POWER OF ATTORNEY
                         For Executing Forms 3, 4 and 5
                               Northeast Utilities

        Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and
appoints each of Gregory B. Butler, O. Kay Comendul, Florence J. Iacono, Samuel
K. Lee, Jeffrey C. Miller, and Richard J. Morrison, signing singly, as his/her
true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

        (1)     Execute for and on behalf of the undersigned Forms 3, 4 and 5 in
accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the
rules thereunder;

        (2)     Do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the
undersigned which may be necessary or desirable to complete the execution of any
such Form 3, 4 and 5 and the timely filing of such form with the United States
Securities and Exchange Commission and any other authority; and

        (3)     Take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with
the foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit
to, in the best interest of, or legally required by, the undersigned, it being
understood that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the
undersigned pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall be in such form and shall
contain such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in
his/her discretion.

        The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power
and authority to do and perform all and every act and thing whatsoever
requisite, necessary and proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights
and powers herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as such
attorney-in-fact might or could do if personally present, with full power of
substitution or revocation, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such
attorney-in-fact, or his/her substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or
cause to be done by virtue of this power of attorney and the rights and powers
herein granted. The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing
attorneys-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the request of the
undersigned, are not assuming any of the undersigned's responsibilities to
comply with Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to
be executed as of April 10, 2012.

                                        /s/ Thomas J. May
                                        ---------------------------------------
                                            Thomas J. May