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EEI and AGA ESG Reporting Template - Version 3

Eversource continues to be recognized in Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies and as one of America’s Most Just Companies.

Conducting our business with integrity in a socially and environmentally responsible manner earns the trust of our customers, attracts talented new employees, and demonstrates our shared responsibility of restoring our planet. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives are fully integrated into the policies and principles that govern our company. Building on our sustainability commitment, in 2023 we released our Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Plan that provides information about our actions to enhance system resiliency, engage our stakeholders and promote equity as we adapt to a changing climate. 

In addition to our comprehensive Eversource 2022 Sustainability Report, we have been a leader within the Edison Electric Institute trade group, working to create standardized ESG disclosures across our industry. To that end, the nation’s electric and natural gas companies have adopted a common set of qualitative and quantitative ESG disclosures which are outlined below.

Environment

We are committed to environmental stewardship and to minimizing our impact on the environment. With climate change as one of the most pressing challenges we face, we understand the importance of reducing emissions.

Implementing strategies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

The carbon intensity of the New England electrical grid is among the lowest in the country and is continuously supported by state reduction goals in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Each state is a member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and has its own carbon goal or action plan to reduce GHG emissions, and we are partnering with policymakers and customers to achieve these goals.

StateGHG Reduction Targets
Connecticut45% below 2001 levels by 2030; Net Zero for the electric sector by 2040; 80% below 2001 levels by 2050
Massachusetts50% below 1990 level by 2030; 75% below 1990 levels by 2040, Net Zero by 2050
New Hampshire80% below 1990 level by 2050*

* Recommendation of the New Hampshire Climate Change Policy Taskforce

Our strategies focus on reducing our own emissions, helping our customers reduce their energy use, and supporting our region to facilitate achievement of state GHG reduction targets.

Energy efficiency

Energy efficiency is one of the most effective ways to save money, create jobs, reduce GHG emissions and enhance energy security. We are consistently recognized as a leader in energy efficiency by national industry organizations. We take great pride in designing and delivering solutions that are emulated by others across the country. Our energy efficiency portfolio reflects and responds to the way our customers live and use energy today and takes a multi-year approach that enables us to help customers plan for the future.

We invested $601 million in 2022 to help customers save 430 million kilowatt-hours and 9.5 million therms annually and reduce their energy costs by approximately $134 million per year. Decoupled distribution rates and financial incentives awarded based on the effectiveness of our programs provide us with financial stability.

We are also committed to help the states we serve meet their renewable portfolio standards, which require a certain percentage of the states’ electricity supply to come from renewable sources.

Renewable Portfolio Standards & Clean Energy Standards20222025
Connecticut35.00%38.00%
Massachusetts *59.17%58.17%
New Hampshire 23.4%25.20%

* Massachusetts requirements include Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards and Clean Energy Standards. 2025 value is an estimate.

Clean energy

Securing a clean energy future is a key priority, and we have adopted bold strategies to accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy for New England. We actively support state and federal emission reduction goals and are developing adaptation and resiliency strategies to address climate change. We are proud to be an industry leader in the development and operation of infrastructure to support clean energy.

As New England’s largest utility and a dedicated environmental steward, we are committed to bringing more clean, affordable and sustainable energy to the Northeast.

Wind

We have been working to develop offshore wind in the Northeast in partnership with Ørsted, the world’s leading developer of offshore wind.

The partnership currently includes three offshore wind projects under contract: South Fork Wind, Revolution Wind, and Sunrise Wind. Construction of South Fork Wind is expected to be complete by early 2024. Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind started construction in the summer of 2023.

