DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Notes To Consolidated Financial Statements [Abstract]

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Text Block]

4.       DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

The Regulated companies purchase and procure energy and energy-related products, which are subject to price volatility, for their customers. The costs associated with supplying energy to customers are recoverable from customers in future rates. The Regulated companies manage the risks associated with the price volatility of energy and energy-related products through the use of derivative and nonderivative contracts.

Many of the derivative contracts meet the definition of, and are designated as, normal and qualify for accrual accounting under the applicable accounting guidance. The costs and benefits of derivative contracts that meet the definition of normal are recognized in Operating Expenses or Operating Revenues on the statements of income, as applicable, as electricity or natural gas is delivered.

Derivative contracts that are not designated as normal are recorded at fair value as current or long-term Derivative Assets or Derivative Liabilities on the balance sheets. For the Regulated companies, regulatory assets or regulatory liabilities are recorded to offset the fair values of derivatives, as contract settlement amounts are recovered from, or refunded to, customers in their respective energy supply rates.

The gross fair values of derivative assets and liabilities with the same counterparty are offset and reported as net Derivative Assets or Derivative Liabilities, with current and long-term portions, on the balance sheets. The following table presents the gross fair values of contracts, categorized by risk type, and the net amounts recorded as current or long-term derivative assets or liabilities:

		As of December 31,
		2015						2014
		Commodity Supply				Net Amount		Commodity Supply				Net Amount
		and Price Risk				Recorded as		and Price Risk					Recorded as
(Millions of Dollars)		Management		Netting (1)		a Derivative		Management		Netting (1)		a Derivative
Current Derivative Assets:
Level 3:
	Eversource	$	16.7	$	(10.9)	$	5.8	$	16.2	$	(6.6)	$	9.6
	CL&P		16.7		(10.9)		5.8		16.1		(6.6)		9.5
	NSTAR Electric		-		-		-		0.1		-		0.1
Long-Term Derivative Assets:
Level 2:
	Eversource	$	0.1	$	-	$	0.1	$	-	$	-	$	-
Level 3:
	Eversource		62.0		(19.3)		42.7		93.5		(19.2)		74.3
	CL&P		60.7		(19.3)		41.4		93.5		(19.2)		74.3
	NSTAR Electric		1.3		-		1.3		-		-		-
Current Derivative Liabilities:
Level 2:
	Eversource	$	(5.8)	$	-	$	(5.8)	$	(9.8)	$	-	$	(9.8)
Level 3:
	Eversource		(92.3)		-		(92.3)		(90.0)		-		(90.0)
	CL&P		(91.8)		-		(91.8)		(88.5)		-		(88.5)
	NSTAR Electric		(0.5)		-		(0.5)		(1.5)		-		(1.5)
Long-Term Derivative Liabilities:
Level 2:
	Eversource	$	-	$	-	$	-	$	(0.3)	$	-	$	(0.3)
Level 3:
	Eversource		(337.1)		-		(337.1)		(409.3)		-		(409.3)
	CL&P		(336.2)		-		(336.2)		(406.2)		-		(406.2)
	NSTAR Electric		(0.9)		-		(0.9)		(3.1)		-		(3.1)

(1)Amounts represent derivative assets and liabilities that Eversource elected to record net on the balance sheets. These amounts are subject to master netting agreements or similar agreements for which the right of offset exists.

The business activities that result in the recognition of derivative assets also create exposure to various counterparties. As of December 31, 2015, Eversource's and CL&P's derivative assets were exposed to counterpartycredit risk. Of Eversource's and CL&P's derivative assets, approximately $47million wascontracted with investment grade entities.

For further information on the fair value of derivative contracts, see Note 1H, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies -Fair Value Measurements," and Note 1I, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Derivative Accounting," to the financial statements.

Derivative ContractsAt Fair Value with Offsetting Regulatory Amounts

Commodity Supply and Price Risk Management: As required by regulation, CL&P, along with UI, has capacity-related contracts with generation facilities. CL&P has a sharing agreement with UI, with 80 percent of the costs or benefits of each contract borne by or allocated to CL&P and 20 percent borne by or allocated to UI. The combined capacity of these contracts is 787 MW. The capacity contracts extend through 2026 and obligate both CL&P and UI to make or receive payments on a monthly basis to or from the generation facilities based on the difference between a set capacity price and the capacity market price received in the ISO-NE capacity markets. In addition, CL&P has a contract to purchase 0.1 million MWh of energy per year through 2020.

NSTAR Electric has a renewable energy contract to purchase 0.1 million MWh of energy per year through 2018 and a capacity-related contract to purchase up to 35 MW per year through 2019.

