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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
3 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Notes To Consolidated Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

EVERSOURCE ENERGY 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 CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)

 

Refer to the Glossary of Terms included in this combined Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for abbreviations and acronyms used throughout the combined notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

1.       SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

A.       Basis of Presentation

Eversource Energy is a public utility holding company primarily engaged through its wholly owned regulated utility subsidiaries in the energy delivery business. Eversource Energy's wholly owned regulated utility subsidiaries consist of CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH, WMECO, Yankee Gas and NSTAR Gas. Eversource 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.

 

On April 30, 2015, the Company's legal name was changed from Northeast Utilities to Eversource Energy. CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO are each doing business as Eversource Energy.

 

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

 

The combined notes to the financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. Certain information and footnote disclosures included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. The accompanying financial statements should be read in conjunction with the entirety of this combined Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the first and second quarter 2015 combined Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and the 2014 combined Annual Report on Form 10-K of Eversource, CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO, which were filed with the SEC. 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.

 

The financial statements contain, in the opinion of management, all adjustments (including normal, recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly Eversource's, CL&P's, NSTAR Electric's, PSNH's and WMECO's financial position as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the results of operations and comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, and the cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014. The results of operations and comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 and the cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 are not necessarily indicative of the results expected for a full year.

 

Eversource consolidates CYAPC and YAEC because 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 Eversource financial statements.

 

Eversource's utility subsidiaries' distribution (including generation) and transmission businesses are subject to rate-regulation that is based on cost recovery and meets the criteria for application of accounting guidance for entities with rate-regulated operations, which considers the effect of regulation on the differences in the timing of the recognition of certain revenues and expenses from those of other businesses and industries. See Note 2, "Regulatory Accounting," for further information.

 

Certain reclassifications of prior period data were made in the accompanying financial statements to conform to the current period presentation.

 

B.       Accounting Standards

Accounting Standards Issued but not Yet Effective: In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued an Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which amends existing revenue recognition guidance and is required to be applied retrospectively (either to each reporting period presented or cumulatively at the date of initial application). In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers – Deferral of the Effective Date, as a result of which ASU 2014-09 is required to be applied in the first quarter of 2018, with 2017 application permitted. The Company is reviewing the requirements of ASU 2014-09 and will implement the standard in the first quarter of 2018. The ASU is not expected to have a material impact on the financial statements of Eversource, CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH or WMECO.

 

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs, that changes the balance sheet presentation of debt issuance costs. Under the standard, issuance costs related to debt will be presented on the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the debt liability rather than as a deferred cost as required by current guidance. The new accounting guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning in the first quarter of 2016 with early adoption permitted. Upon adoption, an entity must apply the new guidance retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. The Company intends to adopt the new guidance at December 31, 2015. Management does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material effect on the financial statements of Eversource, CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH or WMECO.

C.       Provision for Uncollectible Accounts

Eversource, including CL&P, NSTAR Electric, PSNH and WMECO, presents its receivables at estimated net realizable value by maintaining a provision for uncollectible accounts. This provision is determined based upon a variety of judgments and factors, including the application of an estimated uncollectible percentage to each receivable aging category. The estimate is based upon historical collection and write-off experience and management's assessment of collectability from customers. Management continuously assesses the collectability of receivables and adjusts collectability estimates based on actual experience. 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 180 days and 90 days, respectively. The DPU allows WMECO to also recover in rates amounts associated with certain uncollectible hardship accounts receivable. Uncollectible customer account balances, which are expected to be recovered in rates, are included in Regulatory Assets or Other Long-Term Assets.

 

The total provision for uncollectible accounts and for uncollectible hardship accounts, which is included in the total provision, are included in Receivables, Net on the balance sheets, and were as follows:

   Total Provision for Uncollectible Accounts Uncollectible Hardship
(Millions of Dollars) As of September 30, 2015 As of December 31, 2014 As of September 30, 2015 As of December 31, 2014
Eversource $185.8 $175.3 $86.6 $91.5
CL&P   79.5  84.3  64.9  74.0
NSTAR Electric  46.4  40.7   -   -
PSNH  9.4  7.7   -   -
WMECO  13.2  9.9  7.7  6.2

D.       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 valuations of the investments used to calculate the funded status of pension and PBOP plans and nonrecurring fair value measurements of nonfinancial assets such as goodwill and AROs, and is also used to estimate the fair value of preferred stock and long-term debt.

 

Fair Value Hierarchy: In measuring fair value, Eversource uses observable market data when available in order to minimize 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. Eversource evaluates the classification of assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a quarterly basis, and Eversource'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 Eversource's fair value measurements are described in Note 4, "Derivative Instruments," Note 5, "Marketable Securities," and Note 9, "Fair Value of Financial Instruments," to the financial statements.

 

E.       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 relates to debt and equity securities held in trust. For further information, see Note 5, "Marketable Securities," to the financial statements.

 

F.       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 separately with collections in Operating Revenues and payments in Taxes Other Than Income Taxes on the statements of income as follows:

 For the Three Months Ended For the Nine Months Ended
(Millions of Dollars)September 30, 2015 September 30, 2014 September 30, 2015 September 30, 2014
Eversource$37.8 $ 35.0 $112.9 $ 114.6
CL&P 35.5   32.5  98.0   99.0

Certain sales taxes are collected by Eversource'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.

G.  Supplemental Cash Flow Information
Non-cash investing activities include plant additions included in Accounts Payable as follows:
         
(Millions of Dollars)As of September 30, 2015 As of September 30, 2014
Eversource$160.7  128.9
CL&P 46.0  52.2
NSTAR Electric 31.2  18.1
PSNH 33.8  21.0
WMECO 15.5  10.0

H.       Severance Benefits

Eversource recorded severance benefit expense of $1 million and $0.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively, and $2.6 million and $6.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively, in connection with reorganizational and cost saving initiatives, and, in 2014, the partial outsourcing of information technology functions. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the severance accrual totaled $7.1 million and $10.4 million, respectively, and was included in Other Current Liabilities on the balance sheets.

 

I.       Income Taxes

Income tax expense is estimated for each of the jurisdictions in which Eversource operates and is recorded on the quarter using an estimated annualized effective tax rate. This process to record income tax expense involves estimating current and deferred income tax expense or benefit and the impact of temporary differences resulting from differing treatment of items for financial reporting and income tax return reporting purposes. Such differences are the result of timing of the deduction for expenses, as well as any impact of permanent differences, non-tax deductible expenses, or other items that directly impact the income tax return as a result of a regulatory activity (flow-through items). The temporary differences and flow-through items result in deferred tax assets and liabilities that are included in the balance sheets.

 

Part of the annual process in making adjustments to these estimates is reconciling the provision for income taxes made during the income tax estimation process to what was filed in the income tax return (return to provision). In the third quarter of 2015, Eversource and CL&P recorded an $8 million and $4.2 million charge, respectively, as a result of reconciling and adjusting its 2014 provision for income taxes to what was filed on its 2014 income tax return. Concurrently, Eversource and CL&P recorded a reversal of state tax reserves in the third quarter of 2015, which resulted in a $5.9 million and $2.2 million benefit, respectively.