Better Health for All
10
Eversource invested over $659 million in energy efficiency programs
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, avoiding 2.8 million metric tons of lifetime greenhouse gas emissions
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, which contributes to cleaner air and a healthier environment
3
. The company's core services, including electricity, natural gas, and water delivery, provide modest health benefits by enabling essential infrastructure, exemplified by a collaboration with Southern New Hampshire Health to enhance patient comfort through energy efficiency upgrades
4
. Additionally, Eversource offers comprehensive employee wellness programs that promote health and well-being
5
.
Fair Money & Economic Opportunity
10
Eversource offers zero-interest, on-bill financing for energy efficiency upgrades to small businesses through its Small Business Energy Advantage (SBEA) program, which has surpassed $100 million in loans since December 2018.
1
The company also provides discount rates of 10% or 50% for financial hardship customers in Connecticut, based on income.
2
Its Main Streets program provides incentives and no-cost energy assessments for small businesses and nonprofits in underserved markets, leading to significant annual savings.
3
Eversource provided $6.8 million in grants and sponsorships, with $4.8 million directed to diverse organizations.
4
The company does not generate revenue from high-cost financial products or penalty fees. It does not manage customer finance data or operate financial service access points. There is no specific quantitative evidence regarding the share of underserved clients, the share of the loan book for inclusion initiatives, wealth-building outcomes for customers, profit reinvestment percentages, or geographic inclusion coverage. No information is available on financial literacy programs, debt-to-income ratios, or product simplicity.
Fair Pay & Worker Respect
-20
Eversource has faced three substantiated labor-law violations within the past three years. In July 2022, OSHA cited the company for five violations, including failure to deenergize equipment and inadequate employee training, following a fatal arc flash incident, proposing fines totaling $333,560.
1
In September 2023, Eversource agreed to a $15 million settlement for mismanaging its employees' 401(k) plan.
2
Additionally, in 2024, a jury awarded $2 million in damages to a construction worker injured in 2019 due to an incorrectly marked underground cable owned by Eversource.
3
Eversource's Human Rights Policy emphasizes providing a safe, secure, healthy, and productive work environment, prohibiting child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking, and respecting collective bargaining rights.
4
The company is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.
5
In 2023, 55.9% of external hires and 48.1% of new hires and promotions into leadership roles were women and/or people of color, with executive compensation linked to DEI goals.
6
Eversource was included in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index
7
and recognized in the 2024 Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America,
8
and offers a competitive total rewards program including benefits for employees and family members.
9
Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing
30
Eversource Energy requires all vendors to adhere to its Supplier Code of Business Conduct.
1
This code emphasizes ethical behavior, worker health and safety, fair treatment, and compliance with human rights standards.
2
Honest & Fair Business
-10
Eversource Energy incurred approximately $2.37 million in ethics-related regulatory fines over the past three years.
1
This includes a $333,560 penalty in 2023 for safety violations
2
, a $1.8 million settlement in 2022 for deceptive marketing tactics
3
, and a penalty of up to $240,000 in 2021 for stormwater discharge violations
4
.
Kind to Animals
10
Eversource demonstrates significant engagement in wildlife conservation, committing $3 million (2015-2016) to the "Partners for New Hampshire's Fish and Wildlife" program
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to restore forests and rivers, enhance biodiversity, and increase populations of species like the New England cottontail and Eastern brook trout, including establishing 30 acres of early successional habitat.
2
The company manages approximately 40,000 acres of land, including 22,000 acres of protected watershed areas
3
, collaborating to protect unique ecosystems and state-listed rare species.
4
Eversource conducts annual "Turtlepalooza" training with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife to protect endangered species like the eastern box turtle in rights-of-way.
5
It also collaborates on the Cape Cod Osprey Management Plan
6
, adhering to strict guidelines for nest management
7
, which has contributed to the rebound of the osprey population in Connecticut from 9 in 1974 to over 800 pairs.
8
Further, Eversource and Ørsted funded a $1.25 million fisheries research program with UConn
9
and signed an agreement with environmental organizations to protect the North Atlantic right whale.
