IMPORTANT

Whether or not you plan to attend the meeting, we urge you to vote your shares over the Internet or via the toll-free telephone number, as we describe in the accompanying materials and the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials. If you received a paper proxy card, you may vote by mail by completing, signing and dating the proxy card and returning it in the pre-addressed, postage-prepaid envelope accompanying the proxy card. No postage is necessary if mailed in the United States. Voting over the Internet, via the toll-free telephone number or mailing a proxy card will not limit your right to vote in person or to attend the Annual Meeting.

This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this proxy statement. This is only a summary, and we encourage you to review the entire proxy statement as well as our Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2014.

The proxy statement and our 2014 Annual Report are first being provided to the Company’s shareholders and made available on the Internet at www.eversource.com/Content/general/about/investors/sec-filings on or about March      , 2015.

We are asking shareholders to approve the proposed amendment to our Declaration of Trust to change the legal name of the Company from Northeast Utilities to Eversource Energy. Northeast Utilities and its operating companies began doing business under the brand name, or “dba”, of Eversource Energy, in February 2015. After researching our many operating company names, we found that the multitude of operating company names was confusing to our customers, and interfered with our ability to clearly articulate how, in the last three years, we have come together as one Company. As separate corporations, the operating companies cannot change their formal names to Eversource Energy, but our holding company, Northeast Utilities, can. We believe that changing the name of our holding company will allow us to connect that new customer brand with our shareholders and the investment community. The Board of Trustees thus believes that it is in the best interests of the Company and all of its shareholders to amend our Declaration of Trust to formally change the Company’s legal name. Please see page 55.

We are asking shareholders to approve the compensation of the Company’s Named Executive Officers as disclosed pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. As described here and below in the proxy statement, the Company achieved excellent financial and operating performance in 2014, and its total shareholder return has consistently outperformed the utility industry over the long term. Our Board is committed to executive compensation programs that reflect market-based and target incentive compensation that align the interests of our executives with those of our shareholders, and we believe that the compensation paid to our Named Executive Officers in 2014 reflects that alignment between pay and performance. Please see page 56.

We met or exceeded challenging goals established for 2014 and achieved superior results, including:

The Audit Committee has selected Deloitte & Touche LLP to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2015. The Board is seeking shareholder ratification of this selection. Please see page 57.

We maintain effective corporate governance and executive compensation standards:

We are furnishing this proxy statement in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Trustees of Eversource Energy for use at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the Annual Meeting) to be held on Wednesday, April 29, 2015, at 10:30 a.m., at Infinity Hall, 32 Second Street, Hartford, Connecticut 06103.

Under regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, instead of mailing a printed copy of our proxy materials to each shareholder of record or beneficial owner of Eversource Energy common shares, beginning on March, 2015, we mailed a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials to each shareholder who holds fewer than 1,000 common shares and have made available to these shareholders our proxy materials, which include our 2015 proxy statement and our 2014 Annual Report, over the Internet. Shareholders who received a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials by mail did not receive a printed copy of the proxy materials. However, these shareholders are entitled to request copies of these materials by following the instructions included in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials. The Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials also includes instructions for accessing the proxy materials online and for voting common shares via telephone or the Internet.

We also mailed the 2015 proxy statement, proxy card and 2014 Annual Report to holders of 1,000 common shares or more beginning on March, 2015.

If you vote using the Internet, by telephone or by mailing a proxy card, the proxies will vote your common shares as you direct. Regarding the election of Trustees (Proposal 1), you can specify whether your shares should be voted for all, some, or none of the nominees for Trustee. Regarding the approval of the proposed amendment to our Declaration of Trust to change the name of the Company (Proposal 2); the advisory proposal on executive compensation (Proposal 3); and the proposal to ratify the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our

independent registered public accounting firm (Proposal 4), you may vote “FOR” or “AGAINST” the proposals, or you may abstain from voting on the proposals.

If you vote using the Internet, by telephone or by mailing a proxy card without any instructions, the proxies will vote your common shares consistent with the recommendations of our Board of Trustees as stated in this proxy statement and in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, specifically: FOR the election of each Trustee nominee; FOR the approval of the amendment to our Declaration of Trust to change the name of the Company from Northeast Utilities to Eversource Energy; FOR the advisory proposal approving the compensation paid to the Company’s Named Executive Officers, as disclosed pursuant to the compensation disclosure regulations of the SEC; and FOR the proposal to ratify the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm. If any other matters are properly presented at the Annual Meeting for consideration, then the proxies will have discretion to vote your common shares on those matters. As of the date of the proxy statement, we did not know of any other matters to be presented at the Annual Meeting.

Only holders of common shares of record at the close of business on March, 2015 (the record date) are entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the meeting or any adjournment thereof. On the record date, there were holders of record and common shares outstanding and entitled to vote. You are entitled to one vote on each matter to be voted on at the Annual Meeting for each common share that you held on the record date.

The principal office of Eversource Energy is located at 300 Cadwell Drive, Springfield, Massachusetts 01104. The general offices of Eversource Energy are located at 800 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02199 and 56 Prospect Street, Hartford, Connecticut 06103-2818.

Our Board of Trustees oversees the business affairs and management of Eversource Energy. The Board currently consists of 13 Trustees, only one of whom, Thomas J. May, our Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, is a member of management.

Twelve Trustees have been nominated for reelection as Trustees at the Annual Meeting to hold office until the next annual meeting and until the succeeding Board of Trustees has been elected, and until at least a majority of the succeeding Board is qualified to act. Unless you specify otherwise, the enclosed proxy will be voted to elect the 12 nominees named on pages 10-16 as Trustees.

If one or more of the nominees should become unavailable for election, which the Board of Trustees does not currently anticipate, the proxy may be voted for a substitute person or persons, but not more than a total of 12 nominees. Mr. Richard H. Booth is retiring from the Board as of the date of the 2015 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The Company thanks Mr. Booth for his many years of excellent, dedicated service to the Company and for the superior leadership and guidance he provided. In accordance with the Eversource

Energy Declaration of Trust, the shareholders fixed the number of Trustees at 14 in 2011, so there are two vacancies on the Board.

Set forth below and on the following pages is each nominee’s name, age, date first elected as a Trustee, and a brief summary of the nominee’s business experience, including the nominee’s particular experience, qualifications, attributes or skills that led the Board to conclude that the nominee should continue to serve as a Trustee. See the Trustees’ biographies below and the section captioned “Selection of Trustees” beginning on page 22. Each nominee has indicated he or she will stand for election and will serve as a Trustee if elected. An affirmative vote of a majority of the common shares outstanding as of the record date will be required to elect each nominee. Abstentions, broker non-votes and withheld votes will be counted in the determination of a quorum and will have the same effect as a vote against a nominee.

John S. Clarkeson, 72

Trustee since 2008.

Mr. Clarkeson has served as the Chairman Emeritus of The Boston Consulting Group, Inc. since 2007. Previously, Mr. Clarkeson served as Co-Chairman of the Board of The Boston Consulting Group, Inc. from 2004 to 2007. He is a director of the Cabot Corporation, a director of the National Bureau of Economic Research, a former trustee of the Educational Testing Service, a trustee emeritus of the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization, Inc., and a member of the INSEAD Advisory Council. Mr. Clarkeson received an A.B. degree magna cum laude from Harvard College, where he was a Harvard National Scholar, and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Mr. Clarkeson has significant senior executive level experience in business and management through his service as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Boston Consulting Group, as well as his service as a director of Cabot Corporation, where he chairs the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and serves on the Compensation and Executive Committees. He has served on the boards of directors of numerous companies. He also has experience in budgeting, capital and financial markets, credit markets, and risk assessment. Based on these skills and qualifications, the Board of Trustees determined that Mr. Clarkeson should continue to serve as a Trustee.

Cotton M. Cleveland, 62

Trustee since 1992.

Ms. Cleveland has been President of Mather Associates, a firm specializing in leadership and organizational development for business, public and nonprofit organizations, since 1981. She is a director of The National Grange Mutual Insurance Company and Ledyard National Bank, and was the founding Executive Director of the state-wide Leadership New Hampshire program. She was elected and served as the Moderator of the Town of New London, New Hampshire and the New London/Springfield Water Precinct from 2000 to 2010. Ms. Cleveland has also served as Chair, Vice Chair and member of the Board of Trustees of the University System of New Hampshire, as Co-Chair of the Governor’s Commission on New Hampshire in the 21st Century, and as an incorporator for the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. Ms. Cleveland received a B.S. magna cum laude from the University of New Hampshire, Whittemore School of Business and Economics. She is a certified and practicing Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian ad Litem (casa/gal) volunteer for abused and neglected children.

Ms. Cleveland founded and serves as President of her own consulting firm. She has experience serving on the boards of directors of numerous companies. She also benefits from her policy-making level experience in education at the university level as the Chair, Vice Chair and member of the Board of Trustees of the University System of New Hampshire. In addition, she has policy-making level experience in financial and capital markets as a result of her service as a director of Ledyard National Bank and Bank of Ireland. Based on her skills and experience, combined with her ties to the State of New Hampshire, the Board of Trustees determined that Ms. Cleveland should continue to serve as a Trustee.

Sanford Cloud, Jr., 70

Lead Trustee since 2012;
Trustee since 2000.

