Date:  October 31, 2004


Securities and Exchange Commission
Attention:  Securities Ownership Reports
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.  20549

Re:  Authorization to Sign and File Securities Ownership
     Reports

To whom it may concern:

I, Lawrence E. DeSimone, hereby authorize the following
officers and agents of Northeast Utilities to sign and file
Forms 3, 4 and 5 on my behalf, via the EDGAR system or
otherwise, to report changes in my beneficial ownership of
securities of Northeast Utilities and its subsidiaries and
to obtain required EDGAR access codes to facilitate such
filings:

    Gregory B. Butler (Senior Vice President, Secretary and
General Counsel, Northeast Utilities)

    Jeffrey C. Miller (Assistant General Counsel,
    Northeast Utilities Service Company)

    O. Kay Comendul (Assistant Secretary, Northeast
    Utilities)

This authorization shall remain in effect until I notify you
otherwise.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Lawrence E. De Simone