PSNH GENERATION ASSET SALE

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2016

Regulated Operations [Abstract]

PSNH GENERATION ASSET SALE

PSNH GENERATION ASSET SALE

On June 10, 2015, Eversource and PSNH entered into the 2015 Public Service Company of New Hampshire Restructuring and Rate Stabilization Agreement (the Agreement) with the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning, certain members of the NHPUC staff, the Office of Consumer Advocate, two State Senators, and several other parties.  Under the terms of the Agreement, PSNH agreed to divest its generation assets, subject to NHPUC approval.  The Agreement provided for a resolution of issues pertaining to PSNH’s generation assets in pending regulatory proceedings before the NHPUC.  The Agreement provided for the Clean Air Project prudence proceeding to be resolved and all remaining Clean Air Project costs to be included in rates effective January 1, 2016.  In addition, PSNH will not seek a general distribution rate increase effective before July 1, 2017 and will contribute $5 million to create a clean energy fund, which will not be recoverable from its customers.  In the first nine months of 2015, PSNH recorded the $5 million contribution as a long-term liability and an increase to Operations and Maintenance expense on the statements of income.

On July 1, 2016, the NHPUC approved the Agreement in an order that, among other things, instructs PSNH to begin the process to divest its generation assets.  The NHPUC selected an auction adviser to assist with the divestiture, and a final plan and auction process will be determined by the NHPUC in the fourth quarter of 2016.  Upon completion of the divestiture process, all remaining stranded costs will be recovered via bonds that will be secured by a non-bypassable charge or through recoveries in rates billed to PSNH’s customers.

If the NHPUC approves the sale of the assets, the Company expects the assets will be sold prior to the end of 2017.  The sales price of the generating assets could be less than the carrying value, but the Company believes that full recovery of PSNH’s generation assets is probable through a combination of cash flows during the remaining operating period, sales proceeds upon divestiture, and recovery of stranded costs in future rates.

As of September 30, 2016, PSNH’s generation assets were as follows:

(Millions of Dollars)
Gross Plant	$	1,191.0
Accumulated Depreciation	(552.1		)
Net Plant	638.9
Fuel, Materials, Supplies and Allowances	161.9