Our offshore wind projects were subject to rigorous review during the permitting process to receive the federal, state and local approvals necessary to construct and operate the projects. The federal permitting process is governed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and state approvals were required from New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

The partnership has been awarded three long-term contracts for key offshore wind assets in the Northeast as follows:

South Fork WindRevolution WindSunrise Wind
Size130 MW704 MW924 MW
Contract Term20-year contract; NY20-year contracts; CT/RI25-year contract; NY; Eligible for rebid in Q4 2023 NY RFP
Most Recent Commercial Operation DateEarly 2024Late 2025Late 2025


In 2022, we announced we would be performing a strategic review of our offshore wind assets that could result in the potential sale of all or part of our 50% partnership interest in our total offshore wind investment. In May 2023, we announced the completion of our strategic review and that we had agreed to sell our 50% interest in the currently uncommitted lease area of approximately 175,000 developable acres to Ørsted for $625 million in an all-cash transaction; entered into a binding letter of intent with Ørsted to use a portion of the proceeds from the lease area sale to provide tax equity for the South Fork Wind project through a new tax equity ownership interest; and determined that it is in our best long-term interest to advance the sale of our existing 50% interest in the three jointly owned contracted offshore wind projects (South Fork Wind, Revolution Wind, and Sunrise Wind). We are currently negotiating a final agreement for the sale of our interest in the three projects.

Even after sale, however, we will remain a leader in U.S. offshore wind. We are currently the U.S. company most experienced in successful delivery of onshore transmission and interconnection systems for offshore wind, and we plan to build out more onshore transmission facilities to bring offshore generated energy to regional communities. We are poised to become one of the largest U.S. investors in offshore wind tax equity. We’re proud of the role we played launching this new U.S. industry, and we will continue to make sure our customers and our environment benefit from the growth in this critical industry.

Solar

We own 22 solar facilities, four of which beneficially repurpose landfill or other brownfield sites. Collectively, these facilities produce 70 MW of generation, enough to power more than 11,000 homes.  In March 2021, a Massachusetts climate bill was passed allowing us to own and develop additional MW of solar generation facilities paired with energy storage where feasible.

Under this new legislation, we proposed our first three additional solar projects, which are being reviewed by the Department of Public Utilities. If approved, the projects will help meet the Commonwealth’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. In developing these and future solar projects, we are working with cities and towns to provide solar benefits to customers in environmental justice communities.

We also manage solar incentive programs that help lower energy costs for participating customers while  supporting the region’s climate goals. To date, more than 140,000 Eversource customers have installed more than 2,500 MW of customer-sited solar. 

Battery storage

Energy storage technology provides opportunities for increased adoption and application of clean energy technology and improved reliability and resiliency. We continue to develop our battery storage programs to improve access to affordable backup energy storage that enables customers to be better prepared during storms and other causes of power outages.

In 2022, we completed the Provincetown Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), which provides backup power to more than 10,000 customers in a densely populated area on the outer cape in Massachusetts. This new system creates a microgrid extension on a 13-mile distribution circuit with a 25 MW/ 38 MWh battery, providing resiliency and reliability for many Eversource communities. Not only does the BESS address long-time concerns from local community members, but it also mitigated the need for the construction of a 13-mile distribution line through the Cape Cod National Seashore that could have posed environmental concerns. 

Electric vehicle infrastructure

New England’s objectives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions necessitate a transition to electric vehicles. Connecticut and Massachusetts have adopted mandates under the 11-state Zero Emissions Vehicle (“ZEV”) program that require the adoption of approximately 425,000 cars by 2025. New Hampshire has indicated voluntary support for the ZEV program. 

In 2022, we expanded its proposed role in transportation electrification by continuing to build public charging infrastructure and shifting to proposals and implementation of programs that support residential charging and initial solutions for fleet electrification. In addition to infrastructure programs, we are engaging in other ways with customers, regulators and law makers to support the EV transition. While most efforts to date have been in the passenger vehicle space, there is increasing interest in electrification of medium and heavy-duty vehicles where charging station infrastructure will be a necessary support to advance the market.

