BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts utility regulators slapped three power companies with penalties totaling nearly $25 million on Tuesday for their handling of widespread outages caused by two major storms in 2011.

The record fines against National Grid, NStar and Western Massachusetts Electric Co. were imposed after a lengthy investigation by the state into how the utilities planned for and responded to Tropical Storm Irene and a surprise October snowstorm. Hundreds of thousands of customers lost electricity and many waited longer than a week for the lights to come back on after each storm.