Mr. Cloud has been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Cloud Company, LLC, a real estate development and business investment firm, since 2005. Mr. Cloud served as past President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Conference for Community and Justice from 1994 to 2004, was a former partner at the law firm of Robinson and Cole from 1993 to 1994, and served for two terms as a state senator of Connecticut. Mr. Cloud has served as a director of The Phoenix Companies, Inc. since 2001 and is currently a director of Ironwood Mezzanine Fund, L.P. He is also a director of the MetroHartford Alliance, Inc., and Chairman of The Connecticut Health Foundation and the University of Connecticut Health Center. In addition, Mr. Cloud is a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Connecticut, serves as director of its Thomas J. Dodd Center for Human Rights and is a director of Back 9 Network. Mr. Cloud received a B.A. from Howard University, a J.D. cum laude from the Howard University Law School, and an M.A. in Religious Studies from the Hartford Seminary.

Mr. Cloud has significant policy-making level experience in business and financial affairs as a director of several publicly traded companies. He has served on the boards of directors of numerous companies. Combined with his practice as a law firm partner, his experience as a Connecticut state senator, and his significant ties to the City of Hartford and the State of Connecticut, the Board of Trustees determined that Mr. Cloud should continue to serve as a Trustee.

James S. Distasio, 67

Trustee since 2012.

Mr. DiStasio served as Senior Vice Chairman and Americas Chief Operating Officer at Ernst & Young, a registered public accounting firm, from 2003 until his retirement in 2007. Mr. DiStasio joined Ernst & Young in 1969 and became a partner in 1977. He has served as a director of EMC Corporation since 2010. He served as a trustee of NSTAR from 2009 until the closing of the NSTAR merger. He previously served as a director of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley and as a trustee of each of Catholic Charities of Boston, the Boston Public Library Foundation and the Wang Center for the Performing Arts. Mr. DiStasio received a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Mr. DiStasio has significant experience overseeing the accounting and financial reporting processes of major public companies, derived from his service as a senior executive at one of the largest public accounting firms in the world. In his position of Senior Vice Chairman and Americas Chief Operating Officer, Mr. DiStasio also acquired important management and leadership skills that provide additional value and support to the Board. He has served on several boards of directors. Based on his skills and experience, the Board of Trustees determined that Mr. DiStasio should continue to serve as a Trustee.

Francis A. Doyle, 66

Trustee since 2012.

Mr. Doyle has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Connell Limited Partnership, whose businesses produce metal components and related supplies for the automotive, power, mining, appliance, office and farm equipment industries since 2001. Prior to that, he was Vice Chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where he was Global Technology Leader and a member of the firm’s Global Leadership Team. Mr. Doyle became a Trustee at the closing of the NSTAR merger. He has served as a director and Chairman of the audit committee and a member of the executive committee of each of Tempur Sealy International, Inc. and Liberty Mutual Holding Company, Inc. since 2003. In the past five years, Mr. Doyle has served as a director of Citizens Financial Group, where he was a member of the executive committee and chaired the compensation committee, as a trustee of the Joslin Diabetes Center, where he chaired the finance committee, and as a trustee of Boston College. Mr. Doyle is a certified public accountant and holds a B.S. degree and an M.B.A. degree from Boston College.

Mr. Doyle has significant financial accounting and financial reporting experience and an in-depth understanding of finance and capital markets through his years at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He also has extensive senior management experience as the President and Chief Executive Officer of a global manufacturer. Mr. Doyle has served on the boards of directors of numerous companies and on several committees of the Boards. Based on his qualifications and experience, the Board of Trustees determined that Mr. Doyle should continue to serve as a Trustee.

Charles K. Gifford, 72

Trustee since 2012.

Mr. Gifford has served as the Chairman Emeritus of Bank of America Corporation, a bank holding company, since his retirement as Chairman in 2005. He is also a Director of Bank of America Corporation. He has served as a director of CBS Corporation since 2006. From 2007 through 2012, Mr. Gifford served as a director of NYSE Group Trust I, established as part of the creation of NYSE Euronext and charged with remedying certain significant and unforeseen effects in the application of U.S. or European regulation and legislation on markets operated by NYSE Euronext subsidiaries. He served as trustee of NSTAR from 1999 until the closing of the NSTAR Merger. He is the chairman of the BPE (formerly Boston Plan for Excellence) and was the founding chairman of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay’s “Success By 6” initiative. He serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including The General Hospital Corporation, Massachusetts General Hospital, Partners Health Care System, Inc., Dana Farber/Partners Cancer Care, Red Sox Foundation, Northeastern University, and Nantucket Cottage Hospital, and is an Honorary Life Overseer at the Boston Children’s Hospital. He is an honorary director of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Gifford received a B.A. from Princeton University.

Mr. Gifford, through a career overseeing large complex financial institutions in the banking industry, brings important business and financial expertise to the Board in its deliberations on complex transactions and other financial matters. In addition, his breadth of director experience, which includes his service on executive, credit, governance and nominating, compensation, and audit committees, as well as his previous service as Lead Trustee of NSTAR, provides valuable contributions to the Board in implementing good corporate governance. Based on his qualifications and experience, the Board of Trustees determined that Mr. Gifford should continue to serve as a Trustee.

Paul A. La Camera, 72

Trustee since 2012.

Mr. La Camera has served as the Administrator of Public Radio for WBUR, the National Public Radio news station in Boston, Boston University since 2011. Previously, Mr. La Camera served as General Manager of WBUR from 2005 until 2010 and as the President and General Manager of WCVB-TV Channel 5 Boston from 1993 to 2005. He served as a trustee of NSTAR from 1999 until the closing of the NSTAR merger. He serves on the board of the Boston Foundation and as a trustee of the Boston Public Library. Mr. La Camera is a graduate of the College of Holy Cross, where he served as a trustee for eight years. He received Masters Degrees in Journalism and Urban Studies from Boston University and an M.B.A. from Boston College.

Mr. La Camera served for more than 40 years as an executive in the local television and radio broadcast industry. In addition to his experience in operating regulated broadcast businesses and the important perspective that his career in broadcast journalism provides, Mr. La Camera brings extensive organizational and leadership skills to the Board, along with his link to the NSTAR customer community through his substantial non-profit board service. Based on his qualifications and experience, the Board of Trustees determined that Mr. La Camera should continue to serve as a Trustee.

Kenneth R. Leibler, 66

Trustee since 2006.

Mr. Leibler has served as a Trustee of The Putnam Mutual Funds since 2006 and the Chair of the Audit and Compliance Committee since 2012. He has served as a Trustee of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center since 2006, and as Vice Chairman of Beth Israel Medical Center from 2009 to 2012. He is also a director of Beth Israel Deaconess Care Organization, an accountable care group owned jointly by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and its affiliated physicians network. He is a founding partner of the Boston Options Exchange and served as its Chairman from 2004 to February 2007. He is a past Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of ISO New England, Inc., the independent operator of New England’s bulk electric transmission system, where he served until 2006. He also served as a director of The Ruder Finn Group from 2005 to 2010. Mr. Leibler received a B.A. magna cum laude from Syracuse University.

Mr. Leibler has considerable senior executive level experience in business and management, including experience in financial markets and risk assessment, as the former Chairman of the Boston Options Exchange, former Chairman and CEO of the Boston Stock Exchange, and former President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the American Stock Exchange, as well as through his current service as a Trustee of The Putnam Mutual Funds, where he recently became chair of the Audit and Compliance Committee and serves on the pricing, distributions, investment oversight, and investment oversight coordinating committees. He also has policy-making level experience in the electric utility industry through his service as the Vice Chairman of ISO New England. Based on these qualifications, the Board of Trustees determined that Mr. Leibler should continue to serve as a Trustee.

Thomas J. May, 67

Trustee since 2012.

Mr. May has served as Chairman of the Board of Eversource Energy since October 10, 2013 and as President and Chief Executive Officer and a Trustee since the closing of the NSTAR merger in April 2012. He has also served as the Chairman and a director of each of The Connecticut Light and Power Company, NSTAR Electric Company, NSTAR Gas Company, Public Service Company of New Hampshire, Western Massachusetts Electric Company and Yankee Gas Services Company since the closing of the merger. Previously, Mr. May served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer and a Trustee of NSTAR and its predecessor Boston Edison Company from 1994 until the closing of the merger. Mr. May has served as a director of Bank of America Corporation since 2004 and a director of Liberty Mutual Holding Company, Inc. since 2002. He is Chair of the Board of Trustees of Stonehill College, a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Boston Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Board of Trustees of Dana Farber Cancer Institute and a member of the Board of The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. Mr. May received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Stonehill College and a M.S. in Finance from Bentley College. He is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.

Mr. May is the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. His extensive experience in the energy industry and diverse financial, operations and management skills provide the necessary background to lead the Company. Mr. May represents management on the Board as the sole management Trustee. Based on these skills and experiences, the Board of Trustees determined that Mr. May should continue to serve as a Trustee.

William C. Van Faasen, 66

Trustee since 2012.

Mr. Van Faasen served as Chief Executive Officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Inc. (BCBSMA), a health care services provider, from 1992 until his retirement in 2007. He is currently Chairman Emeritus of BCBSMA and also served as interim Chief Executive Officer in 2010. He has served as a director of Liberty Mutual Holding Company, Inc. since 2002 and as Lead Director since April 2012. He served as a director of IMS Health, Inc. from 1996 to 2010 and as Lead Director from 2006 to 2010. He also served as a director of PolyMedica Corporation from 2005 to 2008. Mr. Van Faasen served as a trustee of NSTAR from 2002 until the completion of the NSTAR merger. He is an honorary director of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and previously served as a director of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. Mr. Van Faasen received a B.A. from Hope College and an M.B.A. from Michigan State University.

