DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLANS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

Notes To Consolidated Financial Statements [Abstract]

Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans [Text Block]

B.       Defined Contribution Plans

As of December 31, 2013, NU maintained two defined contribution plans on behalf of eligible participants. The NUSCO 401(k) Plan covered eligible employees, including CL&P, PSNH, WMECO, and effective in 2012, certain newly-hired NSTAR employees. The NSTAR Savings Plan covered eligible employees of NSTAR. These defined contribution plans provided for employee and employer contributions up to statutory limits.

The NUSCO 401(k) Plan matches employee contributions up to a maximum of three percent of eligible compensation. The NUSCO 401(k) Plan also contains a K-Vantage feature which provides an additional company contribution based on age and years of service. This feature covers the majority of NU non-represented employees hired after 2005 and certain NU bargaining unit employees hired after 2006 or as subject to collective bargaining agreements. In addition, NSTAR employees who participate in the NUSCO 401(k) Plan are eligible to participate in the K-Vantage program. Participants in the K-Vantage program are not eligible to actively participate in any NU defined benefit plan.

The NSTAR Savings Plan matches employee contributions of 50 percent on up to the first 8 percent of eligible compensation.

The total defined contribution plan matching contributions, including the K-Vantage program contributions, are as follows:

					NSTAR
(Millions of Dollars)	NU (1)		CL&P		Electric		PSNH		WMECO
2013	$	37.0	$	5.1	$	8.5	$	3.3	$	1.0
2012		25.7		4.8		9.0		3.3		0.9
2011		17.4		4.5		8.7		3.1		0.9

• NSTAR amounts were included in NUbeginningApril 10, 2012.

Effective January 1, 2014, the NSTAR Savings Plan merged into the NUSCO 401(k) Plan. The merged Plan is a defined contribution plan that continues to provide for employer and employee contributions up to statutory limits. The merged Plan also retained the match guidelines and K-Vantage features for eligible employees as described above.