<ARTICLE> UT <LEGEND> THIS SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM BGE'S JUNE 30, 1996 INTERIM CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT, BALANCE SHEET AND STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH STATEMENTS. </LEGEND> <MULTIPLIER> 1,000 <PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1996 <PERIOD-START> JAN-01-1996 <PERIOD-END> JUN-30-1996 <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 5,516,717 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 1,379,477 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 772,281 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 677,463 <OTHER-ASSETS> 0 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 8,345,938 <COMMON> 1,425,641 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 0 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 1,408,437 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 2,837,966 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 227,500 <PREFERRED> 210,000 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 2,725,851 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 0 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 274,845 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 94,953 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 39,000 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LEASES-CURRENT> 0 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 1,935,823 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 8,345,938 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 1,593,037 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 89,680 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 1,243,085 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 1,332,765 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 260,272 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> 2,120 <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 262,392 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 97,058 <NET-INCOME> 165,334 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 21,768 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 143,566 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 115,071 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 105,772 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 361,676 <EPS-PRIMARY> 0.97 <EPS-DILUTED> 0.97