Mr. Van Faasen brings to the Board extensive management, leadership, and financial experience as a result of leading a large company in a regulated industry. He also brings in-depth experience and insight as a director of several public companies, including service as a lead director. Based on his qualifications and experience, the Board of Trustees determined that Mr. Van Faasen should continue to serve as a Trustee.

Frederica M. Williams, 56

Trustee since 2012.

Ms. Williams has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Whittier Street Health Center in Boston, an urban community health care facility serving residents of Boston and surrounding communities, since 2002. Prior to joining Whittier, she served as the Senior Vice President of Administration and Finance and Chief Financial Officer of the Dimock Center, a large health care and human services facility in Boston. She was elected as a trustee of NSTAR in March 2012 and served as a trustee until the completion of the NSTAR merger. Ms. Williams is a member of the Board of Trustees of Dana Farber Cancer Institute, the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and Boston Health Net. She is a Fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors, a member of the Massachusetts Women’s Forum, International Women’s Forum and Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation. Ms. Williams attended the London School of Accountancy, passed the examinations of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Financial Administrators, (United Kingdom) (ICSA) and of the Institute of Administrative Management (United Kingdom), with distinction, and was elected a Fellow of the ICSA in 2000. She obtained a graduate certificate in Administration and Management from the Harvard University Extension School and an M.B.A. with a concentration in Finance from Anna Maria College in Paxton, Massachusetts.

Ms. Williams has more than 20 years of experience in a heavily regulated industry and has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Whittier Street Health Center, a national model for providing equitable access to high quality and cost effective health care, for more than ten years. She also has significant experience serving on numerous boards and advisory boards. Based on her qualifications and experience, the Board of Trustees determined that Ms. Williams should continue to serve as a Trustee.

Dennis R. Wraase, 70

Trustee since 2010.

Mr. Wraase served as Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and a director of Pepco Holdings, Inc. (PHI), an energy delivery company in the mid-Atlantic region, until his retirement in June 2009. He was elected Chairman of PHI in 2004, became Chief Executive Officer in 2003 and served as a director since 1998. He previously served as the President of PHI from 2001 to 2008 and Chief Operating Officer from 2002 to 2003. He is a member of the Financial Executives Institute and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Wraase currently serves as the Executive-In-Residence at the Center for Social Value Creation at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland. He is also currently a director and Chairman of the University of

Maryland System Foundation. Mr. Wraase previously served as a director of the Edison Electric Institute, The Association of Edison Illuminating Companies and the Institute for Electric Efficiency, and as the President of the Southeastern Electric Exchange. Mr. Wraase received a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Maryland and an M.S. in Business Financial Management from The George Washington University.

Mr. Wraase brings to the Company considerable utility industry knowledge and experience gained through his career of service at PHI. He has significant policy-making level experience in the heavily regulated industry as well as in the capital and financial markets, credit markets, financial reporting and accounting, and risk assessment. He is also a certified public accountant. Based on his extensive experience and qualifications, the Board of Trustees determined that Mr. Wraase should continue to serve as a Trustee.

Our Chief Executive Officer, Thomas J. May, is Chairman of the Board. Our Board believes that it is in the best interests of the Company to have Mr. May serve as both Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and that combining the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer positions under the strong leadership of Mr. May will continue to serve to benefit all stakeholders. Prior to the NSTAR merger, Mr. May served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of both NSTAR and Boston Edison Company and successfully led those companies to reach very high levels of financial and operational performance during that time. Combining the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in Mr. May, with Mr.  Cloud continuing to serve as Lead Trustee, creates clear and unambiguous

authority, which the Board believes is essential to effective management, particularly during the continued implementation of the merger. While the combined Chairman/Chief Executive Officer model has proved to be an effective model under Mr. May’s leadership, the Board will reassess this governance structure from time to time as appropriate.

As Lead Trustee, Mr. Cloud presides at executive sessions of the independent Trustees; facilitates communication between the Chief Executive Officer and the Board members; participates with the Compensation Committee in its evaluation of the Chief Executive Officer; and provides ongoing information to the Chief Executive Officer about his or her performance.

The Corporate Governance Committee annually reviews and evaluates the performance of the Board of Trustees. The Committee assesses the Board’s contribution as a whole and identifies areas in which the Board or senior management believes a better contribution may be made. The purpose of the review is to increase the effectiveness of the Board, and the results are reviewed with the Board and its Committees. In addition, each Committee, other than the

Executive Committee, conducts an annual self-evaluation. Our Board annually reviews the individual performance and qualifications of each Trustee who may wish to be considered for nomination to an additional term. The evaluations are reviewed by the Corporate Governance Committee, which makes recommendations to the Board regarding nominees for election as Trustees. These mechanisms also provide the Board with opportunities to discuss tenure and Board refreshment.

The Board of Trustees, both as a whole and through its Committees, is responsible for the oversight of the Company’s risk management processes. The Board believes that this approach is appropriate to carry out its risk oversight responsibilities and is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. Each year, the Board evaluates its risk assessment function as part of its Board evaluation process.

As set forth below, each Committee reviews management’s assessment of risk for that Committee’s respective area of responsibility. Each Committee member has expertise on risks relative to the nature of the Committee on which he or she sits. With each Committee Chair reporting on risk issues as part of the Committee reports made to the Board following each Committee meeting, the entire Board is able to discuss risk related issues, assess their implications and provide oversight on appropriate actions for management to take. All Board Committees meet periodically with members of senior management to discuss the relevant risks and challenges facing the Company.

The Board of Trustees and the Finance Committee annually review the Company’s comprehensive operating and strategic plans. The operating plan consists of the goals and objectives for

the year, key performance indicators and financial forecasts. The strategic plan consists of long-term corporate goals and objectives, specific strategies to achieve those goals, and action plans designed to implement each strategy. The Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) process is integrated with the annual operating and strategic planning processes. The top enterprise-wide financial risks are identified during the development of the annual operating plan, and are tracked throughout the year. Enterprise strategic risks are identified and presented to the Board of Trustees during development of the long-term strategic plans. Detailed risk mitigation plans for the principal enterprise-wide risks are updated periodically and presented to the Finance Committee.

The Finance Committee is responsible for oversight of the Company’s ERM program and enterprise-wide risks as well as specific risks associated with insurance, credit, financing and pension investments. Our ERM program involves the application of a well-defined, enterprise-wide methodology designed to allow our executives to identify, categorize, prioritize, and mitigate the principal risks to the Company. The ERM program is integrated with other assurance functions throughout the Company including Compliance, Auditing and Insurance to ensure appropriate coverage of risks that could impact the Company.

In addition to known risks, ERM identifies emerging risks to the Company through participation in industry groups, discussions with management and in consultation with outside advisors. Our management then analyzes risks to determine materiality, likelihood and impact, and develops mitigation strategies. Management broadly considers our business model, the utility industry, the global economy and the current environment to identify risks. The findings of this process are discussed with the Finance Committee or the full Board, as appropriate, including reporting on how these issues are being measured and managed.

In addition to the regularly scheduled reports by ERM of all of the Company’s enterprise-wide risks and the results of the ERM Program, management reports periodically to both the Board of Trustees and the Finance Committee in depth on specific top enterprise risks at the Company. The ERM Group also reports regularly to the Finance Committee on the activities of the Company’s Risk Committee. The Risk Committee consists of senior officers of the Company, and is responsible for ensuring that the Company is managing its principal enterprise-wide risks, as well as

other key risk areas such as environmental, information technology, compliance and business continuity.

In addition, each Board Committee oversees risks within its area of responsibility. For example, the Audit Committee is responsible for the oversight of the integrity of the financial statements, including oversight of the guidelines, policies and controls that govern management’s processes for assessing, monitoring and mitigating major financial risk exposures. The Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for the oversight of compliance with various governance regulations as required by the SEC, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and other regulators. The General Counsel reports annually to each of the Committees on any changes in regulations and best practices as part of the annual review of Committee charters and the Board’s Corporate Governance Guidelines. The Board of Trustees administers its compensation risk oversight function primarily through its Compensation Committee. The process by which the Board and the Compensation Committee oversee executive compensation risk is described in greater detail on page 32 within the Compensation and Discussion Analysis.

The Board of Trustees has five standing committees: Audit, Compensation, Corporate Governance, Executive and Finance. The Corporate Governance Committee performs the functions of a nominating committee. None of the committee members in 2014 was employed by Eversource Energy or its subsidiaries except for Mr. May, who is Chair of the Executive Committee. The Board has adopted a written charter for each standing committee as well as

written Corporate Governance Guidelines. The Corporate Governance Guidelines and committee charters are available on our website at the Internet addresses appearing in the committee descriptions below. Copies of these documents are available to any shareholder upon written request to our Corporate Secretary at the address set forth on page 9 of this proxy statement. The functions of these committees are described in the paragraphs following the table.

