DR 98-016
                                     
                  Public Service Company of New Hampshire
                                     
                    Petition For Approval of Financing
                                     
                    Order Approving Procedural Schedule
                                     
                         O R D E R   N O.  22,872
                                     
                              March 16, 1998
                                     
         On February 20, 1998, Public Service Company of New
     Hampshire (PSNH) filed with the New Hampshire Public Utilities
     Commission (Commission) a Petition for Approval of Extension,
     Modification and/or Amendment of Various Finance Arrangements,
     for Issuance of First Mortgage Bonds and for the Granting of
     Additional Security, together with accompanying attachments. 
         By Order of Notice issued February 23, 1998, the
     Commission scheduled a prehearing conference for March 5, 1998,
     set deadlines for intervention requests and objections thereto,
     outlined a proposed procedural schedule, and required the Parties
     and the Commission Staff (Staff) to summarize their positions
     with regard to the filing for the record.
         Cabletron Systems, Inc. (Cabletron) moved to intervene
     by written motion stating the basis of its interest in the
     proceeding.  At the prehearing conference, we granted Cabletron's
     motion to intervene.  The Office of the Consumer Advocate (OCA)
     is a statutorily recognized intervenor and did appear at the
     prehearing conference on March 5, 1998. 
         At the prehearing conference the Parties and Staff
     agreed to the procedural schedule as outlined in the Order of
     Notice and as follows:
     
         Written Data Requests by Staff and 
              Intervenors                        March 6   , 1998  
            
         Company Data Responses                  March 9, 1998 
            
         Testimony by Staff and                                  
              Intervenors                        March 13, 1998 
            
         Hearing on the Merits        March 17, 1998 at 1:30 p.m.
                                     March 18, 1998 at 10:00 a.m.
     
         Commission Written Order                March 20, 1998
     
         Motions for Rehearing, if any           April 20, 1998
     
         Commission Decision on Motions for
              Rehearing, if any                  April 22, 1998;
      
         Also at the prehearing conference, in accordance with
     the Order of Notice, PSNH and Staff stated their positions with
     regard to the filing for the record.
         We find the proposed procedural schedule to be
     reasonable and will, therefore, approve it for the duration of
     the proceeding.
                   Based upon the foregoing, it is hereby
         ORDERED, that the procedural schedule delineated above
     is APPROVED; and it is
         FURTHER ORDERED, that Cabletron Systems, Inc is granted
     intervenor status.
         By order of the Public Utilities Commission of New
     Hampshire this sixteenth day of March, 1998.
     
     
                                                                     
        Douglas L. Patch    Bruce B. Ellsworth        Susan S. Geiger
            Chairman           Commissioner            Commissioner
     
     Attested by:
     
     
     
                                      
     Thomas B. Getz
     Executive Director and Secretary