10
Eversource also partners with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
11
, fulfilling its obligations under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act
12
and adhering to strict guidelines and permits for maintaining its electric system around osprey nests.
13
No War, No Weapons
0
Eversource Energy, a utility company, does not produce or distribute weapons and has no direct involvement in military operations.
1
Consequently, it has no exposure to controversial weapons and no defense-related assets to divest.
2
However, the company was selected by the Department of the Air Force in February 2023 to implement a three-year Energy-as-a-Service pilot program at Hanscom Air Force Base.
3
This program provides resilient and efficient energy management services, which constitutes a minor defense-adjacent service.
4
The company's energy management services are not considered dual-use technology.
5
Planet-Friendly Business
-60
Eversource Energy's total Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions were 28,017,801 tCO2e in 2024, representing a 1.92% increase from 2023.
1
The company disclosed 10 out of 15 Scope 3 categories.
2
As of December 2022, Eversource had committed to setting a science-based target with SBTi, but validation was pending, and it has not set a net-zero target as of 2026.
3
In 2023, 40.72% of the company's total energy consumed was sourced from renewable energy.
4
The company recorded at least three environmental compliance violations in 2019 (PCB-related)
5
, three in 2020 (EPA-related)
6
, and one in 2021 (wetlands/clean water laws)
7
, resulting in penalties of $129,428 in March 2020
8
and $310,000 in April 2021.
9
Respect for Cultures & Communities
0
Eversource has established five formal partnership agreements with community and tribal groups, including the Connecticut Green Bank, State Historic Preservation offices, Tribal Historic Preservation offices, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, and a Community Advisory Council.
1
The company has no reported cultural appropriation incidents.
2
Eversource implements a cultural impact assessment protocol, evidenced by a preliminary cultural resources review report submitted to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), which concurred that a project would have no adverse effect on historic properties.
3
The company also partners with State and Tribal Historic Preservation offices to identify and protect cultural resources.
4
Furthermore, Eversource has demonstrated active protection measures for cultural sites, with no archaeological sites impacted by its projects and SHPO concurrence that no historic properties would be affected by construction.
5
Despite having a framework for reporting social incidents, Eversource has faced community opposition and project rejections for specific projects, indicating reactive responses to cultural incidents after public pressure.
6
,
7
Safe & Smart Tech
-40
Eversource Energy has faced significant challenges in its cybersecurity and data protection practices. The company incurred a $2.7 million penalty for violating NERC’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Reliability Standards, stemming from a failure to adequately implement programs for identifying, classifying, and protecting critical cyber assets, and managing access to related information.
1
This incident involved the exposure of over 30,000 critical cyber security assets for 70 days.
2
Additionally, a third-party contractor improperly accessed and copied data from the company’s network.
3
Eversource has experienced multiple data breaches affecting customer personal information. In April 2021, an unsecured cloud storage server exposed data, including Social Security numbers, for about 11,000 customers in eastern Massachusetts, with files explicitly noted as unencrypted.
4
In August 2023, over 3,000 Connecticut customers had personal information exposed due to a cyberattack on a vendor.
5
Despite these issues, Eversource's privacy policy, updated in November 2024, outlines good user data controls, including online account management, communication preferences, and specific rights for Connecticut and New Hampshire residents to access, correct, or delete their data.
6
The policy also states that only necessary information is collected and online data is deleted within 24 months.
7
Employees receive training in the proper handling of personal data.
8
Zero Waste & Sustainable Products
0
No specific, quantifiable data was provided in the articles regarding Eversource Energy's waste diversion rates, product recyclability, packaging sustainability, recycled content, single-use plastic reduction, take-back programs, circular design principles, hazardous waste management, product durability, repairability, waste audit frequency, zero waste certifications, waste disposal violations, material efficiency, packaging-to-product ratio, waste reduction targets, supplier waste requirements, or customer waste education programs. While Article 3 mentions "waste reduction efforts" leading to "substantial energy savings," this refers to energy waste, not physical waste, and is therefore not relevant to the 'Zero Waste & Sustainable Products' value.