The Audit Committee consists of Mr. Booth (Chair), Mr. Clarkeson, Mr. Doyle, Mr. Leibler, Mr. Van Faasen and Ms.  Williams. The Audit Committee meets independently with the internal and independent registered public accounting firm of Eversource Energy and its subsidiaries and with management at least quarterly. Following each Committee meeting, the Audit Committee reports to the full Board. The Audit Committee reviews and evaluates the independent registered public accounting firm’s activities, procedures and recommendations to assist the Board in monitoring the integrity of our financial statements, the independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence, the performance of our internal audit function and independent registered public accounting firm, and our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. The Committee also discusses the guidelines and policies that govern management’s processes for assessing, monitoring and mitigating major financial risk exposures. The Audit

Committee has the sole authority to select and replace the independent registered public accounting firm and is directly responsible for their compensation and oversight of their work. Each member of the Audit Committee meets the financial literacy requirements of the NYSE and the SEC. The Board has affirmatively determined that Mr. Booth is an “audit committee financial expert,” as defined by the SEC. The Board will designate a financial expert at the April 29, 2015 meeting of the Board to replace Mr. Booth, who is retiring from the Board. Each member of the Audit Committee meets the independence requirements of the NYSE, SEC and our Corporate Governance Guidelines. No member of the Audit Committee is employed by Eversource Energy or its subsidiaries. A copy of the Committee’s charter is available on our website at www.eversource.com/Content/general/about/investors/corporate-governance/board-committee-charters/audit-committee. The Audit Committee met five times during 2014.

The Compensation Committee consists of Mr. Clarkeson, Mr. Cloud, Mr. DiStasio, Mr. Gifford (Chair), Mr. Van Faasen and Mr. Wraase. The Compensation Committee is responsible for the compensation and benefits programs for all executive officers of Eversource Energy and has overall authority to establish and interpret our executive compensation programs. The Committee reviews our executive compensation strategy, evaluates components of total compensation and assesses performance against goals, market competitive data and other appropriate factors, and makes compensation related decisions based upon Company and executive performance. The Committee has the sole authority to select and retain experts and consultants in the field of executive compensation to provide advice to the Committee with respect to market data, competitive information, and executive compensation trends. The Compensation Committee also reviews and recommends to the Board of Trustees the compensation of the non-employee members of the Board.

In carrying out its charter responsibilities, the Compensation Committee reviews and approves corporate goals and objectives relevant to the Chief Executive Officer’s compensation and, with the participation of the Lead Trustee and subject to the further review and approval of the independent Trustees, evaluates the performance of the Chief Executive Officer in light of those goals and objectives. The Committee establishes performance criteria for the Chief Executive Officer and approves the Chief Executive Officer’s total compensation based on the annual evaluation, subject to further approval by the independent Trustees. In addition, in collaboration with the Chief Executive Officer,

the Committee oversees the evaluation of those executive officers reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, and it engages in the succession planning process for the Chief Executive Officer and other officers.

The Compensation Committee has retained Pay Governance LLC to provide compensation consulting services. Pay Governance LLC has been engaged to perform work only for the Compensation Committee, and as noted in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this proxy statement, the Compensation Committee has determined that Pay Governance LLC is independent and that no conflict of interest exists that would prevent Pay Governance LLC from independently advising the Committee.

The Compensation Committee has delegated the negotiation of certain compensation arrangements and administration of the Compensation Committee’s responsibilities to certain executive officers. The Compensation Committee has not delegated any of its responsibilities to any other persons. The Board has affirmatively determined that each member of the Compensation Committee meets the independence requirements of the NYSE and the SEC, and our Corporate Governance Guidelines. No member of the Compensation Committee is employed by Eversource Energy or its subsidiaries. A copy of the Compensation Committee’s charter is available on our website at www.eversource.com/Content/general/about/investors/corporate-governance/board-committee-charters/compensation-committee. The Compensation Committee met five times during 2014. The Compensation Committee reports to the full Board following each Committee meeting.

The Corporate Governance Committee consists of Ms.  Cleveland, Mr. Cloud (Chair), Mr. Doyle, Mr. Gifford, Mr. La Camera and Mr. Wraase. The Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for developing, overseeing and regularly reviewing our Corporate Governance Guidelines and related policies. The Corporate Governance Committee also serves as a nominating committee, establishing criteria for new Trustees and identifying and recommending prospective Board candidates. The Corporate Governance Committee annually reviews the qualifications of the Trustees, recommends nominees for election to the Board and for appointment to Board Committees, and annually recommends to the Board the Lead Trustee, Chairman of the Board and individuals for election as officers of the Company. In addition, the

Corporate Governance Committee evaluates the performance of the Board and its committees. Following each meeting the Corporate Governance Committee reports to the full Board. No member of the Corporate Governance Committee is employed by Eversource Energy or its subsidiaries. The Board of Trustees has determined that each member of the Corporate Governance Committee meets the independence requirements of the NYSE and the SEC, and our Corporate Governance Guidelines. A copy of the Committee’s charter is available on our website at www.eversource.com/Content/general/about/investors/corporate-governance/board-committee-charters/corporate-governance. The Corporate Governance Committee met four times during 2014.

The Executive Committee consists of Mr. Booth, Mr. Cloud, Mr. DiStasio, Mr. Gifford and Mr. May (Chair). The Executive Committee is empowered to exercise all the authority of the Board, subject to certain limitations set forth in our Declaration of Trust, during the intervals between meetings of

the Board. A copy of the Committee’s charter is available on our website at www.eversource.com/Content/general/about/investors/corporate-governance/board-committee-charters/executive. The Executive Committee met once during 2014.

The Finance Committee consists of Mr. Booth, Ms. Cleveland, Mr. DiStasio (Chair), Mr. La Camera, Mr.  Leibler and Ms. Williams. The Finance Committee assists the Board in fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities relating to financial plans, policies and programs for Eversource Energy and its subsidiaries. The Finance Committee reviews the Company’s plans and actions to assure liquidity; proposed financing programs; plans and recommendations regarding common share repurchase programs, early extinguishment and refunding of debt and preferred stock obligations; and other proposals that modify the Company’s capital structure. The Finance Committee is responsible for reviewing the Company’s Enterprise Risk Program, including practices to monitor and mitigate risk exposures, as further described above under the caption “Board’s Oversight of Risk.” The

Finance Committee is also responsible for reviewing the Company’s dividend policy and recommending to the Board the dividend on the Company’s common shares as well as for reviewing new business ventures and initiatives which may result in substantial expenditures, commitments and exposures. In addition, the Finance Committee conducts an annual review of insurance coverages and trends, and pension plan performance. Following each meeting the Finance Committee reports to the full Board. No member of the Finance Committee is employed by Eversource Energy or its subsidiaries. A copy of the Committee’s charter is available on our website at www.eversource.com/Content/general/about/investors/corporate-governance/board-committee-charters/finance. The Finance Committee met three times during 2014.

In 2014, the Board of Trustees held seven meetings, three of which included an executive session attended only by the independent Trustees participating in the meeting, and the Board and the Committees held a total of 25 meetings. All Trustees attended all meetings of the Board and Committees on which they sit except for two Trustees, who each missed one

day of Committee and Board meetings. In 2014, all Trustees attended the Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on May 1, 2014. Our Trustees are expected to attend our Annual Meetings of Shareholder, but we do not have a formal policy addressing this subject.

Eversource Energy is committed to environmental leadership by responsibly conducting business in a manner that protects and enhances the environment and fosters environmental stewardship and sustainable business practices. The Company maintains accountability for environmental initiatives by setting measurable objectives and targets that promote continuous improvement and transparency by reporting our environmental performance. We have established a systematic approach to help protect the environment and advance clean energy solutions for our customers through energy efficiency and conservation programs, efficient operating practices, affordable renewable or low-emission energy sources (such as hydro, solar and wind), smart grid initiatives, and consumer education. In 2014, Eversource Energy’s operating companies invested $475 million in energy efficiency programs across three states, and customer savings from energy efficiency programs exceeded aggressive 2014 internal and statewide savings targets.

Our strategies to facilitate achievement of greenhouse gas reduction targets include reducing traditional end-use energy consumption, adding renewables to the energy mix, expanding distribution of natural gas, and using electricity or natural gas for emerging end uses such as transportation. We do business in Connecticut, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Each of these states is a member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a cooperative effort by nine northeastern and mid-Atlantic states to develop a regional program for stabilizing and reducing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from coal-fired and oil-fired electric generating plants. Regulated power plants were required to hold CO₂ allowances equal to their CO₂ emissions to satisfy RGGI requirements at the conclusion of a three-year compliance period that ended on December 31, 2014. Because CO₂ allowances issued by a participating state may be used in all nine RGGI state programs, the individual state CO₂ trading programs, in the aggregate, form one regional compliance market for CO₂ emissions.

Eversource Energy owns and operates electric generation facilities in New Hampshire. Our Merrimack Station facility has been upgraded with addition of a mercury and sulfur dioxide scrubber system. The plant today meets or exceeds all environmental regulations and is one of the cleanest coal-fired power plants in the nation. Public Service Company of New Hampshire satisfied its RGGI requirements for Merrimack Station and other facilities by purchasing CO₂ allowances at auction or in the secondary market. Emissions from our Northern Wood Power Project, which uses wood chips and other clean, low-grade wood materials for fuel, constitute an offset for CO₂ allowances. None of our other subsidiaries currently owns any fossil-fuel generating assets. Western Massachusetts Electric Company owns and operates

8 megawatts of solar photovoltaic facilities that do not emit CO₂. As a result, none of our other subsidiaries is required to acquire CO₂ allowances.

Each of the states in which we do business also has Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) requirements, which generally require fixed percentages of our energy supply to come from renewable energy sources such as solar, hydropower, landfill gas, fuel cells and other similar sources. We comply with all RPS requirements.

