<ARTICLE>                                           UT
<LEGEND>
This schedule contains summary financial information extracted from Central
Maine Power Company's Consolidated Statement of Earnings, Consolidated Balance
Sheet and Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows and is qualified in its entirety
by reference to such financial statements.
</LEGEND>                      
       
                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   9-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                              DEC-31-1995
<PERIOD-END>                                   SEP-30-1996
<BOOK-VALUE>                                   PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                      1,063,651
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                       68,019
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                           218,423
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                         583,461
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                         0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                 1,933,554
<COMMON>                                         162,214
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                        279,699
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                               62,288
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                   501,201
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                             65,571
<PREFERRED>                                       53,528
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                             528,786
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                     0
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                              0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                         0
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                     59,930
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                          7,000
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                       36,825
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                   1,666
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                   679,047
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                  1,933,554
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                        719,484
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                              25,726
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                       624,134
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                       649,860
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                           74,763
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                                 3,523
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                    78,286
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                          37,941
<NET-INCOME>                                      40,345
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                        7,244
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                     33,101
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                          21,916
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                         22,774
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                           100,360
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                       1.02
<EPS-DILUTED>                                       1.02