As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, Eversource had NYMEX financial contracts for natural gas futures in order to reduce variability associated with the purchase price of approximately 9.1million and 8.8million MMBtu of natural gas, respectively.

For the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and2013, there were losses of $60.2 million and gains of $134.4 million and $160.6 million, respectively, deferred as regulatory costs, which reflect the change in fair value associated with Eversource's derivative contracts.

Credit Risk

Certain of Eversource's derivative contracts contain credit risk contingent provisions. These provisions require Eversource to maintain investment grade credit ratings from the major rating agencies and to post collateral for contracts in a net liability position over specified credit limits. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, Eversource had $5.8 million and $10 million, respectively, of derivative contracts in a net liability position that were subject to credit risk contingent provisions and would have been required to post additional collateral of $5.8 million and $10 million, respectively, if Eversource parent's unsecured debt credit ratings had been downgraded to below investment grade.

Fair Value Measurements of Derivative Instruments

Derivative contracts classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy relate to the financial contracts for natural gas futures. Prices are obtained from broker quotes and are based on actual market activity. The contracts are valued using NYMEX natural gas prices. Valuations of these contracts also incorporate discount rates using the yield curve approach.

The fair value of derivative contracts classified as Level 3 utilizes significant unobservable inputs. The fair value is modeled using income techniques, such as discounted cash flow valuations adjusted for assumptions relating to exit price. Significant observable inputs for valuations of these contracts include energy and energy-related product prices in future years for which quoted prices in an active market exist. Fair value measurements categorized in Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy are prepared by individuals with expertise in valuation techniques, pricing of energy and energy-related products, and accounting requirements. The future power and capacity prices for periods that are not quoted in an active market or established at auction are based on available market data and are escalated based on estimates of inflation in order to address the full time period of the contract.

Valuations of derivative contracts using a discounted cash flow methodology include assumptions regarding the timing and likelihood of scheduled payments and also reflect non-performance risk, including credit, using the default probability approach based on the counterparty's credit rating for assets and the Company's credit rating for liabilities. Valuations incorporate estimates of premiums or discounts that would be required by a market participant to arrive at an exit price, using historical market transactions adjusted for the terms of the contract.

The following is a summary of Eversource's, including CL&P's and NSTAR Electric's, Level 3 derivative contracts and the range of the significant unobservable inputs utilized in their respective valuations over the duration of the contracts:

	As of December 31,
	2015						2014
		Range				Period Covered		Range				Period Covered
Capacity Prices:
Eversource	$	10.81	-	15.82	per kW-Month	2016 - 2026	$	5.30	-	12.98	per kW-Month	2016 - 2026
CL&P	$	10.81	-	12.60	per kW-Month	2019 - 2026	$	11.08	-	12.98	per kW-Month	2018 - 2026
NSTAR Electric	$	10.81	-	15.82	per kW-Month	2016 - 2019	$	5.30	-	11.10	per kW-Month	2016 - 2019
Forward Reserve:
Eversource, CL&P	$	2.00			per kW-Month	2016 - 2024	$	5.80	-	9.50	per kW-Month	2015 - 2024
REC Prices:
Eversource, NSTAR Electric	$	45	-	51	per REC	2016 - 2018	$	38	-	56	per REC	2015 - 2018

Exit price premiums of 5 percent to22 percent are also applied on these contracts and reflect the uncertainty and illiquidity premiums that would be required based on the most recent market activity available for similar type contracts.

Valuations using significant unobservable inputs: The following table presents changes in the Level 3 category of derivative assets and derivative liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis. The derivative assets and liabilities are presented on a net basis.

(Millions of Dollars)	Eversource		CL&P		NSTAR Electric
Derivatives, Net:
Fair Value as of January 1, 2014	$	(635.2)	$	(630.6)	$	(7.3)
Net Realized/Unrealized Gains Included in Regulatory Assets and Liabilities		141.3		139.7		4.3
Settlements		78.5		80.0		(1.5)
Fair Value as of December 31, 2014	$	(415.4)	$	(410.9)	$	(4.5)
Net Realized/Unrealized Losses Included in Regulatory Assets and Liabilities		(52.1)		(51.3)		(0.8)
Settlements		86.6		81.4		5.2
Fair Value as of December 31, 2015	$	(380.9)	$	(380.8)	$	(0.1)

Significant increases or decreases in future energy or capacity prices in isolation would decrease or increase, respectively, the fair value of the derivative liability. Any increases in risk premiums would increase the fair value of the derivative liability. Changes in these fair values are recorded as a regulatory asset or liability and do not impact net income.