Eversource Energy’s transmission program has achieved national recognition as an industry leader in the design and construction of electric transmission projects. Since 2001, we have sited and built complex and varied projects in densely populated, congested areas in our service territory, including combination overhead/underground projects and undersea cables. These projects have enhanced the reliability of the electric grid, eased congestion, and helped to provide greater access to new, environmentally-friendly renewable power sources. Over the next four years, Eversource Energy plans to invest approximately $3.9 billion in projects and upgrades to modernize our electric transmission system and meet the region’s growing energy needs. A more reliable, more efficient electric grid will provide New England with the infrastructure that is critical to the region’s economic health.

Our natural gas utilities in Connecticut and Massachusetts have adopted natural gas expansion initiatives designed to increase the number of new gas heating customers, as well as to provide those persons and businesses that currently heat with fuel oil and electricity with an opportunity to convert to natural gas. Heating with natural gas reduces customers’ annual costs due to increased efficiency and lower fuel prices. Burning natural gas reduces greenhouse gas emissions because natural gas emits about 27 percent less carbon than fuel oil when used for space heating. Gas expansion is also expected to create thousands of new jobs.

In September 2014, we and Spectra Energy Corp announced details of the Access Northeast project, designed to reliably meet growing demand for natural gas in New England while providing environmental and economic benefits to the region. This project will help deliver increased, guaranteed daily supplies of natural gas to consumers, as well as enhanced service on peak days for strategic natural gas-fueled electric generation plants, to address New England’s reliability concerns and reduce costs paid by the region’s electric and gas consumers. The gas pipeline expansion project will enhance the Algonquin and Maritimes pipeline systems, using existing routes to minimize effects on communities, landowners and the environment. The project will be scalable to meet growing needs by expanding access to clean, abundant and affordable natural gas, and will be

capable of reliably delivering in excess of one billion cubic feet of natural gas per day to serve the region’s most efficient power plants and meet increasing demand from heating customers. In February 2015, we, Spectra and National Grid announced the addition of National Grid as a co-developer of Access Northeast. We are also increasing our investment in a new natural gas distribution network which will reduce New England’s dependence on oil heat and reduce methane leakage from older pipes.

The Company has been a member of Ceres since 1999, and continuously engages with industry groups, advocates and shareholders on our environmental and sustainability efforts. For additional information on these initiatives and our progress to date, you can access the Company’s comprehensive 2014 sustainability report, Responsible Energy, through the Company’s website at www.eversource.com/Content/docs/default-source/pdfs/responsible-energy-2014.pdf?sfvrsn=2.

As set forth in its charter, it is the responsibility of the Corporate Governance Committee to identify individuals qualified to become a Trustee and to recommend to the Board a slate of Trustee candidates to be submitted to a vote of our shareholders at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The Committee has from time to time retained the services of a third party executive search firm to assist it in identifying and evaluating such individuals.

As provided in our Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Corporate Governance Committee seeks nominees with the following qualifications:

Applying these criteria, the Corporate Governance Committee considers Trustee candidates suggested by its members as well as by management and shareholders. As part of the annual nomination process, the Corporate Governance Committee reviews the qualifications, experience, attributes and skills of each nominee for Trustee, including currently serving Trustees, under the Corporate Governance Guidelines and reports its findings to the Board. At its February 3, 2015 meeting, the Committee determined that each Trustee possesses the highest personal and professional ethics, integrity and values, and each Trustee remains committed to representing the long-term interests of our shareholders. The Committee’s review also focused on each Trustee’s experience at policy-making levels in business, government, education, community and charitable

organizations, and other areas relevant to our business activities, as described below. Based on this review, the Committee advised the Board on February 3, 2015 that each of the Trustees was qualified to serve on the Board under the Corporate Governance Guidelines.

Business, Management and Finance. The Board values significant business and management experience at the highest levels, including experience in heavily regulated industries. Many of our Trustees have served as chief executive officers and/or chief financial officers and have served on the boards of directors of numerous companies. In addition, the vast majority of our ongoing capital program is expected to be funded through cash flows provided by operating activities as well as new debt issuances and, less frequently, equity issuances. As a result, the Board highly values policy-making level experience in, and understanding of, capital and financial markets, accounting and financial reporting, credit markets, and risk assessment.

Regulatory. Each of our utility subsidiaries is regulated in virtually all aspects of its business by various federal and state agencies, including the SEC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and various state and/or local regulatory authorities with jurisdiction over the industry and the service areas in which each subsidiary operates. Accordingly, the Board considers policy-making level experience in a heavily regulated industry to be important.

Education/Community and Charitable Organizations. The Board also supports and encourages educational opportunities, community involvement and development, and philanthropic goals and activities. The Eversource Energy Foundation, Inc. was established in 1998 to focus on our community investments and to provide grants to our nonprofit community partners. Consistent with our business strategy and core values, the Foundation invests primarily in projects that address issues of economic and community development and the environment. Each Trustee has experience in one or more community or charitable organizations.

Other Areas Relevant to Our Business Activities. We operate New England’s largest energy delivery system in three different states. Because a majority of our Trustees also reside in our service territory, they not only have ties to local communities, but they understand our customers’ needs.

Diversity. In accordance with our Corporate Governance Guidelines, in addition to diverse business and other experience described above, the Corporate Governance Committee seeks diversity in gender, ethnicity and personal background when considering Trustee candidates. Diverse thoughts and views emanating from different backgrounds, life experiences, career experiences and skills are critical to a well-functioning Board and essential to embracing opportunities and confronting challenges in the future. To

ensure the success of our business strategy, the Board of Trustees strives to identify and pursue Trustee candidates with diverse skills, knowledge, background and experience that complement the skills, knowledge and experience of our current Trustees.

Shareholders wishing to suggest potential candidates for membership on the Board of Trustees may address such information, in writing, to our Corporate Secretary at the mailing address set forth previously on page 9 of this proxy statement. The communication must identify the writer as a shareholder of the Company and provide sufficient detail for the Corporate Governance Committee to consider the individual’s qualifications.

We have adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines incorporating independence standards that meet the listing standards of the NYSE. The Corporate Governance Guidelines are available on our website at www.eversource.com/Content/general/about/investors/corporate-governance/guidelines. In addition, we have adopted an additional standard under which a charitable relationship will not be considered to be a material relationship that would impair a Trustee’s independence if a Trustee serves as an officer or director of a charitable organization, and our discretionary charitable contributions to the organization, in the aggregate, do not exceed the greater of: (a) $200,000; or (b) two percent of the organization’s total annual charitable receipts or latest publicly available operating budget. The Trustee Independence Guidelines are available on our website at www.eversource.com/Content/general/about/investors/corporate-governance/board-independence-guidelines.

The Corporate Governance Committee conducts an annual review of the independence of the members of the Board, including all nominees, and reports its findings to the full Board. Applying the Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Committee, assisted by legal counsel and based on responses to questionnaires completed by the Trustees, reviewed and considered relationships and transactions between Eversource Energy, its affiliates and subsidiaries, on the one hand, and each Trustee, entities affiliated with him or her, and/or any member of his or her immediate family, on the other hand. The Committee also reviewed Eversource Energy’s charitable donations to organizations where the Trustees or their immediate family members serve as officers or directors. Similarly, the Committee examined relationships and transactions between each Trustee and (a)  our senior

management and (b) our independent registered public accounting firm. The Committee determined that none of these relationships was material to the nominees for Trustee or likely to impair the independence of any of the nominees for Trustee.

The Board of Trustees separately considered that the utility operating company subsidiaries of Eversource Energy provide electric service or natural gas service to the residences of Trustees and/or companies at which some of the Trustees were directors or executive officers. These utility services are provided in the ordinary course of business, on an arm’s length basis and pursuant to rates determined by the applicable public utility commission and available to all similar customers of the utility. The Board determined that relationships that exist solely due to an individual or entity purchasing electric service or natural gas service from any of the utility operating company subsidiaries of Eversource Energy in the ordinary course of business, on an arm’s length basis and pursuant to rates determined by the applicable public utility commission, were not material to the Trustees or likely to impair the independence of any of the Trustees.

On February 3, 2015, based on the recommendation of the Corporate Governance Committee following its review, the Board of Trustees affirmatively determined that each of the Trustees, with the exception of Mr. May, our Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, satisfied the independence criteria (including the enhanced criteria with respect to members of the Audit and Compensation Committees) set forth in the current listing standards and rules of the NYSE and the SEC, and under our Corporate Governance Guidelines.

The Board of Trustees has adopted a Related Party Transactions Policy, which is administered by the Corporate Governance Committee. The Policy generally defines a “Related Party Transaction” as any transaction or series of transactions in which (i) Eversource Energy or a subsidiary is a participant, (ii) the aggregate amount involved exceeds $120,000 and (iii) any “Related Party” has a direct or indirect material interest. A “Related Party” is defined as any Trustee or nominee for Trustee, any executive officer, any shareholder owning more than 5% of our total outstanding shares, and any immediate family member of any such person. Management submits to the Corporate Governance Committee for consideration any proposed Related Party Transaction. The Corporate

Governance Committee recommends to the Board of Trustees for approval only those transactions that are in our best interests. Related Party Transactions are considered in light of the requirements set forth in our Code of Business Conduct, including the Conflicts of Interest Policy, and our Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers. If management causes us to enter into a Related Party Transaction prior to approval by the Committee, the transaction will be subject to ratification by the Board of Trustees. If the Board determines not to ratify the transaction, then management will make all reasonable efforts to cancel or annul such transaction. The Corporate Governance Committee determined at its February 3, 2015 meeting that there were no Related Party Transactions in 2014.