We received authorization and has completed investment of $55 million in electric vehicle charging infrastructure to support electric vehicles in Massachusetts, supporting more than 4,200 charging ports at nearly 500 customers. We also received approval for an expanded $188 million EV infrastructure program in Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, we maintained a strong focus on supporting equity and environmental justice in the communities we serve, with 19% of EV charging sites installed in these communities, exceeding our goal of 10%. We received a comprehensive order in Connecticut to implement a public, residential and fleet EV infrastructure program over 9 years beginning in 2022. These programs are focused on equitable solutions that include all customers across our service territory. In New Hampshire, we received approval for a targeted Make-Ready program for an EV fast charging corridor across that State’s major roadways. Implementation is expected to be completed in 2024. 

Network geothermal pilot

Geothermal technology uses the stable temperature of the Earth to efficiently warm buildings in the winter and cool them in the summer through a series of shared piping, boreholes and heat pumps. We are undertaking an innovative networked approach for our pilot in an environmental justice community within the city of Framingham, Massachusetts. Construction on the pilot commenced in 2023. Service will be provided to a wide, cross-section of single-family homes, multi-family, and commercial properties, including service to low-income customers.

This pilot will target a mix of current fuel sources to help understand the emissions reductions and other benefits to customers who currently receive delivered fuels (oil or propane) or who use electric resistance and gas heating. The purpose of the pilot is to gather sufficient data on the costs to install and operate the geothermal system, customer satisfaction and response, as well as information needed around the possibility of rolling out a larger geothermal program as an alternative energy source to other areas in our service territories.

Our 2030 carbon neutrality goal

Our goal to achieve carbon neutrality in our operations by 2030 exemplifies our commitment to be a leader in our industry when it comes to addressing climate change. Overseeing our plan to achieve neutrality is a dedicated oversight committee comprised of cross functional company leaders. Subcommittees are focused on pursuing reductions in our operational emissions by improving efficiency and implementing emerging technologies, engaging our employees and external stakeholders in the development and implementation of innovative strategies, and investigating opportunities to offset carbon emissions we cannot avoid. Since our base year of 2018, our GHG footprint has declined by 25%. We are focused on achieving our goal by reducing our emissions in the following five key operational areas:

  • Methane: We continue to make improvements to our natural gas distribution system by replacing aging pipes to reduce methane leaks. Since 2018, we have replaced more than 610 miles of aged, leak-prone natural gas distribution infrastructure, and we plan to exceed historical upgrades with more than 143 miles of pipe replacements in 2023. In 2022, we increased our pledge to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Methane Challenge Program to replace bare-steel and cast-iron mains and associated services from what was previously 3% to now 6% each year. We are also evaluating possible options to support the decarbonization of the heating sector including exploring cleaner technologies such as geothermal, renewable natural gas and clean hydrogen.
  • Line loss: Line loss, or the energy lost when power is transmitted and distributed across our electric system, is one of the electric industry’s largest sources of indirect emissions. We continue to reduce the climate impact of line loss as we improve efficiencies in our electric infrastructure and collaborate with state and regional efforts that are enabling a cleaner mix of energy in the grid. We are also implementing distribution infrastructure projects that will enhance system efficiency.
  • SF6: We continue to make strides in reducing sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas emissions from our existing equipment through strong maintenance practices and the successful implementation of a detailed SF6 gas tracking and inventory program. While these efforts have supported a reduction of 17% from 2021 to 2022 of this emission source, we also remain focused on alternatives that will help us phase out this potent GHG. We are working with industry partners to research and test innovative solutions to reduce the dependency on SF6 gas in high-voltage electrical equipment, which includes piloting SF6-free equipment. As an example, we collaborated with Siemens Energy to install the first SF6-free, eco-efficient Clean Air BlueTM 115kV circuit breaker in the U.S. at our substation in Preston, Connecticut, which uses purified oxygen as the insulating medium instead of SF6. 
  • Fleet: A key focus for the fleet operation is to reduce emissions from fuel consumption. We are focused on continued adoption of hybrid vehicles and alternative fuel sources as substitutes for diesel and gasoline, such as biodiesel. We have established partnerships with vendors developing innovative technologies such as Altec JEMS® and XL Fleet that specialize in emission-reducing tools and technology to help us reduce idle time and improve fuel efficiency. Over 22% of our bucket trucks utilized hybrid technology by the end of 2022. Looking ahead to 2023, we aim to continue to expand our fleet with hybrid vehicles, with a formalized goal to have 100% of our bucket trucks utilizing hybrid technology by 2030.
  • Facilities: We are implementing many initiatives to reduce electricity and fuel use at our facilities, such as improving building envelopes, upgrading HVAC equipment, installing sophisticated building control systems and converting all lighting fixtures to LEDs. While these efforts have shown results in reducing energy consumption, we also began purchasing renewable energy and in 2022, sourced over 61,600 MWh of renewable energy credits for our facilities. Additionally, Aquarion’s Monroe, Connecticut, facility began realizing the benefits of rooftop solarization with 246 MWh of direct solar power produced and consumed at this location. This adoption of more renewable energy at our facilities has been an important factor in helping us balance the increased carbon intensity we have seen in our regional energy mix in recent years. 
  • Science-based target commitment: Building on a solid foundation of our carbon neutrality goal, in November 2022, we proudly committed to adopting aggressive measures that support deep, cross-sector carbon reductions through a science-based target. This target will be grounded in the most current climate science and recommendations for limiting global warming in collaboration with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a partnership of prominent environmental nongovernmental organizations, to significantly reduce carbon emissions. We are working diligently to develop specific, measurable, near-term GHG reduction targets in order to seek approval from the SBTi within 24 months of our commitment, consistent with their requirements.

