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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Notes To Consolidated Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]
NORTHEAST UTILITIES AND SUBSIDIARIES
THE CONNECTICUT LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY
NSTAR ELECTRIC COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARY
PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE AND SUBSIDIARY
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS ELECTRIC COMPANY
 
COMBINED NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Refer to the Glossary of Terms included in this combined Annual Report on Form 10-K for abbreviations and acronyms used throughout the combined notes to the financial statements.

 

1.       SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

A.       About NU, CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO

NU Consolidated: NU is a public utility holding company primarily engaged through its wholly owned regulated utility subsidiaries in the energy delivery business. On April 10, 2012, NU acquired NSTAR and its subsidiaries. NU's wholly owned regulated utility subsidiaries consist of CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH, WMECO, Yankee Gas and NSTAR Gas. NU provides energy delivery service to approximately 3.6 million electric and natural gas customers through these six regulated utilities in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. See Note 2, "Merger of NU and NSTAR," for further information regarding the merger.

 

NU, CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO are reporting companies under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. NU is a public utility holding company under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005. Arrangements among the regulated electric companies and other NU companies, outside agencies and other utilities covering interconnections, interchange of electric power and sales of utility property are subject to regulation by the FERC. The Regulated companies are subject to regulation of rates, accounting and other matters by the FERC and/or applicable state regulatory commissions (the PURA for CL&P and Yankee Gas, the DPU for NSTAR Electric, WMECO and NSTAR Gas, and the NHPUC for PSNH).

 

Regulated Companies: CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO furnish franchised retail electric service in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. NSTAR Gas is engaged in the distribution and sale of natural gas to customers within central and eastern Massachusetts. Yankee Gas owns and operates Connecticut's largest natural gas distribution system. CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO's results include the operations of their respective distribution and transmission businesses. PSNH and WMECO's distribution results include the operations of their respective generation businesses. NU also has a regulated subsidiary, NPT, which was formed to construct, own and operate the Northern Pass line, a new HVDC transmission line from Québec to New Hampshire that will interconnect with a new HVDC transmission line being developed by a transmission subsidiary of HQ.

 

Other: NUSCO, RRR, Renewable Properties, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of NUTV, and Properties, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of PSNH, provide support services to NU, including its regulated companies. Harbor Electric Energy Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NSTAR Electric, provides distribution service and ongoing support to its only customer, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. Hopkinton, a subsidiary of NU, provides natural gas liquefaction and storage services to NSTAR Gas. As of December 31, 2013, NU Enterprises' primary business consisted of NGS' operation and maintenance agreements, E.S. Boulos Company, an electrical contractor based in Maine, and NSTAR Communications, Inc., an unregulated telecommunications subsidiary.

 

B.       Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements of NU, NSTAR Electric and PSNH include the accounts of each of their respective subsidiaries. Intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The accompanying consolidated financial statements of NU, NSTAR Electric and PSNH and the financial statements of CL&P and WMECO are herein collectively referred to as the "financial statements."

 

The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

NU's consolidated financial information includes NSTAR and its subsidiaries' results of operations beginning April 10, 2012. The information disclosed for NSTAR Electric represents its results of operations for each of the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 presented on a comparable basis. NU did not apply "push-down accounting" to NSTAR Electric, whereby the adjustments of assets and liabilities to fair value and the resultant goodwill would be shown on the financial statements of the acquired subsidiary.

 

NU consolidates CYAPC and YAEC as CL&P's, NSTAR Electric's, PSNH's and WMECO's combined ownership interest in each of these entities is greater than 50 percent. Intercompany transactions between CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO and the CYAPC and YAEC companies have been eliminated in consolidation of the NU financial statements. For CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO, the investments in CYAPC and YAEC continue to be accounted for under the equity method. See Note 1J, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Equity Method Investments," for further information.

 

NU's utility subsidiaries are subject to the application of accounting guidance for entities with rate-regulated operations that considers the effect of regulation resulting from differences in the timing of the recognition of certain revenues and expenses from those of other businesses and industries. NU's utility subsidiaries' energy delivery business is subject to rate-regulation that is based on cost recovery and meets the criteria for application of rate-regulated accounting. See Note 3, "Regulatory Accounting," for further information.