We have adopted a Code of Ethics for Senior Financial Officers (Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer  and Controller) and a Code of Business Conduct which  is applicable to all of the Trustees, directors, officers, employees, contractors and agents of Eversource Energy and its subsidiaries. The Code of Ethics is available on our website at www.eversource.com/Content/general/about/investors/corporate-governance/code-of-ethics-for-senior-financial-officers and our Code of Business

Conduct are available on our website at www.eversource.com/Content/docs/default-source/Investors/code_of_business_conduct.pdf You may obtain a printed copy of the Code of Ethics and the Code of Business Conduct, without charge, by contacting our Corporate Secretary at the address set forth on page 9 of this proxy statement. Any amendments to or waivers under the Code of Ethics or the Code of Business Conduct will be posted to our website at www.eversource.com/Content/general/about/investors.

Interested parties, including shareholders, who desire to communicate directly with the Board of Trustees, the non-management Trustees as a group, or individual Trustees, including the Lead Trustee, Mr. Cloud, should send written communications in care of our Corporate Secretary at the

mailing address set forth on page 9 of this proxy statement. The Corporate Secretary will review each communication and forward all communications that properly identify the sender to the intended recipient or recipients.

The purpose of this Compensation Discussion and Analysis is to provide information about our compensation objectives, plans, policies and actions for our Named Executive Officers. The discussion describes the specific components of the compensation program, how Eversource Energy measures performance, and how compensation awards and decisions were made by the Compensation Committee for our Named

Executive Officers, as presented in the tables and narratives that follow. While this discussion focuses primarily on 2014 information, it also addresses decisions that were made in other periods to the extent that these decisions are relevant to the full understanding of our compensation program and the specific awards that were made in 2014 and early 2015.

Achievement of the 2014 performance goals and additional accomplishments and the Compensation Committee’s assessment of Company and executive performance are more fully described in the section titled “2014 Annual Incentive Program.” Specific decisions regarding executive compensation based upon the Committee’s assessment of Company and executive performance and market data are described in this Compensation Discussion and Analysis below.

The Committee follows a philosophy of linking our Named Executive Officers’ compensation to performance that will ultimately benefit our customers and shareholders. The intent of our compensation program is to attract and retain the best executive talent, motivate our executives to meet or exceed specific stretch financial and operational goals set each year, and compensate our executives in a manner that aligns compensation directly with performance. We strive to provide executives with base salary, performance-based annual incentive compensation and long-term incentive compensation opportunities that are competitive with market practices and that reward excellent performance.

Executive Compensation Governance

The executive officers listed in the Summary Compensation Table, whose compensation is discussed in this Compensation Discussion and Analysis, are referred to as the “Named Executive Officers” under SEC regulations. For 2014, the Named Executive Officers are:

The Role of the Compensation Committee. The Board of Trustees has delegated to the Compensation Committee overall responsibility for establishing the compensation program for those senior executive officers, who we refer to in this Compensation Discussion and Analysis as “executives” and who under the SEC’s regulations are deemed to be “officers.” In this role, the Committee sets compensation policy and compensation levels, reviews and approves performance goals and evaluates executive performance. Although this discussion and analysis refers principally to compensation for the Named Executive Officers, the same compensation principles and practices apply to all executives. The compensation of the Chief Executive Officer is subject to the further review and approval of the independent Trustees.

Elements of Compensation.  Total direct compensation consists of three elements: base salary, annual cash incentive awards and long-term equity-based incentive awards. Indirect compensation is provided through certain retirement, perquisite, severance, and health and welfare benefit programs.

Our Compensation Objectives. The objectives of our compensation program are to attract and retain superior executive talent, motivate our executives to achieve annual and long-term performance goals set each year, and provide total compensation opportunities that are competitive with market practices. With respect to incentive compensation, the Committee believes it is important to balance short-term goals, such as producing earnings, with longer-term goals, such as long-term value creation and maintaining a strong balance sheet. The Committee also places great emphasis on system reliability and superior customer service. Our compensation program utilizes performance-based incentive compensation to reward individual and corporate performance and to align the interests of executives with Eversource Energy’s customers and shareholders. The Committee continually increases expectations to motivate our executives and employees to achieve continuous improvement in carrying out their responsibilities to our customers to deliver energy

reliably, safely, with respect for the environment and our employees, and at a reasonable cost, while providing an above-average total shareholder return to our shareholders.

Setting Compensation Levels. In order to ensure that the Company achieves its goal of providing market-based compensation levels to attract and retain top quality management, the Committee provides our executives with target compensation opportunities over time approximately equal to median compensation levels for executive officers of companies comparable to us. To achieve that goal, the Committee and its independent compensation consultant work together to determine the market values of executive direct compensation elements (base salaries, annual incentives and long-term incentives), as well as total compensation, by using competitive market compensation data. The Committee reviews compensation data obtained from utility and general industry surveys and a specific group of peer utility companies.

Role of the Compensation Consultant. The Committee has retained Pay Governance as its independent compensation consultant. Pay Governance reports directly to the Committee and does not provide any other services to the Company. With the consent of the Committee, Pay Governance works cooperatively with the Company’s management to develop analyses and proposals for presentation to the Committee. The Committee generally relies on Pay Governance for peer group market data and information as to market practices and trends to assess the competitiveness of the compensation we pay to our executives and to review the Committee’s proposed compensation decisions.

In February 2015, the Committee assessed the independence of Pay Governance pursuant to SEC and NYSE rules and concluded that it is independent and that no conflict of interest exists that would prevent Pay Governance from independently advising the Committee. In making this assessment, the Committee considered the independence factors enumerated in Rule 10C-1(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,

including the written representations of Pay Governance that Pay Governance does not provide any other services to the Company, the level of fees received from the Company as a percentage of Pay Governance’s total revenues, the policies and procedures employed by Pay Governance to prevent conflicts of interest, and whether the individual advisers from Pay Governance with whom the Committee consulted own any Eversource Energy common shares or have any business or personal relationships with members of the Committee or our executives.

Role of Management. Management’s roles, and specifically the roles of the Chief Executive Officer and the Senior Vice President of Human Resources, are to provide current compensation information to the compensation consultant and analyses and recommendations on executive compensation to the Committee based on the market value of the position, individual performance, experience and internal pay equity. The Chief Executive Officer also provides recommendations on the compensation for the other Named Executive Officers. None of the executives makes recommendations that affect his or her individual compensation.

The Compensation Committee strives to provide our executives with target compensation opportunities using a range that is approximately equal to the median compensation levels for executive officers of companies comparable to the Company. Set forth below is a description of the sources of the compensation data used by the Committee when reviewing 2014 compensation:

The Committee periodically adjusts the target percentages of annual and long-term incentives based on the survey data after discussion with the compensation consultant to ensure that they are approximately equal to competitive median levels.

The Committee also determines perquisites to the extent they serve business purposes and sets supplemental benefits at levels that provide market-based compensation opportunities to the executives. The Committee periodically reviews the general market for supplemental benefits and perquisites using utility and general industry survey data, including data obtained from companies in the peer group.

Mix of Compensation Elements. We target the mix of compensation for our Chief Executive Officer and the other Named Executive Officers so that the percentages of each compensation element are approximately equal to the competitive median market mix. The mix is heavily weighted

toward incentive compensation, and incentive compensation is heavily weighted toward long-term compensation. Since our most senior positions have the greatest responsibility for implementing our long-term business plans and strategies, a greater proportion of total compensation is based on performance with a long-term focus.

The Committee determines the compensation for each executive based on the relative authority, duties and responsibilities of the executive. Our Chief Executive Officer’s responsibilities for the strategic direction and daily operations and management of Eversource are greater than the duties and responsibilities of our other executives. As a result, our Chief Executive Officer’s compensation is higher than the compensation of our other executives. Assisted by the compensation consultant, the Committee regularly reviews market compensation data for executive officer positions similar to those held by our executives, including

our Chief Executive Officer, and this market data continues to indicate that chief executive officers are paid significantly more than other executive officers.

The following tables set forth the contribution to 2014 Total Direct Compensation (TDC) of each element of compensation, at target, reflected as a percentage of TDC, for the Named Executive Officers. The amounts shown in this table are at target and therefore do not match the amounts appearing in the Summary Compensation Table.

Risk Analysis of Executive Compensation Program. The overall compensation program includes a mix of compensation elements ranging from a fixed base salary that is risk-neutral to annual and long-term incentive compensation programs intended to motivate officers and eligible employees to achieve individual and corporate performance goals that reflect an appropriate level of risk. The fundamental objective of the compensation program is to foster the continued growth and success of our business. The design and implementation of the overall compensation program provides the Committee with opportunities throughout the year to assess risks within the compensation program that may have a material effect on the Company and our shareholders.

