GOODWILL

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Notes To Consolidated Financial Statements [Abstract]

Goodwill Disclosure [Text Block]

22.GOODWILL

In accordance with the accounting standards, goodwill is not subject to amortization. However, goodwill is subject to fair value-based rules for measuring impairment, and resulting write-downs, if any, are charged to Operating Expenses. These accounting standards require that goodwill be reviewed at least annually for impairment and whenever facts or circumstances indicate that there may be an impairment. NU uses October 1st as the annual goodwill impairment testing date.

On April 10, 2012, upon consummation of the merger with NSTAR, NU recorded approximately $3.2 billion of goodwill. With the completion of the merger, NU reviewed its management structure and determinedthat the reporting units for the purpose of testing goodwill for impairment are Electric Distribution, Electric Transmission and Natural Gas Distribution. NU's reporting units are consistent with the operating segments underlying the reportable segments identified in Note 20, "Segment Information," to the financial statements. Accordingly, the goodwill resulting from the merger was allocated to the Electric Distribution, Electric Transmission and Natural Gas Distribution reporting unitsbased on the estimatedfair values of the reporting units as of the merger date.

Prior to the merger with NSTAR, the only reporting unit that maintained goodwill was the Natural Gas Distribution reportable segment related to the acquisition of the parent of Yankee Gas in 2000. This goodwill was recorded at Yankee Gas. The goodwill balance at Yankee Gas as of December 31, 2014 and 2013was $0.3billion.

NU completed its annual goodwill impairment test for each of its reporting units as of October 1, 2014 and determined that no impairment exists. There were no events subsequent to October 1, 2014 that indicated impairment of goodwill.

There were no changes to the goodwill balance or the allocation of goodwill as of December 31, 2014 or 2013.The allocation of goodwill to NU's reporting unitsas of both December 31, 2014 and 2013 was as follows:

	Electric		Electric		Natural Gas
(Billions of Dollars)	Distribution		Transmission		Distribution		Total
Goodwill Allocation	$	2.5	$	0.6	$	0.4	$	3.5