About this book:

*Northeast Utilities: The Story of An American Company* offers a comprehensive look at the remarkable evolution of a major New England energy provider, from its fragmented beginnings to its current identity as Eversource Energy. Born from the landmark 1966 merger of Western Massachusetts Electric Company, Connecticut Light & Power, and Hartford Electric Light Company, the book traces the company's bold strategic decisions, including its ambitious pioneering of nuclear power in New England with the Millstone Point plant. It delves into the turbulent 1970s energy crisis, which forced a painful re-evaluation of growth strategies and fostered a new era of financial discipline under leaders like William B. Ellis, setting the stage for significant expansions like the acquisition of Public Service Company of New Hampshire.

The narrative extends through the transformative 1990s and 2000s, detailing how deregulation fundamentally reshaped the utility industry, leading to massive divestitures of generation assets and a sharpened focus on regulated transmission and distribution. It covers the failed Con Edison merger, which prompted Northeast Utilities to refocus on independent growth and substantial infrastructure investments like the Bethel–Norwalk and Middletown-Norwalk transmission lines. The book culminates with the pivotal 2012 NSTAR merger, creating New England's largest energy delivery system, and the subsequent 2015 rebranding to Eversource Energy. It explores the company's strategic pivot towards renewable energy and energy efficiency, including major offshore wind and solar initiatives, and its brief, but significant, foray into water utility ownership with Aquarion.

Ultimately, *Northeast Utilities* is more than a corporate history; it's a microcosm of the American energy sector's journey, grappling with technological change, regulatory challenges, and the imperative to balance public need with financial viability. It highlights the recurring controversies surrounding rates, customer satisfaction, and environmental impact, revealing the complex interplay between a critical infrastructure provider, its communities, and its evolving role in the clean energy transition. This book provides an insightful chronicle of adaptation, resilience, and ambition, illustrating how one company shaped, and was shaped by, the changing energy landscape of an entire region.

What You'll Find Inside:

• Chronicles the evolution of Northeast Utilities (now Eversource Energy) from the merger of three New England electric companies in 1966 to a dominant multi-state energy and water provider.
• Details the company's ambitious, yet challenging, venture into nuclear power with the Millstone Point plant and its impact on regional energy supply, including subsequent setbacks and regulatory issues.
• Explores the significant impact of deregulation and competition in the 1990s, forcing the company to divest most of its power generation assets and transition into a 'wires and pipes' delivery model.
• Highlights major strategic expansions, including the acquisition of Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH) and Yankee Energy, along with the transformative NSTAR merger and the eventual rebranding to Eversource Energy.
• Discusses the company's modern focus on infrastructure investment, grid modernization, and substantial commitments to renewable energy (like offshore wind and solar) and energy efficiency programs, while navigating persistent controversies over rates and customer satisfaction.

Who's It For:

This book is ideal for individuals interested in the history of the American utility industry, particularly in New England. It would appeal to business historians, energy policy analysts, students of corporate mergers and acquisitions, and anyone seeking a deep understanding of the challenges and transformations faced by regulated monopolies in a changing energy landscape. Local residents of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire who are customers of Eversource (or its predecessor companies) would also find this a compelling read to understand the origins and evolution of their energy provider.