Environmental stewardship

Environmental stewardship is a vital commitment for us, and we optimize our resources to foster biodiversity, promote conservation, and protect wildlife and natural resources. We are also dedicated to evaluating and reducing the potential impacts of our operations on the environment through strong management practices and partnerships with environmental stakeholders and state agencies. Focus areas include:

  • Water resource protection and conservation
  • Drinking water quality
  • Responsible waste management
  • Land preservation
  • Biodiversity, wildlife and habitat protection
  • Effective vegetation management

Social

Workforce development

We recognize that our employees are our most valuable asset and key to our success. We strive to attract, retain, and develop a diverse and inclusive workforce through comprehensive benefits, educational opportunities, and community programs that provide opportunities for new leaders to develop the skills we will need into the future.

Strategic workforce plans are developed every year as part of the annual business planning process to identify long range needs to ensure that we acquire, develop and retain diverse, capable talent. We continuously look for innovative ways to replenish the workforce by adapting our programs to meet business needs and build a pipeline of individuals who are technically oriented, with an interest in career advancement. The development of several unique pipeline programs in partnership with colleges and internal training has proven to be a successful strategy. 

We are focused on ensuring our current and future workforces are equipped with the necessary skill sets to transition alongside our evolving business. We’ve developed proactive recruiting strategies to attract experienced workers in highly technical and emerging roles, such as cybersecurity, renewable energy and grid modernization. We also have several established community college partnership programs in the three states we serve that feed our craft roles; multiple cohort and trainee programs in technical and other critical areas; and robust internship and apprentice programs .

We are dedicated to supporting our employees and their career development by providing growth opportunities, tuition assistance and a variety of field and classroom training, which supports ongoing professional growth and drives the success of our business. 

Employee development programs are aligned to strategic business plans to address immediate and long-range talent needs and promote succession within all levels of the organization. These programs include everything from pipeline development programs and technical skills and competencies for the evolving energy industry to leadership skills and behaviors necessary to effectively and ethically lead in the changing workforce.

Diversity, equity & inclusion

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) are core values that drive the way we do business and strengthen our bonds within our workforce. 

We are a signatory to the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion ™ pledge, demonstrating our ambition to advance diversity and inclusion in our workplace and to drive accountability for progress throughout our organization. We are a member of Paradigm for Parity, a coalition of business leaders dedicated to addressing the corporate leadership gender gap. We also continue to collaborate with the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), supporting the EEI DE&I Commitment with initiatives and metrics. Our DE&I Council and six employee Business Resource Groups (BRGs) help set strategy and lead the implementation of initiatives supporting our DE&I strategic goals across all three states. 

