8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  February 2, 2017 (February 2, 2017)

EVERSOURCE ENERGY

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Massachusetts	001-5324	04-2147929
(State or other jurisdiction of organization)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

300 Cadwell Drive Springfield, Massachusetts	01104
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (800) 286-5000

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

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Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

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Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Section 5

Corporate Governance and Management

Item 5.02

Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment

of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.  

On February 2, 2017, Thomas J. May notified Eversource Energy (the “Company”) of his decision not to stand for re-election to the Board of Trustees (the “Board”) at the 2017 Annual Meeting of Shareholders scheduled for May 3, 2017 (the “Annual Meeting”).  Mr. May will continue to serve as Trustee of the Company and non-executive Chairman of the Board and retire from the Board when his current term expires at the Annual Meeting.  

Section 8

Other Events

Item 8.01

Other Events.

On February 2, 2017, the Company issued a news release announcing that the Board had approved an increase in the quarterly dividend to $0.475 per share payable on March 31, 2017 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 2, 2017.  A copy of the news release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

Section 9

Financial Statements and Exhibits

Item 9.01

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d)

Exhibits.  

Exhibit Number	Description
99.1	News release, dated February 2, 2017, issued by the Company announcing dividend increase.

[The remainder of this page left blank intentionally.]

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SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

EVERSOURCE ENERGY

(Registrant)

February 2, 2017

By:

JAY S. BUTH

Vice President, Controller

and Chief Accounting Officer

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EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number	Description
99.1	News release, dated February 2, 2017, issued by the Company announcing dividend increase.

EX-99

EXHIBIT 99.1

  News Release

Eversource Energy Raises Common Dividend By 6.7%

HARTFORD, Conn. and BOSTON, Mass. (February 2, 2017) – The Board of Trustees of Eversource Energy (NYSE:ES) today approved a quarterly dividend of $0.475 per share, payable on March 31, 2017, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 2, 2017.  

The March 2017 dividend represents a 6.7 percent increase over the previous quarterly dividend level.

“This increase signals the confidence we have in our regulated business model, strong financial condition and expected earnings growth,” said Jim Judge, president and chief executive officer of Eversource Energy.  

Eversource Energy operates New England’s largest energy delivery company and is committed to safety, reliability, environmental leadership and stewardship, as well as expanding energy options for approximately 3.7 million electric and natural gas customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.  It has approximately 317 million common shares outstanding.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jeffrey R. Kotkin

(860) 665-5154

This news release includes statements concerning Eversource Energy’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, readers 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 involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements.  Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, cyber breaches, acts of war or terrorism, or grid disturbances; 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 Eversource Energy’s services; fluctuations in weather patterns; changes in laws, regulations or regulatory policy; changes in levels or timing of capital expenditures; disruptions in the capital markets or other events that make Eversource Energy’s 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; and other presently unknown or unforeseen factors. Other risk factors are detailed from time to time in Eversource Energy’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and Eversource Energy undertakes 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.

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