2 NU Safe Harbor Provisions This presentation contains statements concerning NU’s expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, strategies, assumptions of future events, future financial performance or growth and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, a listener or reader can identify these forward-looking statements through the use of words or phrases such as “estimate”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “plan”, “project”, “believe”, “forecast”, “should”, “could”, and other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations, estimates, assumptions or projections of management and are not guarantees of future performance. These expectations, estimates, assumptions or projections may vary materially from actual results. Accordingly, any such statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to, and are accompanied by, the following important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, actions or inaction of local, state and federal regulatory and taxing bodies; changes in business and economic conditions, including their impact on interest rates, bad debt expense and demand for our products and services; changes in weather patterns; changes in laws, regulations or regulatory policy; changes in levels and timing of capital expenditures; disruptions in the capital markets or other events that make our access to necessary capital more difficult or costly; developments in legal or public policy doctrines; technological developments; changes in accounting standards and financial reporting regulations; actions of rating agencies; the outcome of our merger; and other presently unknown or unforeseen factors. Other risk factors are detailed in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and we undertake no obligation to update the information contained in any forward-looking statements to reflect developments or circumstances occurring after the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. All per share amounts in this presentation are reported on a diluted basis. The only common equity securities that are publicly traded are common shares of NU parent. The earnings and EPS of each business do not represent a direct legal interest in the assets and liabilities allocated to such business, but rather represent a direct interest in NU's assets and liabilities as a whole. EPS by business is a non- GAAP (not determined using generally accepted accounting principles) measure that is calculated by dividing the net income or loss attributable to controlling interests of each business by the weighted average diluted NU parent common shares outstanding for the period. In addition, the second quarter and first half 2012 earnings and EPS excluding certain charges related to the April 10, 2012 closing of the merger between NU and NSTAR are non-GAAP financial measures. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate earnings results and to provide details of earnings results and guidance by business and to more fully compare and explain our second quarter and first half 2012 and 2011 results without including the impact of the non-recurring merger-related costs. Management believes that this measurement is useful to investors to evaluate the actual and projected financial performance and contribution of NU’s businesses. Non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as alternatives to NU consolidated net income attributable to controlling interests or EPS determined in accordance with GAAP as indicators of NU’s operating performance. |