<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-31-1997

<PERIOD-END>                              MAR-31-1997

<PERIOD-TYPE>                             3-MOS

<BOOK-VALUE>                              PER-BOOK

<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                 11,082,492

<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>               193,894

<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                    1,221,535

<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                  645,470

<OTHER-ASSETS>                            967,977

<TOTAL-ASSETS>                            14,111,368

<COMMON>                                  587,520

<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                 856,296

<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                       4,322,562

<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>            5,766,378

<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                     84,550

<PREFERRED>                               237,987

<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                      4,239,066

<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                        0

<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                 0





<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>            0

<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>             103,762

<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                 0

<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>               41,958

<LEASES-CURRENT>                          2,652

<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>            3,635,015

<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>             14,111,368

<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                 1,886,148

<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                      92,140

<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                1,546,490

<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                1,638,630

<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                   247,518
  
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                        1,374

<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>            248,892

<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                  82,284

<NET-INCOME>                              166,608

<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>               4,604

<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>             162,004

<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                  123,377

<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                 312,203

<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                    259,784

<EPS-PRIMARY>                             0.69

<EPS-DILUTED>                             0.69