<ARTICLE> UT <LEGEND> THIS SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM BGE'S SEPTEMBER 30, 1998 INTERIM CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT, BALANCE SHEET AND STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH STATEMENTS. </LEGEND> <MULTIPLIER> 1,000,000 <PERIOD-TYPE> 9-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1998 <PERIOD-START> JAN-01-1998 <PERIOD-END> SEP-30-1998 <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 5,653 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 1,666 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 1,207 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 497 <OTHER-ASSETS> 0 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 9,023 <COMMON> 1,467 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 0 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 1,540 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 3,011 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 0 <PREFERRED> 190 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 2,781 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 73 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 51 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 439 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 10 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LEASES-CURRENT> 0 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 2,468 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 9,023 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 2,568 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 174 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 1,908 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 2,082 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 486 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> 6 <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 492 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 181 <NET-INCOME> 311 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 18 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 293 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 184 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 181 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 672 <EPS-PRIMARY> 1.97 <EPS-DILUTED> 1.97