In 2014, the Compensation Committee assessed the risks associated with the executive compensation program by reviewing the various elements of incentive compensation. The annual incentive program was designed to ensure an appropriate balance between individual and corporate goals, which were deemed appropriate and supportive of the Company’s annual business plan. Similarly, the long-term incentive program was designed to ensure that the

performance metrics were properly weighted and supportive of the Company’s strategic plan. The Committee reviewed the overall compensation program in the context of the annual operating and strategic plans, which were both previously subject to Enterprise Risk Management review. Both the annual and long-term incentive programs were designed to ensure that mechanisms exist to mitigate risk. These mechanisms include realistic goal setting and discretion with respect to actual payments, the mix of financial, operational, customer service and safety goals, executive share ownership guidelines linking executive interests to those of shareholders, provisions for the clawback of incentive compensation, prohibitions on hedging and pledging of Eversource Energy common shares, and the provision of limited perquisites. These mechanisms are intended to ensure that there is not undue incentive to achieve any one goal without considering the impact of achieving such goal on other aspects of our business.

Results of Our 2014 Say-on-Pay Vote. Shareholders are requested to cast an annual advisory vote on executive compensation (a “Say-on-Pay” proposal). At the Company’s

Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on May 1, 2014, 91% of the votes cast on the Say-on-Pay proposal were voted to approve the 2013 compensation of the Named Executive Officers, as described in our 2014 proxy statement. The

Committee has and will continue to consider the outcome of the Company’s Say-on-Pay votes when making future compensation decisions for the Named Executive Officers.

Base salary is designed to attract and retain key executives by providing an element of total compensation at levels competitive with those of other executives employed by companies of similar size and complexity in the utility and general industries. In establishing base salary, the Compensation Committee relies on compensation data obtained from independent third-party surveys of companies and from an industry peer group to ensure that the compensation opportunities we offer are capable of attracting and retaining executives with the experience and talent required to achieve our strategic objectives.

When setting or adjusting base salaries, the Committee considers annual executive performance appraisals; market pay movement across industries (determined through market

analysis); targeted market pay positioning for each executive; individual experience and years of service; strategic importance of a position; and internal equity.

Individuals who are performing well in strategic positions are likely to have their base salaries increased more significantly than other individuals. From time-to-time, economic conditions and corporate performance have caused base salary increases to be postponed. However, the Committee prefers to reflect sub-par corporate performance through the variable pay components.

In February 2014, the Committee adjusted the base salaries of the Named Executive Officers by 3%. The Committee and independent Trustees also adjusted Mr. May’s base salary by 3%.

Annual incentive and the long-term incentive compensation are provided under the Company’s Incentive Plan, which was approved by our shareholders at the 2007 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and, with respect to the material terms of performance goals, was re-approved by our shareholders at the 2012 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The annual incentive program provides cash compensation intended to reward performance under our annual operating plan. The

long-term stock-based incentive program is designed to reward demonstrated performance and leadership, motivate future performance, align the interests of the executives with those of our shareholders, and retain the executives during the term of grants. The annual and long-term programs are designed to strike a balance between the Company’s short- and long-term objectives so that the programs work in tandem.

In February 2014, the Committee established the terms of the 2014 Annual Incentive Program. As part of the overall program, and after consulting with Pay Governance, the Committee set target award levels for each of the Named Executive Officers that ranged from 60% to 110% of target. Target award levels under the Annual Incentive Program are expressed as a percentage of base salary.

At the February 2014 meeting, the Committee determined that for 2014 it would base 70% of the annual incentive performance goals on the Company’s overall financial performance and 30% of the annual performance goals on the Company’s overall operational performance. The Committee  also determined the specific goals to assess performance and that the individual goals would be assessed using ratings ranging from 0% to 200%. The Committee

assigned weightings to each of these specific goals: for the financial component, the earnings per share goal was weighted at 60%, the reduction in operating expenses goal was weighted at 20%, and the remaining 20% weighting was based on the combined dividend growth and credit rating goals. For the operational component, the Committee determined that the combined service reliability and responsiveness goals would be weighted at 60%, the combined customer service and merger integration goals would be weighted at 25%, and the combined safety ratings, gas service response and call center performance goals would be weighted at 15%.

With respect to 2014 performance, management provided an initial review of the Company’s performance for the year at the December 2014 meeting of the Committee, followed in February 2015 by a full assessment of the performance

goals, the additional accomplishments noted below under the caption “Additional Factors” and the overall performance of the Company. The Committee was also provided updates during the year on corporate performance. At the February 2015 meeting, the Committee determined, based on its assessment of the financial and operational performance goals, to set the level of achievement of combined financial and operational performance goals results at 161% of target, reflecting the overall excellent performance of the Company and the executive team. In arriving at this determination, the Committee determined that the financial performance goals result was 163% of target and the operational performance goals result was 158% of target. The individual financial and operational performance goals results are as set forth below. The Chief Executive Officer recommended to the Committee payout levels for the executives (other than himself) based on his assessment of each executive’s individual performance towards achievement of the performance goals and the additional accomplishments of the Company, together with each executive’s contributions to the overall performance of the Company. The awards determined by the Committee were also based on the same three-component criteria.

Financial Performance Goals Assessment

Operational Performance Goals Assessment

Additional Factors

The following results were also considered by the Committee in making an assessment of overall financial and operational performance, but were not given specific weightings or assigned a specific performance assessment score:

Individual Performance Factors Considered by the Committee

The goal of the Committee for 2014 was to continue to provide incentives for Company executives to work together as a highly effective, integrated team to achieve or exceed

the financial, operational, customer and process integration goals and objectives. While emphasizing the importance of executives working as a team, the annual incentive award payments were also based on the Committee’s assessment of each executive’s individual performance in supporting the performance goals, additional achievements and overall Company performance. The Committee assessed the performance of our Chief Executive Officer and, based on the recommendations of the Chief Executive Officer, the Named Executive Officers, to determine the individual incentive awards as disclosed in the Summary Compensation Table. Based on the Committee’s review, which included its assessment of the performance goals, the significant other accomplishments of the Company and the Named Executive Officers, and the overall performance of the Company and each of Named Executive Officers, considered in its totality by the Committee to have been excellent, the Committee approved annual incentive program payouts for the Named Executive Officers at levels that ranged from 154% to 171% of target. These awards reflected the individual and team contributions of Mr. May, Mr. Judge, Mr. Olivier, Mr. McHale and Mr. Schweiger in achieving the goals and the additional accomplishments and the overall performance of the Company.

In arriving at Mr. May’s annual incentive payment of $2,250,000, which was 170% of target, and which reflects his and the Company’s excellent performance, the Committee and the Board considered the totality of the Company’s success in accomplishing the financial, operational, customer and merger effectiveness goals, the additional accomplishments of the Company, and Mr. May’s strategic leadership of the Company.

General

Our long-term incentive program is intended to focus on the Company’s longer-term strategic goals and to help retain our executives. A new three-year program commences every year. For the 2014 – 2016 Long-Term Incentive Program, at target, each grant consisted of 50% Restricted Share Units (RSUs) and 50% Performance Shares. RSUs are designed to provide executives with an incentive to increase the value of Company common shares in alignment with shareholder interests, while also serving as a retention component for executive talent. Performance Shares are designed to reward achievement as measured against pre-established performance measures. We believe these compensation elements create a focus on continued Company and share price growth to further align the interests of our executives with the interests of our shareholders.

Restricted Share Units (RSUs)

General

Each RSU granted under the long-term incentive program entitles the holder to receive one Company common share at the time of vesting. All RSUs granted under the long-term incentive program provide for vesting in equal annual installments over three years. RSU holders are eligible to

receive reinvested dividend units on outstanding RSUs held by them to the same extent that dividends are declared and paid on our common shares. Reinvested dividend units are accounted for as additional RSUs that accrue and are distributed with the common shares issued upon vesting of the underlying RSUs. Common shares, including any additional common shares in respect of reinvested dividend units, are not issued for any RSUs that do not vest.

The Committee determined RSU grants for each officer participating in the long-term incentive program. RSU grants are based on a percentage of base salary and measured in dollars. In 2014, the percentage used for each officer was based on the executive officer’s position in the Company and ranged from 75% to 200% of base salary. The Committee reserves the right to increase or decrease the RSU grant from target for each officer under special circumstances. Based on input from our Chief Executive Officer, the Committee determined the final RSU grants for each of the other executive officers, including the other Named Executive Officers.

All RSUs are granted on the date of the Committee meeting at which they are approved. RSU grants are subsequently converted from dollars into common share equivalents by dividing the value of each grant by the average closing price for our common shares over the ten trading days prior to the date of the grant.

RSU Grants under the 2014 – 2016 Program

Under the 2014 – 2016 Program, the target RSU grant totaled approximately $7,741,835 for the 49 officers participating in the program. Dividing the final total RSU grant by $43.13, the average closing price of our common shares over the ten trading days prior to the date of grant, resulted in an aggregate of 179,500 RSUs. The following RSU grants at 100% of target were approved, reflected in RSUs: Mr. May: 55,900; Mr. Judge: 12,400; Mr. Olivier: 13,000; Mr. McHale: 12,400; and Mr. Schweiger: 8,700.

RSU Grants under the 2013 – 2015 Program

Under the 2013 – 2015 Program, the target RSU grant totaled approximately $7,057,248 for the 44 officers participating in the program. Dividing the final total RSU grant by $39.36, the average closing price of our common shares over the ten trading days prior to the date of grant, resulted in an aggregate of 179,300 RSUs. The following RSU grants at 100% of target were approved, reflected in RSUs: Mr. May: 52,000; Mr. Judge: 13,100; Mr. Olivier: 13,800; Mr. McHale: 13,100; and Mr. Schweiger: 9,300.

Performance Share Grants General

Performance Shares are designed to reward future financial performance, measured by long-term earnings growth and above-average total shareholder returns, therefore aligning compensation with performance.

