Document:

EXHIBIT 10.17B

                               FIRST AMENDMENT TO
                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

This FIRST  AMENDMENT,  made as of the 5th day of May,  1999, to the  Employment
Agreement,  made as of the 1st day of March, 1997, (the "Agreement") between THE
UNITED  ILLUMINATING  COMPANY,  a Connecticut  corporation  (the  "Company") and
STEPHEN F. GOLDSCHMIDT, an individual (the "Executive").

                                WITNESSETH THAT:

     (1)  The Company and the  Executive  hereby agree to amend the Agreement as
          set forth in sections (2), (3) and (4) below:

     (2)  By adding  after the  final  sentence  of  Section  (2) the  following
          sentence:  "For  purposes  of  this  agreement,  any  such  change  in
          officership position will be consistent with the Executive's abilities
          and consist of duties and responsibilities  comparable to those of the
          officership position on the 1st day of April, 1999".

     (3)  By, in SCHEDULE A Section (B),  deleting the first sentence and adding
          in its place  the  following  sentence:  The  Officer's  choice of the
          addition  of six  years of age or six  years of  service  deemed as an
          employee of the Company, or any combination (not to exceed 6) of whole
          and partial  years of age and whole and partial years of service as an
          employee  of  the  Company,  in  the  calculation  of  a  supplemental
          retirement  benefit payable by the Company to the Officer in an amount
          equal to the excess of (A) over (B), where (A) is a retirement benefit
          calculated in accordance with the Company's Pension Plan, but with the
          aforesaid  addition of whole and partial years of age and/or  service,
          and (B) is the  benefit  payable to the  Officer  under the  Company's
          Pension Plan, plus the Officer's choice of the addition of seven years
          of age or seven years of service deemed as an employee of the Company,
          or any combination (not to exceed 7) of whole and partial years of age
          and whole and partial  years of service as an employee of the Company,
          in the  calculation  of the benefits  payable to the Officer under the
          Company's retiree medical benefit plan(s).

     (4)  By  additionally  in  SCHEDULE A Section  (B)  adding  after the final
          sentence: " The supplemental retirement benefit shall be paid from the
          Supplemental   Retirement  Benefit  Trust  of  the  Company  that  was
          established by an agreement  between the Company and State Street Bank
          and  Trust  Company,  dated as of June 1, 1995 and  amended  effective
          December 31, 1995".

     (5)  All the terms and conditions of the Agreement,  as amended hereby, are
          and shall remain in full force and effect

<PAGE>

     (6)  This First  Amendment to the  Agreement may be executed in one or more
          counterparts,  each of which  shall be deemed an  original  but all of
          which together will constitute one and the same instrument.

       IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the parties hereto have executed this instrument as
of the day and year first above written.

THE UNITED ILLUMINATING COMPANY

                                                    ATTEST:
By    /s/ Nathaniel D. Woodson
  ---------------------------------------
  Its Chairman of the Board of Directors,
  President and Chief Executive Officer

                                                       /s/ Kurt Mohlman
                                                -----------------------------
                                                     Treasurer and Secretary
     /s/ Stephen J. Goldschmidt
  ---------------------------------------
         Stephen J. GoldschmidtEXHIBIT 10.19B

                               FIRST AMENDMENT TO
                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

This  FIRST  AMENDMENT,  made  as of the  13th  day of  December,  1999,  to the
Employment  Agreement,  made as of the 1st day of March, 1997, (the "Agreement")
between  THE  UNITED  ILLUMINATING  COMPANY,  a  Connecticut   corporation  (the
"Company") and CHARLES J. PEPE, an individual (the "Officer").

                                  WITNESSETH THAT:

     (1)  The Company and the Officer hereby agree to amend the Agreement as set
          forth in sections (2), (3) and (4) below:

     (2)  By adding, after Section (4)(e), the following Section (4)(f):

               (4)(f) Supplemental Retirement. Upon termination of the Officer's
               employment, a supplemental retirement benefit shall be payable to
               him or his  beneficiary in accordance with the provisions of this
               Section  (4)(f).  The  annual  supplemental  retirement  benefit,
               expressed in the form of a single life  annuity  beginning at the
               Officer's  Normal  Retirement  Date (as defined in the  Company's
               Pension  Plan),  shall be the  excess,  if any,  of (A) less (B),
               where (A) is 1.9%  (.019)  of the  Officer's  highest  three-year
               average  Total   Compensation   times  the  number  of  years  at
               termination (not to exceed  twenty-five) of the Officer's service
               as an employee of the Company  plus 0.1% (.001) of the  Officer's
               highest three-year average Total Compensation times the number of
               years at  termination  in  excess of  twenty-five  (not to exceed
               five) of the Officer's service as an employee of the Company, and
               (B) is the benefit  payable  under the  Company's  Pension  Plan.
               Payment of the supplemental retirement benefit shall begin at the
               same time as the  Officer's  Pension  Plan  benefit  payments and
               shall be subject to the same  reductions for early  commencement.
               The  supplemental  retirement  benefit  may be paid  in any  form
               available under the Pension Plan, as elected by the Officer prior
               to benefit payment  commencement.  The conversion factors between
               forms of benefits  used for purposes of the Pension Plan shall be
               used for purposes of the  supplemental  retirement  benefit.  The
               form of payment of the supplemental retirement benefit may be the
               same or  different  from the  form of  payment  of the  Officer's
               benefits under the Pension Plan. If the form of payment  provides
               for a  death  benefit,  such  benefit  shall  be  payable  to the
               Officer's estate,  unless another beneficiary has been designated
               by the Officer.  If the Officer dies prior to the commencement of
               benefit  payments,  the death  benefit  provisions of the Pension
               Plan  shall  apply,   mutatis   mutandis,   to  the  supplemental
               retirement  benefit payable pursuant to this Section (4)(f).  The
               supplemental retirement benefit shall be paid from the The United
               Illuminating  Company  Supplemental  Retirement Trust established
               pursuant to the Agreement,  made as of the 1st day of June,  1995
               and as amended effective  December  31,1995,  between the Company
               and State Street Bank and Trust Company, as Trustee.

