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GENERATION ASSET SALE
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Regulated Operations [Abstract]  
GENERATION ASSET SALE
GENERATION ASSET SALE

In June 2015, Eversource and PSNH entered into the 2015 Public Service Company of New Hampshire Restructuring and Rate Stabilization Agreement, pursuant to which PSNH agreed to divest its generation assets, subject to NHPUC approval.  The NHPUC approved this agreement as well as the final divestiture plan and auction process in 2016. On October 11, 2017, PSNH entered into two Purchase and Sale Agreements with private investors, one to sell its thermal generation assets at a purchase price of $175 million, subject to adjustment, (the “Thermal Agreement”) and a second to sell its hydroelectric generation assets at a purchase price of $83 million, subject to adjustment (the “Hydro Agreement”). The NHPUC approved these agreements in late November 2017, at which time the Company classified these assets as held for sale.

On January 10, 2018, PSNH completed the sale of its thermal generation assets pursuant to the Thermal Agreement. In accordance with the Thermal Agreement, the original purchase price of $175 million was adjusted to reflect working capital adjustments, closing date adjustments and proration of taxes and fees prior to closing, totaling $40.9 million. In the second quarter of 2018, the purchase price was further adjusted by $17.3 million relating to the valuation of certain allowances. As a result of these adjustments, net proceeds from the sale of the thermal assets totaled $116.8 million.

On July 16, 2018, FERC issued its order approving the transfer of PSNH's six hydroelectric licenses to private investors. On August 26, 2018, PSNH completed the sale of its hydroelectric generation assets pursuant to the Hydro Agreement. In accordance with the Hydro Agreement, the original purchase price of $83 million was adjusted to reflect contractual adjustments totaling $5.8 million, resulting in net proceeds of $77.2 million. The difference between the carrying value of the hydroelectric generation assets and the sale proceeds resulted in a gain of $17.3 million. An estimated gain from the sale of these assets was included as an offset to the total remaining costs associated with the sale of generation assets that were securitized on May 8, 2018.

On May 8, 2018, PSNH Funding issued $635.7 million of securitized RRBs to finance PSNH's unrecovered remaining costs associated with the divestiture of its generation assets, which included the deferred costs resulting from the sale of the thermal generation assets. These RRBs are secured by a non-bypassable charge recoverable from PSNH customers. As of December 31, 2018, unamortized securitized stranded costs totaled $608.4 million and are included in Regulatory Assets on the Eversource and PSNH balance sheets. As of December 31, 2017, the deferred costs resulting from the thermal generation asset sale of $516.1 million represented the difference between the carrying value and the fair value less cost to sell the thermal generation assets. For further information on the securitized RRB issuance, see Note 9, "Rate Reduction Bonds and Variable Interest Entities."

For the year ended December 31, 2018, pre-tax income associated with the hydroelectric assets prior to the sale on August 26, 2018 was $9.9 million. For the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, pre-tax income associated with PSNH's generation assets was $60.0 million, and $65.3 million, respectively.

As of December 31, 2018, all generation assets had been sold and as a result, no generation assets were classified as held for sale. As of December 31, 2017, PSNH's generation assets held for sale, which were included in current assets on the Eversource and PSNH balance sheets, and were part of the Electric Distribution reportable segment, were as follows:
(Millions of Dollars)
As of December 31, 2017
Thermal Gross Plant
$
1,091.4

Hydroelectric Gross Plant
83.0

Accumulated Depreciation
(575.4
)
Net Plant
599.0

Fuel and Inventory
87.7

Materials and Supplies
27.3

Emission Allowances
19.1

Other Assets
2.6

Deferred Costs from Thermal Generation Asset Sale
(516.1
)
Total Generation Assets Held for Sale
$
219.6