Performance Shares under the 2014 – 2016 Program

The Committee determined to use: (i) average diluted earnings per share growth adjusted for certain non-recurring items (“EPSG”); and (ii) relative total shareholder return (“TSR”) measured against the performance of companies that comprise the EEI Index. As in 2013, the Committee selected EPSG and TSR as performance measures because the Committee believes that they are generally recognized as the best indicators of overall corporate performance. Further, the Committee considers it a best practice to use a combination of relative and absolute metrics, with EPS growth serving as a key input to shareholder value and TSR serving as the output.

The number of Performance Shares awarded at the end of the three-year period ranges from 0% to 200% of target, depending on EPSG and relative TSR performance as set forth in the performance matrix below. For the 2014-2016 Program EPSG ranges from 0% to 9%, while TSR ranges from below the 10th percentile to approximately above the 90th percentile. The Committee determined that payout at 100% of target should be challenging but achievable. As a result, vesting at 100% of target occurs at various combinations of EPSG and TSR performance. In addition, the value of any performance shares that actually vest may increase or decrease over the vesting period based on the Company’s share price performance.

Performance Shares under the 2013 – 2015 Program

The Committee also determined to use: (i) EPSG; and (ii) TSR measured against the performance of companies that comprise the EEI Index. For the 2013-2015 Program, the number of Performance Shares awarded at the end of the three-year

period ranges from 0% to 200% of target, depending on EPSG and relative TSR performance as set forth in the performance matrix. EPSG ranges from 0% to 10%, while TSR ranges from below the 10th percentile to approximately above the 90th  percentile. The Committee determined that payout at 100% of target should be challenging but achievable. As a

result, vesting at 100% of target occurs at various combinations of EPSG and TSR performance. In addition, the value of any performance shares that actually vest may increase or decrease over the vesting period based on the Company’s share price performance.

The performance matrix set forth below describes how the Performance Share payout is determined under the 2013 – 2015 Long-Term Incentive Program. Three-year average EPSG is cross-referenced with the actual three-year TSR percentile to determine actual performance share payout as a percentage of target:

2012-2014 (Pre-Merger) Long-Term Incentive Program

The 2012-2014 Program was approved prior to the 2012 merger with NSTAR. Grants under the Program consisted of 50% RSUs and 50% Performance Shares. The RSU grants under this three-year program vest in equal annual installments and are otherwise subject to the provisions set forth in the section

above titled “Restricted Share Units (RSUs).” Upon the closing of the merger in 2012, the Performance Share grants under this program converted to RSUs assuming a target level of performance, and the newly converted RSUs were made subject to the vesting schedule for the original RSU grants under each program. Under the 2012 – 2014 Program, one-third of the converted RSUs vested in 2013, one-third vested in 2014 and the remaining third vest in 2015.

If our earnings were to be restated as a result of noncompliance with accounting rules caused by fraud or misconduct, the Company would require our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer to provide reimbursements for certain incentive compensation received by each of them. To the extent that reimbursement were not required under SEC rules or NYSE listing standards, our Incentive Plan would require any employee whose misconduct or fraud caused such restatement, as determined by the Board of Trustees,

to reimburse us for any incentive compensation received by him or her.

In addition, once final rules are adopted by the SEC regarding any additional clawback requirements under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd Frank), we will review our clawback policy and compensation plans and, if necessary, amend them to comply with the new mandates.

We have adopted a policy prohibiting the purchase of financial instruments or otherwise entering into transactions designed to have the effect of hedging or offsetting any decrease in the value of our common shares by our Trustees and our

executive officers. This policy also prohibits all pledging, derivative transactions of short sales involving our common shares or the holding of any Company common shares in a margin account.

The Committee has approved share ownership guidelines to further emphasize the importance of share ownership by our officers. As indicated in the table below, the guidelines call for the Chief Executive Officer to own common shares equal

to six times base salary, executive vice presidents and senior vice presidents to own a number of common shares equal to three times base salary and all other officers to own a number of common shares equal to one to two times base salary.

We require that our officers attain these ownership levels within five years. All of our officers, including the Named Executive Officers, have satisfied the share ownership guidelines or are expected to satisfy them within the applicable timeframe. Common shares, whether held of record, in street name, or in individual 401(k) accounts, and RSUs satisfy the guidelines. Unexercised stock options and unvested performance shares do not count toward the ownership

guidelines. In addition to the share ownership guidelines requirements noted above, all officers must hold all the net shares awarded under the Company’s stock compensation plan until the share ownership guidelines requirements have been met. We will also review this policy when final rules under Dodd-Frank are adopted and will amend our policy and disclosure as appropriate to comply with the rules.

The Company provides a qualified defined benefit pension program for certain officers, which is a final average pay program subject to tax code limits. Because of such limits, we also maintain a supplemental non-qualified pension program. Benefits are based on base salary and certain incentive payments, which is consistent with the goal of providing a retirement benefit that replaces a percentage of pre-retirement income. The supplemental program makes up for benefits barred by tax code limits, and generally provides (together with the qualified pension program) benefits equal to approximately 60% of pre-retirement compensation (subject to certain reductions) for Messrs. May, Judge and Schweiger, and approximately 50% of such compensation for Mr. McHale. The supplemental program has been discontinued for newly-elected officers.

For certain participants, the benefits payable under the Supplement Non-Qualified Pension Program (Program) differ from those described above. Under the Key Executive Benefit Plan, Mr. May is entitled to an alternative retirement benefit equal to 33% of final base salary annually for 15 years in lieu of the benefits provided under the Program. Benefits that would be available under the Key Executive Benefit Plan are less than those available under the Program and therefore have not been included in the present value of accumulated benefit shown below. Upon retirement, Mr. May is entitled to receive the greater of the benefit payable under the Program or the Key Executive Benefit Plan. Mr. Olivier’s employment agreement provides retirement benefits similar to those of a previous employer instead of the supplemental program benefits described above.

Under this agreement, he will receive a pension based on a prescribed formula if he meets certain eligibility requirements. The Program benefit payable to Mr. Schweiger is fully vested and is further reduced by benefits he is entitled to receive under previous employers’ retirement plans.

Also see the narrative accompanying the “Pension Benefits” table and accompanying notes for more detail on the above program.

401(k) Benefits

The Company offers a qualified 401(k) program for all employees, including executives, subject to tax code limits. After applying these limits, the program provides a maximum match of up to $10,400 for Messrs. May, Judge and Schweiger, which is equal to 50% of the first 8% of eligible base salary and annual cash incentive. For Messrs. Olivier and McHale, we provide a maximum match of up to $7,800, which is equal to 3% of eligible base salary and annual cash incentive.

Deferred Compensation

The Company offers a non-qualified deferred compensation program for our executives. In 2014, the program allowed deferral of up to 100% of base salary, annual incentives and long-term incentive awards. The program allows participants to select investment measures for deferrals based on an array of deemed investment options (including certain mutual funds and publicly traded securities).

See the Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Table and accompanying notes for additional details on the above program.

Perquisites

The Company provides executives with limited financial planning, health services, vehicle leasing and access to tickets

to sporting events, perquisites that we believe are consistent with peer companies. The current level of perquisites does not factor into decisions on total compensation.

We maintain contractual agreements with all of our Named Executive Officers that provide for potential compensation in the event of certain terminations following a Change of Control. We believe these agreements are necessary to attract and retain high quality executives and to ensure executive focus on Company business during the period leading up to a potential Change of Control. The agreements are “double-trigger” agreements that provide executives with compensation in the event of a Change of Control, while still

providing an incentive to remain employed with the Company for the transition period that follows.

Under the agreements, certain compensation is generally payable if, during the applicable change of control period, the executive is involuntarily terminated (other than for cause) or voluntarily terminates employment for “good reason.” These agreements are described more fully below under “Potential Payments upon Termination or Change of Control.”

The Company’s incentive plan was approved by shareholders and permits annual incentive and performance share awards intended to qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code. However, the Company believes that the availability of a tax deduction for forms of compensation is secondary to the goal of providing market-based compensation to attract and retain highly qualified executives. In addition, our compensation program

plans were amended in 2008 to comply with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Company has adopted the provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation. In general, the Company and the Committee do not take accounting considerations into account in structuring compensation arrangements.

Equity awards noted in the compensation tables are made at the February meeting of the Compensation Committee (subject to the further approval of the independent members of the Board of Trustees of the Chief Executive Officer’s award) when the Committee also determines base salary, annual

and long-term incentive compensation targets and annual incentive awards. The date of this meeting is chosen several months in advance, and therefore awards are not coordinated with the release of material non-public information.

The Compensation Committee of the Board of Trustees has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis required by Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K with management. Based on this review and discussion, the

Compensation Committee has recommended to the Board of Trustees that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the 2015 proxy statement and our Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The table below summarizes the total compensation paid or earned by our principal executive officer (Mr. May), principal financial officer (Mr. Judge) and the three other most highly compensated executive officers in 2014 (Messrs. Schweiger, May and McHale), determined in accordance with the applicable SEC disclosure rules (collectively, the Named Executive Officers). As explained in the footnotes below,

the amounts reflect the economic benefit to each Named Executive Officer of the compensation item paid or accrued on his behalf for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014. All salaries, annual incentive amounts and long-term incentive amounts shown for each Named Executive Officer were paid for all services rendered to the Company and its subsidiaries, in all its capacities.