory Assets			5.2		6.0		1.7		1.7		6.4		6.9		1.6		6.5
	Federal Net Operating Loss Carryforwards			82.0		-		71.4		15.1		85.5		-		60.8		-
	Other			82.8		26.0		33.7		8.0		76.0		36.1		26.0		17.6
Total Deferred Tax Assets			$	753.0	$	293.9	$	218.4	$	48.9	$	812.3	$	284.0	$	218.6	$	59.2
Deferred Tax Liabilities:
	Accelerated Depreciation and Other
	Plant-Related Differences		$	1,194.7	$	1,079.3	$	476.5	$	261.3	$	1,046.9	$	987.8	$	423.8	$	194.9
	Property Tax Accruals			44.4		23.1		6.8		5.1		41.9		21.8		4.5		3.4
	Regulatory Amounts:
		Other Regulatory Deferrals		677.7		379.6		149.3		74.5		734.2		400.6		122.5		79.3
		Tax Effect - Tax Regulatory Assets		151.8		20.9		15.8		13.9		141.8		21.9		16.1		13.7
		Goodwill - 1999 Merger		-		181.0		-		-		-		187.8		-		-
		Derivative Assets		36.2		-		-		-		39.1		-		-		-
		Securitized Contract Termination Costs		-		5.5		7.9		3.3		-		41.3		29.7		10.0
		Other		10.1		30.2		14.1		2.3		8.2		34.8		14.0		1.1
Total Deferred Tax Liabilities			$	2,114.9	$	1,719.6	$	670.4	$	360.4	$	2,012.1	$	1,696.0	$	610.6	$	302.4

⁽¹⁾		NSTAR Electric amounts are not included in NU consolidated as of December 31, 2011.

Summary of Income Tax Contingencies [Table Text Block]

						NSTAR
(Millions of Dollars)		NU		CL&P		Electric ⁽¹⁾
Balance as of January 1, 2010		$	124.3	$	89.0	$	13.8
	Gross Increases - Current Year		10.8		5.3		-
	Gross Increases - Prior Year		0.8		-		-
	Settlement		(34.3)		(13.5)		(13.8)
	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		-
	Gross Increases - Current Year		10.3		2.5		-
	Gross Increases - Prior Year		0.1		-		-
	Gross Decreases - Prior Year		(0.8)		-		-
Balance as of December 31, 2012		$	83.1	$	49.0	$	-

Other Interest	For the Years Ended December 31,						Accrued Interest	As of December 31,
Expense/(Income)	2012		2011		2010		Expense	2012		2011
(Millions of Dollars)							(Millions of Dollars)
NU	$	3.1	$	(2.8)	$	(24.8)	NU	$	10.1	$	7.1
CL&P		1.3		(3.7)		(7.4)	CL&P		4.0		2.7
NSTAR Electric ⁽¹⁾		0.0		2.0		(7.4)	NSTAR Electric ⁽¹⁾		0.0		0.7
PSNH		0.0		(0.6)		0.1	PSNH		0.0		-

Summary of Operating Loss Carryforwards [Table Text Block]

Carryforwards: Amounts are as follows:

	As of December 31, 2012
					NSTAR						Year
(Millions of Dollars)	NU		CL&P		Electric		PSNH		WMECO		Expiration Begins
State Credit Carryforwards	$	110.2	$	75.2	$	0.0	$	0.0	$	0.0	2013
State Net Operating Loss Carryforward		74.9		0.0		0.0		0.0		0.0	2013
Federal Net Operating Loss Carryforward		606.9		234.3		0.0		204.0		43.3	2031
Federal Credit Carryforwards		3.8		0.0		0.0		3.8		0.0	2031

	As of December 31, 2011
					NSTAR						Year
(Millions of Dollars)	NU		CL&P		Electric		PSNH		WMECO		Expiration Begins
State Credit Carryforwards	$	101.4	$	68.6	$	0.0	$	0.0	$	0.0	2013
Federal Net Operating Loss Carryforward		510.2		244.2		0.0		173.8		0.0	2031
Federal Credit Carryforwards		6.6		0.0		0.0		3.4		3.2	2031

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of tax positions taken in the tax returns filed or to be filed for which it is more likely than not that the tax position will not be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities (i.e., uncertain tax positions) and other types of income tax contingencies, including: (1) the policy on classification of interest and penalties; (2) a tabular reconciliation of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits at the beginning and end of the period; the total amount(s) of: (3) unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate, and (4) interest and penalties recognized in each of the income statement and balance sheet; (5) for positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts unrecognized will significantly change within 12 months of the reporting date the: (i) nature of the uncertainty, (ii) nature of the event that could occur that would cause the change, and (iii) an estimate of the range of the reasonably possible change or a statement that an estimate of the range cannot be made; and (6) a description of tax years that remain subject to examination by major tax jurisdictions.

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