|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |         |               |        |                                  |        |               |        |               |        |               |        |               |  |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|---------------|--------|----------------------------------|--------|---------------|--------|---------------|--------|---------------|--------|---------------|--|
| Northeast Utilities                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |    |          |   |                             |   |          |   |          |   |          |   | Exhibit 12    |
| Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |    |          |   |                             |   |          |   |          |   |          |   |          |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |    |          |   |                             |   |          |   |          |   |          |   |          |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |    | Six Months    |   |                             |   |          |   |          |   |          |   |          |
| (Thousands of Dollars)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |    | Ended         |   |                             |   |          |   |          |   |          |   |          |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |    | June 30, 2009 |   | For the Years Ended December 31, |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |    | (unaudited)   |   | 2008                             |   | 2007          |   | 2006          |   | 2005          |   | 2004          |
| Earnings, as defined:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |    |          |   |                             |   |          |   |          |   |          |   |          |
|    Net income/(loss) from continuing operations before                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |    |          |   |                             |   |          |   |          |   |          |   |
|     cumulative effect of accounting change                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | $       | 183,307  | $      | 266,387                     | $      | 251,455  | $      | 138,495  | $      | (251,344)     | $      | 75,982   |
|    Income tax expense/(benefit)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |    | 93,817   |   | 105,661                     |   | 109,420  |   | (76,326)      |   | (184,862)     |   | 22,388   |
|    Equity in earnings of regional nuclear                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |    |          |   |                             |   |          |   |          |   |          |   |          |
|      generating and transmission companies                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |    | (954)         |   | (1,637)                          |   | (3,983)       |   | (334)         |   | (3,311)       |   | (2,592)       |
|    Dividends received from regional equity investees                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |    | 3,335    |   | 1,017                       |   | 4,542    |   | 2,145    |   | 687      |   | 3,879    |
|    Fixed charges, as below                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |    | 148,176  |   | 304,374                     |   | 275,611  |   | 267,243  |   | 265,046  |   | 235,699  |
|    Less: Interest capitalized (including AFUDC)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |    | (3,524)       |   | (17,797)                         |   | (17,568)      |   | (14,482)      |   | (10,463)      |   | (4,517)       |
|    Preferred dividend security requirements of                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |    |          |   |                             |   |          |   |          |   |          |   |          |
|      consolidated subsidiaries                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |    | (4,633)       |   | (9,265)                          |   | (9,265)       |   | (9,265)       |   | (9,265)       |   | (9,265)       |
| Total earnings/(loss), as defined                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | $       | 419,524  | $      | 648,740                     | $      | 610,212  | $      | 307,476  | $      | (193,512)     | $      | 321,574  |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |    |          |   |                             |   |          |   |          |   |          |   |          |
| Fixed charges, as defined:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |    |          |   |                             |   |          |   |          |   |          |   |          |
|    Interest on long-term debt (a)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | $  | 112,458  | $      | 193,883                     | $      | 162,841  | $      | 141,579  | $      | 131,870  | $      | 107,365  |
|    Interest on rate reduction bonds                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |    | 20,232   |   | 50,231                      |   | 61,580   |   | 74,242   |   | 87,439   |   | 98,899   |
|    Other interest (b)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |    | 3,245    |   | 25,031                      |   | 15,824   |   | 22,375   |   | 19,276   |   | 8,586    |
|    Rental interest factor                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |    | 4,084    |   | 8,167                       |   | 8,533    |   | 5,300    |   | 6,733    |   | 7,067    |
|    Preferred dividend security requirements of                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |    |          |   |                             |   |          |   |          |   |          |   |          |
|      consolidated subsidiaries                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |    | 4,633    |   | 9,265                       |   | 9,265    |   | 9,265    |   | 9,265    |   | 9,265    |
|    Interest capitalized (including AFUDC)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |    | 3,524    |   | 17,797                      |   | 17,568   |   | 14,482   |   | 10,463   |   | 4,517    |
| Total fixed charges, as defined                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | $       | 148,176  | $      | 304,374                     | $      | 275,611  | $      | 267,243  | $      | 265,046  | $      | 235,699  |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |    |          |   |                             |   |          |   |          |   |          |   |          |
| Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |    | 2.83     |   | 2.13                        |   | 2.21     |   | 1.15     |   | (0.73)        | (c)    | 1.36     |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |    |          |   |                             |   |          |   |          |   |          |   |          |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |    |          |   |                             |   |          |   |          |   |          |   |          |
| (a)

Interest on long-term debt amounts include amortized premiums, discounts and capitalized expenses related to indebtedness.                                                                                                                                                                     |    |          |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| (b)

For the six months ended June 30, 2009 and for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, other interest includes interest related to Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 48, "Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes - an Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109." |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| (c)

Consolidated earnings were inadequate to cover fixed charges by $458.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2005.                                                                                                                                                                           |    |          |   |
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