 

Certain reclassifications of prior year data were made in the accompanying balance sheets for NU, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO and the statements of cash flows for all companies presented. These reclassifications were made to conform to the current year presentation.

 

In accordance with accounting guidance on noncontrolling interests in consolidated financial statements, the Preferred Stock of CL&P and the Preferred Stock of NSTAR Electric, which are not owned by NU or its consolidated subsidiaries and are not subject to mandatory redemption, have been presented as noncontrolling interests in the financial statements of NU.  The Preferred Stock of CL&P and the Preferred Stock of NSTAR Electric are considered to be temporary equity and have been classified between liabilities and permanent shareholders' equity on the balance sheets of NU, CL&P and NSTAR Electric due to a provision in the preferred stock agreements of both CL&P and NSTAR Electric that grant preferred stockholders the right to elect a majority of the CL&P and NSTAR Electric Board of Directors, respectively, should certain conditions exist, such as if preferred dividends are in arrears for a specified amount of time.  The Net Income reported in the statements of income and cash flows represents net income prior to apportionment to noncontrolling interests, which is represented by dividends on preferred stock of CL&P and NSTAR Electric.

 

C.       Accounting Standards

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards: In the first quarter of 2013, NU, CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO, adopted the following Financial Accounting Standards Board's (FASB) final Accounting Standards Updates (ASU) relating to additional disclosure requirements:

 

Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (AOCI): The ASU does not change existing guidance on which items should be reclassified out of AOCI but requires additional disclosures about the components of AOCI and the amount of reclassification adjustments to be presented in one location in the footnotes. The ASU was effective beginning in the first quarter of 2013 and was applied prospectively. For further information, see Note 15, "Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income/(Loss)," to the financial statements. The ASU did not affect the calculation of net income, comprehensive income or EPS and did not have an impact on financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

Clarifying the Scope of Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities: Clarifies the scope of the offsetting disclosure requirements under GAAP and applies to derivative instruments. The ASU was effective beginning in the first quarter of 2013 with retrospective application. For further information, see Note 5, "Derivative Instruments," to the financial statements. The ASU did not have an impact on financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

Accounting Standards Issued but not Yet Adopted: In July 2013, the FASB issued a final ASU effective January 1, 2014, requiring presentation of certain unrecognized tax benefits as reductions to deferred tax assets. The ASU is required to be implemented prospectively on January 1, 2014. Implementation of this guidance will have an immaterial impact on the balance sheets and no impact on the results of operations or cash flows.

 

D.       Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and short-term cash investments that are highly liquid in nature and have original maturities of three months or less. At the end of each reporting period, any overdraft amounts are reclassified from Cash and Cash Equivalents to Accounts Payable on the balance sheets.

E.       Provision for Uncollectible Accounts

NU, including CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO, presents its receivables at net realizable value by maintaining a provision for uncollectible amounts. This provision is determined based upon a variety of factors, including applying an estimated uncollectible account percentage to each receivable aging category, based upon historical collection and write-off experience and management's assessment of collectibility from individual customers. Management assesses the collectibility of receivables, and if circumstances change, collectibility estimates are adjusted accordingly. Receivable balances are written off against the provision for uncollectible accounts when the accounts are terminated and these balances are deemed to be uncollectible.

 

The PURA allows CL&P and Yankee Gas to accelerate the recovery of accounts receivable balances attributable to qualified customers under financial or medical duress (uncollectible hardship accounts receivable) outstanding for greater than 90 days. The DPU allows WMECO to also recover in rates amounts associated with certain uncollectible hardship accounts receivable. As of December 31, 2013, CL&P, WMECO and Yankee Gas had uncollectible hardship accounts receivable reserves in the amount of $67.3 million, $5.5 million and $8.4 million, respectively, with the corresponding under recovery of bad debt expense recorded as Regulatory Assets or Other Long-Term Assets as these amounts are probable of recovery. As of December 31, 2012, these amounts totaled $65.2 million, $4.7 million and $6.4 million, respectively. These amounts are reflected in the total provision for uncollectible accounts in the table below.