Detailed information about our DE&I progress, including demographic and EEO-1 data metrics and our policies, practices, programs and journey, can be found online in our 2022 DE&I Report.

Equity & environmental justice

We are committed to being a strong environmental partner and responsible steward in the communities we serve and on behalf of our customers. This commitment requires us to be attentive to environmental justice in all communities especially those that are home to individuals and communities of color, which often are overburdened with negative, ongoing environmental impacts and justice disparities resulting from historic inequities in the development of energy infrastructure, among other things. Environmental justice requires that all people and communities have the right to live, work and play in communities that are free of toxic exposures and environmental degradation that adversely affects their health and safety.  

We remain committed to fostering a pro-equity work culture with a focus to proactively engage with our customers, communities and stakeholders to better understand their needs and concerns upfront — so that we are better positioned to deliver equitable solutions to all of our customers and communities.

We know that reliable energy service is vital to public safety, community health, and the economic welfare of our customers. Our attention to the reliability of our energy system often results in enhancements and repairs that could further impact environmental justice communities, even where the intended purpose of these projects and activities is a focus on reliability and growth. We maintain that these complementary goals — reliability and justice — can be accomplished simultaneously with benefits for all.

Safety  

“Safety first and always” is an important Eversource core value – for our customers, employees and communities. Our approach is one in which all employees are empowered to proactively address hazards and are trained, prepared and able to safely conduct field-based work in an ever-changing environment. In 2022, we continued to update our field safety job observation process to focus on high-energy hazards, which can potentially result in a serious injury or fatality (SIF). Approximately 64,000 field safety observations of both internal and contractor crews were conducted to validate that potential hazards were effectively managed. We encourage our employees to report any unsafe condition they encounter; such reports resulted in more than 3,200 potential hazards being addressed in 2022. We unfortunately experienced one employee fatality in 2022, which reminds us why we must always maintain safety as a core value and further our commitment to safety first and always.

We work collaboratively with our union partners and industry peers to continuously learn and improve. Key components of our growing Safety Management System (SMS) are the integration of both human and organizational performance (HOP) and SIF principles. A component of the HOP principle is learning teams, in which groups of employees are brought together to discuss a safety issue and identify actionable solutions. In 2022, 45 learning teams addressed various safety-related topics.   

We have a responsibility to keep our communities safe in addition to conducting our day-to-day work activities safely. Our public website provides a variety of resources for first responders, emergency management personnel and other organizations throughout our service territory. We also conduct in-person semiannual electrical hazard awareness training for fire and police academies, which helps ensure safe and effective practices by first responders when responding to system emergencies. 

Community   

Our first priority is to provide our customers with the essential services they expect – safely and reliably delivering electricity, natural gas and water. Every day we strive to exceed customer expectations through excellent service and responsiveness. We are dedicated to operationalizing equity by providing options and technology to our customers, and we are confident that reliability and equity can be accomplished simultaneously. This requires engaging all stakeholders, including our customers and communities, with integrity, respect and dignity while working toward fair and just outcomes, especially for those burdened with economic challenges, racial inequality, negative environmental impacts and justice disparities. 

We constantly work to improve our messages around service, power restoration and essential account information so that our customers are in the driver’s seat with their energy consumption and choices. We do our best to communicate with our customers through their preferred channels and languages. As an early mover in offering Spanish-language digital resources, we’ve created Spanish interactive voice response message prompts and recordings, translated important webpages, and continue to offer a myriad of forms, brochures and printed collateral in additional languages.  We currently have a mobile application in Spanish, and important natural gas safety messages are translated into both Spanish and Portuguese, reducing confusion and misunderstanding to deliver an improved customer experience. We are also unwavering in our commitment to protect our customers’ personal information through our cybersecurity program, which is overseen at the board level and undergoes risk assessments, vulnerability management program enhancements, and bolstered policy and governance, and includes a proactive incident response program. This comprehensive cybersecurity program uses in-depth defense strategies consistent with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework.

