<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>                                JUN-30-1996

       <PERIOD-TYPE>                               6-MOS

       <BOOK-VALUE>                                PER-BOOK
 
       <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                   10,886,745

       <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                    164,358

       <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                         965,248

       <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                       637,502

       <OTHER-ASSETS>                               1,016,829

       <TOTAL-ASSETS>                              13,670,682

       <COMMON>                                       587,445

       <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                      855,919

       <RETAINED-EARNINGS>                          4,089,399

       <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>               5,532,763

       <PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                           84,550
 
       <PREFERRED>                                    238,217
 
       <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                         4,190,366

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



       <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                     0  

       <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                   82,095

       <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                          0 

       <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                     43,969

       <LEASES-CURRENT>                                 2,559

       <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>               3,496,163

       <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>               13,670,682

       <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                    3,407,100

       <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                           145,920

       <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                   2,856,241

       <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                   3,002,161

       <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                        404,939

       <OTHER-INCOME-NET>                               1,376

       <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                 406,315

       <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                       160,365

       <NET-INCOME>                                   245,950

       <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                     10,643

       <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                  249,250

       <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                       244,369

       <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                      305,351

       <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                         452,977

       <EPS-PRIMARY>                                    1.06

       <EPS-DILUTED>                                    1.06