 

The provision for uncollectible accounts, which is included in Receivables, Net on the balance sheets, was as follows:

  As of December 31,
(Millions of Dollars)2013 2012
NU $171.3 $165.5
CL&P  82.0  77.6
NSTAR Electric 41.7  44.1
PSNH 7.4  6.8
WMECO 10.0  8.5

 

F.       Fuel, Materials and Supplies and Allowance Inventory

Fuel, Materials and Supplies include natural gas, coal, biomass and oil inventories as well as materials purchased primarily for construction or operation and maintenance purposes. Natural gas, coal, biomass and oil inventories are valued at their respective weighted average cost. Materials and supplies are valued at the lower of average cost or market.

 

As of December 31, 2013, NU had $139.5 million ($74.2 million at PSNH) of fuel and $163.7 million ($54.5 million at PSNH) of materials and supplies. As of December 31, 2012, NU had $109 million ($39.6 million at PSNH) of fuel and $158.7 million ($55.7 million at PSNH) of materials and supplies.

 

PSNH is subject to federal and state laws and regulations that regulate emissions of air pollutants, including SO2, CO2, and NOx related to its regulated generation units, and uses SO2, CO2, and NOx emissions allowances. At the end of each compliance period, PSNH is required to relinquish SO2, CO2, and NOx emissions allowances corresponding to the actual respective emissions emitted by its generating units over the compliance period. SO2 and NOx emissions allowances are obtained through an annual allocation from the federal and state regulators that are granted at no cost and through purchases from third parties. CO2 emissions allowances are acquired through auctions and through purchases from third parties.

 

SO2, CO2, and NOx emissions allowances are recorded within Fuel, Materials and Supplies and are classified on the balance sheet as short-term or long-term depending on the period in which they are expected to be utilized against actual emissions. As of December 31, 2013 and 2012, PSNH had $0.2 million and $0.4 million, respectively, of short-term SO2, CO2, and NOx emissions allowances classified as Fuel, Materials and Supplies and $19.4 million and $19.4 million, respectively, of long-term SO2 and CO2 emissions allowances classified as Other Long-Term Assets on the balance sheets.

 

SO2, CO2, and NOx emissions allowances are charged to expense based on their weighted average cost as they are utilized against emissions volumes at PSNH's generating units. PSNH recorded expenses of $0.3 million, $0.4 million and $5.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012, and 2011, respectively, which were included in Purchased Power, Fuel and Transmission on the statements of income. These costs or benefits are recovered from or refunded to customers through energy supply revenues. For the year ended December 31, 2013, PSNH received $6.8 million in proceeds from the auction of allowances, resulting in a net benefit of $6.5 million.

 

G.       Restricted Cash and Other Deposits

As of December 31, 2013, NU and CL&P had $1.7 million and $1.4 million, respectively, of restricted cash relating to amounts held in escrow, which were included in Prepayments and Other Current Assets on the balance sheets. As of December 31, 2012, these amounts were $3.3 million, $1.3 million and $1.7 million for NU, CL&P and PSNH, respectively.

 

As of December 31, 2013 and 2012, NU had $17.9 million ($9 million of which related to NSTAR Electric) and $14.6 million, respectively, of cash collateral posted not subject to master netting agreements, primarily with ISO-NE, which were included in Prepayments and Other Current Assets on the balance sheets.

 

As of December 31, 2012, NU, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO had $69.4 million, $42.2 million, $22 million and $5.1 million, respectively, on deposit related to subsidiaries used for the payment of RRBs. As of December 31, 2013, there were no deposits related to these RRB subsidiaries as NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO made their final payments in the first half of 2013 and these deposit balances were fully utilized.

H.       Fair Value Measurements

Fair value measurement guidance is applied to derivative contracts that are not elected or designated as normal purchases or normal sales” (normal) and to the marketable securities held in trusts. Fair value measurement guidance is also applied to investment valuations used to calculate the funded status of pension and PBOP plans and nonrecurring fair value measurements of nonfinancial assets such as goodwill and AROs.