     (3)  By substituting, in each of Sections (6)(a), (6)(b) and (6)(d)(i), for
          the phrase "Sections  (4)(c) and (4)(d) hereof",  the phrase "Sections
          (4)(c), (4)(d) and (4)(f) hereof".

<PAGE>

     (4)  By substituting, for Section (B) of Schedule (A), the following:

               (B) The Officer's  choice of the addition of six years of age, or
               six years of service deemed as an employee of the Company, or any
               combination  (not to exceed 6) of whole and partial  years of age
               and whole or partial  years of service  deemed as an  employee of
               the Company,  in the  calculation of the benefits  payable to the
               Officer under the Company's  retiree  medical benefit plan(s) and
               in the  calculation  of the benefits  payable to the Officer as a
               supplemental  retirement  benefit under the Officer's  Employment
               Agreement.  The Officer may elect to commence receipt of payments
               under this option at the termination of the Officer's  employment
               or at any time thereafter,  but not prior to age 55 or later than
               age 65.

     (5)  All the terms and conditions of the Agreement,  as amended hereby, are
          and shall remain in full force and effect

     (6)  This First  Amendment to the  Agreement may be executed in one or more
          counterparts,  each of which  shall be deemed an  original  but all of
          which together will constitute one and the same instrument.

IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the parties hereto have executed this instrument as of the
day and year first above written.

THE UNITED ILLUMINATING COMPANY

                                                 ATTEST:
By  /s/ Nathaniel D. Woodson
  ---------------------------------------
  Its Chairman of the Board of Directors,
  President and Chief Executive Officer

                                                 /s/ Kurt Mohlman
                                            -----------------------------------
                                               Treasurer and Secretary
    /s/ Charles J. Pepe
  ---------------------------------------
        Charles J. PepeEXHIBIT 10.20B

                               FIRST AMENDMENT TO
                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

         This FIRST AMENDMENT, made as of the 13th day of December, 1999, to the
Employment  Agreement,   made  as  of  the  23rd  day  of  February,   1998,(the
"Agreement") between THE UNITED ILLUMINATING COMPANY, a Connecticut  corporation
(the "Company") and NATHANIEL D. WOODSON, an individual (the "Executive"),

                              WITNESSETH THAT:

     (1) The Company and the  Executive  hereby agree to amend the  Agreement as
set forth in section (2) below:

     (2) Section (11) is amended by adding thereto  subsections  (c) and (d), as
follows:

                  (c) If for  purposes of the excise tax imposed by Section 4999
of the Internal  Revenue  Code,  the payments  that the Executive is entitled to
receive under this Agreement, together with any other payment or distribution by
the Company to or for the benefit of the  Executive  (whether paid or payable or
distributed or distributable) pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise,  would be
less  than  or  equal  to  3.2  times  the  "base  amount"  of  the  Executive's
compensation  (as defined in Section 280G of the Internal  Revenue Code, and not
governed by any term defined in this  Agreement),  any portion of such  payments
that would constitute  "excess  parachute  payments" (as defined in said Section
280G)  subject to such  excise tax shall be reduced to the  largest  amount that
will result in no portion of such excess  parachute  payments  being  subject to
such excise tax.

                  (d) If for  purposes of the excise tax imposed by Section 4999
of the Internal  Revenue  Code,  the payments  that the Executive is entitled to
receive under this Agreement, together with any other payment or distribution by
the Company to of for the benefit of the  Executive  (whether paid or payable or
distributed or distributable) pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise,  would be
more than 3.2  times  the "base  amount"  of the  Executive's  compensation  (as
defined in Section 280G of the Internal  Revenue  Code,  and not governed by any
term defined in this Agreement), but not more than 4.0 times such "base amount,"
the Executive shall be entitled to receive an additional  payment (the "Gross-Up
Payment")  in an amount equal to (i) the amount of the excise tax imposed on the
Executive  in respect of the  payments he is entitled  to receive  (the  "Excise
Tax"),  plus (ii) all federal,  state and local  income,  employment  and excise
taxes  (including any interest or penalties  imposed with respect to such taxes)
imposed on the  Executive  in respect of the Gross-Up

<PAGE>

Payment,  such that after payment of all such taxes  (including  any  applicable
interest or penalties) on the Gross-Up Payment,  the Executive retains a portion
of the Gross-Up Payment equal to the Excise Tax.

     (4) All the terms and  conditions of the  Agreement,  as amended hereby are
and shall remain in full force and effect.

     (5) This First  Amendment to the  Agreement  may be executed in one or more
counterparts,  each of  which  shall  be  deemed  an  original  but all of which
together will constitute one and the same instrument.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this instrument as
of the day and year first above written.

THE UNITED ILLUMINATING COMPANY

                                               ATTEST:

By  /s/ Albert N. Henricksen
   ----------------------------
       Albert N. Henricksen
       Its Group Vice President
       Support Services
                                                /s/ Robert L. Fiscus
                                               ---------------------------
                                                Robert L. Fiscus
                                                Its Treasurer and Secretary
    /s/ Nathaniel D. Woodson
   ----------------------------
      Nathaniel D. Woodson

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