Eversource Energy (NWJ) Risk Analysis
Risk Overview Q2, 2025
Source: the company's latest filing for the period ended Jun 30, 2025, filed Aug 04, 2025
Risk Change Over Time
Risk Highlights Q2, 2025
Risk Word Cloud
Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 20
- Manufacturing - Risk 1Our transmission and distribution systems may not operate as expected, and could require unplanned expenditures, which could adversely affect our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.
Our ability to safely and properly operate our transmission and distribution systems is critical to the financial performance of our business. Our transmission and distribution businesses face several operational risks, including the breakdown, failure of, or damage to operating equipment, information technology systems, or processes, especially due to age; labor disputes; disruptions in the delivery of electricity, natural gas and water; increased capital expenditure requirements, including those due to environmental regulation; catastrophic events resulting from equipment failures such as wildfires and explosions, or external events such as a solar event, an electromagnetic event, or other similar occurrences; increasingly severe weather conditions due to climate change beyond equipment and plant design capacity; human error; global supply chain disruptions; and potential claims for property damage or personal injuries beyond the scope of our insurance coverage. Many of our transmission projects are expected to alleviate identified reliability issues and reduce customers' costs. However, if the in-service date for one or more of these projects is delayed due to economic events or factors, or regulatory or other delays, including permitting and siting, the risk of failures in the electric transmission system may increase. We also implement new information technology systems from time to time, which may disrupt operations. Any failure of our transmission and distribution systems to operate as planned may result in increased capital costs, reduced earnings or unplanned increases in operations and maintenance costs. The inability to recover a significant amount of such costs could have an adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.
- Manufacturing - Risk 2Adequacy of water supplies and contamination of our water supplies, the failure of dams on reservoirs providing water to our customers, or requirements to repair, upgrade or dismantle any of these dams, may disrupt our ability to distribute water to our customers and result in substantial additional costs, which could adversely affect our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.
Our water business faces an inherent strategic risk related to adequacy of supply (i.e., water scarcity). Water scarcity risk is heightened by multiple factors. We expect that climate change will cause both an increase in demand due to increasing temperatures and a potential for a decrease of available supply due to shifting rainfall and recharge patterns. Regulatory constraints also present challenges to permit new sources of supply in the region. In Connecticut, where the vast majority of our dams are located, impounded waterways are required to release minimum downstream flow. New regulations are being phased into effect over the next one to five years that will increase the volume of downstream releases required across our Connecticut service territory, depleting the volume of supply in storage that is used to meet customer demands. This combination of factors may cause an increased likelihood of drought emergencies and water use restrictions that could adversely affect our ability to provide water to our customers, and reputational/brand damage that could negatively impact our water business. Our water supplies, including water provided to our customers, are also subject to possible contamination from naturally occurring compounds and elements or non-organic substances, including PFAS. Our water systems include impounding dams and reservoirs and groundwater sources (e.g. wells and aquifers) of various sizes. Although we believe our water supply facilities, dams, reservoirs, and groundwater sources are structurally sound and well-maintained, significant damage to these facilities, or a significant decrease in the water supplies (reservoirs and groundwater), could adversely affect our ability to provide water to our customers until the facilities and a sufficient amount of water can be restored. A failure of a dam could result in personal injuries and downstream property damage for which we may be liable. The failure of a dam would also adversely affect our ability to supply water in sufficient quantities to our customers. Any losses or liabilities incurred due to a failure of one of our dams may not be recoverable in rates and may have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. We maintain liability insurance, but it may be insufficient in limits and coverage exclusions to cover all losses.
See a full breakdown of risk according to category and subcategory. The list starts with the category with the most risk. Click on subcategories to read relevant extracts from the most recent report.