 

Fair Value Hierarchy: In measuring fair value, NU uses observable market data when available and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs. Inputs used in fair value measurements are categorized into three fair value hierarchy levels for disclosure purposes. The entire fair value measurement is categorized based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. NU evaluates the classification of assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a quarterly basis, and NU's policy is to recognize transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy as of the end of the reporting period. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:

 

Level 1 - Inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities as of the reporting date.  Active markets are those in which transactions for the asset or liability occur in sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis.

 

Level 2 - Inputs are quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs are observable.

 

Level 3 - Quoted market prices are not available. Fair value is derived from valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs or assumptions are unobservable. Where possible, valuation techniques incorporate observable market inputs that can be validated to external sources such as industry exchanges, including prices of energy and energy-related products.

 

Determination of Fair Value: The valuation techniques and inputs used in NU's fair value measurements are described in Note 2, "Merger of NU and NSTAR," Note 5, "Derivative Instruments," Note 6, "Marketable Securities," Note 7, "Asset Retirement Obligations," and Note 14, "Fair Value of Financial Instruments," to the financial statements.

 

I.       Derivative Accounting

Many of the Regulated companies' contracts for the purchase and sale of energy or energy-related products are derivatives. The accounting treatment for energy contracts entered into varies and depends on the intended use of the particular contract and on whether or not the contract is a derivative. For the Regulated companies, regulatory assets or regulatory liabilities are recorded to offset the fair values of derivative contracts, as costs are recovered from, or refunded to, customers in future rates.

 

The application of derivative accounting is complex and requires management judgment in the following respects: identification of derivatives and embedded derivatives, election and designation of the normal exception, and determination of the fair value of derivative contracts. All of these judgments can have a significant impact on the financial statements.

 

The judgment applied in the election of the normal exception (and resulting accrual accounting) includes the conclusion that it is probable at the inception of the contract and throughout its term that it will result in physical delivery of the underlying product and that the quantities will be used or sold by the business in the normal course of business. If facts and circumstances change and management can no longer support this conclusion, then the normal exception and accrual accounting is terminated and fair value accounting is applied prospectively.

 

The fair value of derivative contracts is based upon the contract terms and conditions and the underlying market price or fair value per unit. When quantities are not specified in the contract, the Company determines whether the contract has a determinable quantity by using amounts referenced in default provisions and other relevant sections of the contract. The fair value of derivative assets and liabilities with the same counterparty are offset and recorded as a net derivative asset or liability on the balance sheets. Changes in the fair value of derivative contracts are recorded as regulatory assets or liabilities and do not impact net income.

 

For further information regarding derivative contracts, see Note 5, "Derivative Instruments," to the financial statements.

 

J.       Equity Method Investments

Regional Decommissioned Nuclear Companies: CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO own common stock in three regional nuclear generation companies (CYAPC, YAEC and MYAPC, collectively referred to as the Yankee Companies), each of which owned a single nuclear generating facility that has been decommissioned. Upon consummation of the merger with NSTAR, NSTAR Electric's ownership interests in CYAPC and YAEC combined with CL&P's, PSNH's and WMECO's respective ownership interests in CYAPC and YAEC totaled greater than 50 percent, requiring NU to consolidate CYAPC and YAEC beginning April 10, 2012. The investments in CYAPC and YAEC had previously been accounted for under the equity method of accounting by NU. For CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO, the investment in CYAPC and YAEC, as well as MYAPC, continues to be accounted for under the equity method. At the NU consolidated level, intercompany transactions between CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO and the CYAPC and YAEC companies have been eliminated in consolidation.