Our community relations and government affairs team serves as our primary point of contact for state and local government officials and business leaders. We partner on community priorities and leverage the full benefit of our operational, safety, environmental protection and advocacy experience to support the needs of town leaders, constituents and communities. During emergency events, impacted communities are assigned an Eversource Community Liaison, who conducts proactive outreach and addresses specific community needs. New strategies were developed around social justice communities and the increase in citizen engagement in the public siting and permitting process. We deployed a new customer relationship management system, a tool used to capture communication with municipal officials during blue sky and gray sky days, creating a well-documented history of the company’s relationship with the customer.

Governance   

Our Board of Trustees (the board) oversees the business affairs and management of the company. The board is elected by the shareholders to ensure that the long-term interests of the shareholders are being served. Business executives report to the board on a regular basis to maintain accountability around sustainability, signifying the importance of sustainability in our vision to lead our industry in ethical and responsible business practices. The governance, environmental and social responsibility committee of the board provides primary oversight responsibility for climate action, environmental management, human capital management and overall sustainability performance and the full board receives regular updates on our progress. 

One of the key metrics the board uses to ensure continuous advancement of our ESG performance is setting an internal goal to remain among the top in our industry with regard to key external ESG ratings used by our investors and other stakeholders. In 2022, we were proud to continue the achievement of our goal to rank in the top 15% among a peer group of comparably sized U.S. utilities. We maintain a strong presence in sustainability associations to make sure we are aligned with the most up-to-date guidelines and recommendations around ESG communications and transparency. 

Our executive vice president, chief operating officer and corporate secretary and our senior vice president – corporate relations works with executive-level management from key ESG areas and oversees a team of employees that engages with operational and business partners to develop and manage strategic priorities, oversee GHG emission reduction initiatives, set sustainability goals and coordinate sustainability reporting. Our sustainability team meets regularly throughout the year to assess current practices and identify improvement opportunities.

Our Code of Business Conduct (CBC) sets the standards for all officers and employees of the company, as well as the board, in support of day-to-day decision-making in our relationships with customers, suppliers, regulators, shareholders and each other. All officers and employees receive periodic communication and annual mandatory training on the CBC, which serves as the foundation of our compliance culture. All trustees, officers and employees must abide by the principles of our CBC, which applies the same high ethical standards to all, regardless of job or level in the organization. Additionally, our Board has adopted a code of ethics for senior financial officers, a related party transactions policy, a political activity policy and a financial disclosure policy.

Cyber security

Our policies and practices continue to allow it to protect its cyber and operational assets. At the same time, the board and its committees continue to provide substantial and focused attention to cyber and system security. Comprehensive cyber security reports are provided and discussed at each meeting of the finance committee, which has primary responsibility for cyber and system security oversight at the committee level. These reports are provided to all members of the board and are discussed by the board at the time the finance committee chair reports on the committee’s meetings.

The reports focus on the changing threat landscape and the risks associated, describe cyber security drills and exercises, any attempted breaches, cyber incidents within the utility industry and all over the world, and mitigation strategies, including insurance. In addition, assessments by third-party experts of cyber and physical security risks to the utility industry and us in particular are provided periodically. We regularly review and update our cyber and system security programs and the board and its committees continue to enhance their strong oversight activities.

EEI & AGA Quantitative Reports (PDF)

Additional Information

Topic AreasLinks
Carbon Neutral by 2030 Goal (see pages 23-25 of 2022 Sustainability Report)
 
Taskforce for Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (see pages 67-70 of 2022 Sustainability Report)
2022 Sustainability Report
Eversource Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Plan Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Plan
Eversource Sustainability/ESG/Climate Risk (see pages 22-28 of 2023 Proxy Statement)2023 Proxy Statement
ESG Awards/Recognitions (see outside back cover of 2022 Annual Report)2022 Annual Report