<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>                              DEC-31-1996

<PERIOD-TYPE>                             12-MOS

<BOOK-VALUE>                              PER-BOOK

<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                 11,067,310

<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                  177,224

<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                     1,132,487

<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                     695,882

<OTHER-ASSETS>                               984,282

<TOTAL-ASSETS>                            14,057,185

<COMMON>                                     587,484

<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                    856,149

<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                        4,283,935

<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>             5,727,568

<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                         84,550

<PREFERRED>                                  238,098

<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                       4,238,622

<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                 0

<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                          0

<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                     0

<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                106,256

<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                          0

<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                   42,661

<LEASES-CURRENT>                               2,591

<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>             3,616,839

<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>             14,057,185

<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                  6,959,736

<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                         397,160

<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                 5,548,985

<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                 5,946,145

<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                    1,013,591

<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                             4,016

<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>             1,017,607

<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                     323,522

<NET-INCOME>                                 694,085

<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                   19,859

<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                688,169

<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                     488,756

<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                    307,820

<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                     1,107,337

<EPS-PRIMARY>                                   2.93
<EPS-DILUTED>                                   2.93