 

Ownership interests in the Yankee Companies as of December 31, 2013 and 2012 were as follows:

(Percent)CYAPC  YAEC  MYAPC 
CL&P 34.5   24.5   12.0 
NSTAR Electric 14.0   14.0   4.0 
PSNH 5.0   7.0   5.0 
WMECO 9.5   7.0   3.0 

The total carrying values of CL&P's, NSTAR Electric's, PSNH's and WMECO's ownership interests in CYAPC, YAEC and MYAPC, which are included in Other Long-Term Assets on their respective balance sheets, were as follows:

 As of December 31,
(Millions of Dollars)2013 2012
CL&P$ 1.2 $ 1.4
NSTAR Electric  0.5   0.6
PSNH  0.3   0.3
WMECO  0.3   0.4

For further information on the Yankee Companies, see Note 12C, "Commitments and Contingencies - Contractual Obligations - Yankee Companies," to the financial statements.

 

Other Investments: As of December 31, 2013 and 2012, NU had a 37.2 percent (14.5 percent of which related to NSTAR Electric) equity ownership interest in two companies that transmit electricity imported from the Hydro-Québec system in Canada. These investments are accounted for under the equity method of accounting. NU's investment totaled $5.1 million and $6 million as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and NSTAR Electric's investment totaled $2 million and $2.3 million as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. As of December 31, 2013 and 2012, NU also had an equity ownership interest of $9.8 million and $6.8 million in an energy investment fund, respectively.

 

Equity investments are included in Other Long-Term Assets on the balance sheets and net earnings related to these equity investments are included in Other Income, Net on the statements of income.

 

K.       Revenues

Regulated Companies: The Regulated companies' retail revenues are based on rates approved by their respective state regulatory commissions. In general, rates can only be changed through formal proceedings with the state regulatory commissions. The Regulated companies' rates are designed to recover the costs to provide service to their customers, including a return on investment. The Regulated companies also utilize regulatory commission-approved tracking mechanisms to recover certain costs on a fully-reconciling basis. These tracking mechanisms require rates to be changed periodically, with overcollections refunded to customers or undercollections collected from customers in future periods. WMECO has a revenue decoupling mechanism to recover a pre-established level of baseline distribution delivery service revenues per year, independent of actual customer usage. Such decoupling mechanisms effectively break the relationship between kWhs consumed by customers and revenues recognized.

 

Energy purchases are recorded in Purchased Power, Fuel, and Transmission, and sales of energy associated with these purchases are recorded in Operating Revenues.

 

Regulated Companies' Unbilled Revenues: Because customers are billed throughout the month based on pre-determined cycles rather than on a calendar month basis, an estimate of electricity or natural gas delivered to customers for which the customers have not yet been billed is calculated as of the balance sheet date. Unbilled revenues are included in Operating Revenues on the statements of income and are assets on the balance sheets. Actual amounts billed to customers when meter readings become available may vary from the estimated amount.

 

The Regulated companies estimate unbilled sales monthly using the daily load cycle method. The daily load cycle method allocates billed sales to the current calendar month based on the daily load for each billing cycle. The billed sales are subtracted from total month load, net of delivery losses, to estimate unbilled sales. Unbilled revenues are estimated by first allocating unbilled sales to the respective customer classes, then applying an estimated rate by customer class to those sales.

 

Regulated Companies' Transmission Revenues - Wholesale Rates: Wholesale transmission revenues are recovered through FERC approved formula rates. Wholesale transmission revenues for CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH, and WMECO are collected under the ISO New England Inc. Transmission, Markets and Services Tariff (ISO-NE Tariff). The ISO-NE Tariff includes Regional Network Service (RNS) and Schedule 21 - NU rate schedules that recover the costs of transmission and other transmission-related services for CL&P, PSNH and WMECO and Schedule 21 - NSTAR rate schedules that recover costs of transmission and other transmission-related services for NSTAR Electric. The RNS rate, administered by ISO-NE and billed to all New England transmission load, including CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO's distribution businesses, is reset on June 1st of each year and recovers the revenue requirements associated with transmission facilities that benefit the entire New England region. Schedule 21 - NU and Schedule 21 - NSTAR rates, administered by NU, recovers the remainder of the transmission revenue requirements. The Schedule 21 - NU rate is reset on January 1st and June 1st of each year, while the Schedule 21 - NSTAR rate is reset on June 1st of each year. The Schedule 21 - NU and Schedule 21 - NSTAR rate calculations recover total transmission revenue requirements net of revenues received from other sources (i.e., RNS, rentals, etc.), thereby ensuring that NU recovers all of CL&P's, NSTAR Electric's, PSNH's and WMECO's regional and local transmission revenue requirements in accordance with the ISO-NE Tariff. RNS, Schedule 21 - NU and Schedule 21 - NSTAR rates provide for the annual reconciliation and recovery or refund of estimated costs to actual costs. The financial impacts of differences between actual and estimated costs are deferred for future recovery from, or refunded to, transmission customers.

