The state says the "inadequacies" of NStar’s and Northeast Utilities’ emergency response plans – revealed during Tropical Storm Irene and the October snow – are another reason to delay their possible merger.

On Tuesday, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) amended a previous motion to stay merger proceedings.

The department says, given the prolonged storm-caused outages, the companies should now have to show the Department of Public Utilities their storm preparations are adequate.

An NStar spokeswoman said their plans are already adequate and, in fact, based on DPU-approved guidelines.

The amended complaint was filed a day after the DPU was notified talks between the utilities and state to resolve the stay request had failed. A Department of Energy Resources spokeswoman said Tuesday’s request was solely about ensuring service quality.

A significant delay could kill the merger. (AP)