<ARTICLE>                                    UT 

       <LEGEND>                    THE SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY
                                  FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED
                                 FROM CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET,
                                  INCOME STATEMENT AND STATEMENT
                                   OF CASH FLOWS AND IS QUALIFIED
                                     IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE
                                     TO SUCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                                         AND THE NOTES THERETO
       <MULTIPLIER>                                     1,000

       <FISCAL-YEAR-END>                           DEC-31-1996
 
       <PERIOD-END>                                MAR-31-1996

       <PERIOD-TYPE>                               3-MOS

       <BOOK-VALUE>                                PER-BOOK
 
       <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                   10,818,697

       <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                    157,422

       <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                       1,189,550

       <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                       687,454

       <OTHER-ASSETS>                               1,029,062

       <TOTAL-ASSETS>                              13,882,185

       <COMMON>                                       587,421

       <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                      855,884

       <RETAINED-EARNINGS>                          4,144,779

       <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>               5,588,084

       <PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                           84,550
 
       <PREFERRED>                                    238,292



       <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                         4,189,242

       <SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                 0  
 
       <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                          0  

       <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                     0  

       <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                   82,812

       <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                          0 

       <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                     44,610

       <LEASES-CURRENT>                                 2,557

       <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>               3,652,038

       <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>               13,882,185

       <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                    1,867,365

       <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                           105,040

       <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                   1,509,664

       <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                   1,614,704

       <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                        252,661

       <OTHER-INCOME-NET>                                 854

       <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                 253,515

       <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                        78,980

       <NET-INCOME>                                   174,535

       <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                      6,035

       <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                  182,443

       <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                       122,182

       <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                      301,729



       <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                         184,756

       <EPS-PRIMARY>                                     0.78

       <EPS-DILUTED>                                     0.78