 

Regulated Companies' Transmission Revenues - Retail Rates: A significant portion of the NU transmission segment revenue comes from ISO-NE charges to the distribution businesses of CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO, each of which recovers these costs through rates charged to their retail customers. CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO each have a retail transmission cost tracking mechanism as part of their rates, which allows the electric distribution companies to charge their retail customers for transmission costs on a timely basis.

 

L.       Operating Expenses

Costs related to fuel and natural gas included in Purchased Power, Fuel and Transmission on the statements of income were as follows:

 For the Years Ended December 31,  
(Millions of Dollars)2013 2012 2011  
NU - Natural Gas and Fuel (1)$ 466.5 $ 346.8 $ 307.9  
PSNH - Fuel  104.8   103.4   115.9  
           
(1) NSTAR Gas natural gas costs were included in NU beginning April 10, 2012.

M.       Allowance for Funds Used During Construction

AFUDC represents the cost of borrowed and equity funds used to finance construction and is included in the cost of the Regulated companies' utility plant. The portion of AFUDC attributable to borrowed funds is recorded as a reduction of Other Interest Expense, and the AFUDC related to equity funds is recorded as Other Income, Net on the statements of income. AFUDC costs are recovered from customers over the service life of the related plant in the form of increased revenue collected as a result of higher depreciation expense.

NUFor the Years Ended December 31,
(Millions of Dollars, except percentages)2013 2012 (1) 2011
AFUDC:        
 Borrowed Funds$4.1 $5.3 $11.8
 Equity Funds 7.1  6.8  22.5
Total$11.2 $12.1 $34.3
Average AFUDC Rate 2.7%  3.7%  7.3%
          
(1) NSTAR amounts were included in NU beginning April 10, 2012. 

  For the Years Ended December 31,
  2013 2012 2011
(Millions of Dollars,    NSTAR         NSTAR          NSTAR      
except percentages)CL&P Electric PSNH WMECO CL&P Electric PSNH WMECO CL&P Electric PSNH WMECO
AFUDC:                                   
 Borrowed Funds$ 2.2 $ 0.5 $ 0.5 $ 0.5 $ 2.5 $ 0.3 $ 1.6 $ 0.5 $ 3.3 $ 0.2 $ 7.1 $ 0.5
 Equity Funds  2.9   -   0.2   1.0   1.9   -   1.9   1.0   6.0   -   13.2   1.0
Total$ 5.1 $ 0.5 $ 0.7 $ 1.5 $ 4.4 $ 0.3 $ 3.5 $ 1.5 $ 9.3 $ 0.2 $ 20.3 $ 1.5
Average AFUDC Rate 3.7%  0.5%  1.1%  6.1%  3.6%  0.4%  5.9%  6.8%  8.3%  0.3%  7.1%  7.4%

The Regulated companies' average AFUDC rate is based on a FERC-prescribed formula using the cost of a company's short-term financings as well as a company's capitalization (preferred stock, long-term debt and common equity). The average rate is applied to average eligible CWIP amounts to calculate AFUDC.

 

N.       Other Income, Net

Items included within Other Income, Net on the statements of income primarily consist of investment income/(loss), interest income, AFUDC related to equity funds, and equity in earnings. Investment income/(loss) primarily related to the NU supplemental benefit trust. For further information, see Note 6, "Marketable Securities," to the financial statements. For further information on AFUDC related to equity funds, see Note 1M, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Allowance for Funds Used During Construction," to the financial statements. For further information on equity in earnings, see Note 1J, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Equity Method Investments," to the financial statements.

 

O.       Other Taxes

Gross receipts taxes levied by the state of Connecticut are collected by CL&P and Yankee Gas from their respective customers. These gross receipts taxes are shown on a gross basis with collections in Operating Revenues and payments in Taxes Other Than Income Taxes on the statements of income as follows:

 For the Years Ended December 31,
(Millions of Dollars)2013 2012 2011
NU$ 144.1 $ 135.0 $ 137.8
CL&P  128.2   120.7   121.6

Certain sales taxes are also collected by NU's companies that serve customers in Connecticut and Massachusetts as agents for state and local governments and are recorded on a net basis with no impact on the statements of income.

P.Supplemental Cash Flow Information
            
NUAs of and For the Years Ended December 31,
(Millions of Dollars)2013 2012 (1) 2011
Cash Paid/(Received) During the Year for:        
 Interest, Net of Amounts Capitalized$ 343.3 $356.5 $ 256.3
 Income Taxes  50.0   (12.8)   (76.6)
Non-Cash Investing Activities:        
 Plant Additions Included in Accounts Payable (As of)  193.1  160.6  168.5
            
(1) NSTAR amounts were included in NU beginning April 10, 2012.

  As of and For the Years Ended December 31,
  2013 2012 2011
     NSTAR          NSTAR          NSTAR      
(Millions of Dollars)CL&P Electric  PSNH WMECO CL&P Electric PSNH WMECO CL&P Electric  PSNH WMECO
Cash Paid/(Received) During                                    
 the Year for:                                   
 Interest, Net of Amounts                                    
  Capitalized $131.6 $75.8 $43.3 $25.8 $129.4 $94.6 $49.8 $25.8 $ 136.6 $96.1 $ 49.3 $ 22.1
 Income Taxes 55.0  163.4  (30.1)  (69.0)  (42.0)  88.1  14.7  (8.4)   (27.5)  (62.2)   (29.0)   (4.9)
Non-Cash Investing Activities:                                   
 Plant Additions Included in                                    
  Accounts Payable (As of) 51.4  57.0  34.9  19.5  42.8  50.0  16.8  30.0   32.7  34.3   51.1   61.3

The merger of NU with NSTAR on April 10, 2012 represented a significant non-cash transaction. Refer to Note 2, "Merger of NU and NSTAR," for further information on the purchase price of NSTAR.

 

Q.       Related Parties

NUSCO, NU's service company, provides centralized accounting, administrative, engineering, financial, information technology, legal, operational, planning, purchasing, and other services to NU's companies. RRR, Renewable Properties, Inc. and Properties, Inc., three other NU subsidiaries, construct, acquire or lease some of the property and facilities used by NU's companies.

 

As of both December 31, 2013 and 2012, CL&P, PSNH and WMECO had long-term receivables from NUSCO in the amounts of $25 million, $3.8 million and $5.5 million, respectively, which were included in Other Long-Term Assets on the balance sheets. These amounts related to the funding of investments held in trust by NUSCO in connection with certain postretirement benefits for CL&P, PSNH and WMECO employees and have been eliminated in consolidation on the NU financial statements.

 

NSTAR Electric's balance sheets included $64.2 million and $70.2 million in Payable to Affiliated Companies as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. These amounts related to payments received from affiliates as a result of NSTAR Electric's role as the acting sponsor of the NSTAR Pension Plan.

 

Included in the CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO balance sheets as of December 31, 2013 and 2012 were Accounts Receivable from Affiliated Companies and Accounts Payable to Affiliated Companies relating to transactions between CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO and other subsidiaries that are wholly owned by NU. These amounts have been eliminated in consolidation on the NU financial statements.

 

R.       Severance Benefits

During 2013, NU recorded severance benefit expenses of $9.7 million in connection with the partial outsourcing of information technology functions made as part of ongoing post-merger integration. As of December 31, 2013, the severance accrual totaled $14.7 million and was included in Other Current Liabilities on the balance sheet.