<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>                     Sep-30-1997

<PERIOD-TYPE>                    9-Mos

<BOOK-VALUE>                     Per-Book

<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>        11,149,758

<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>      230,789

<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>           1,394,031

<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>         615,945

<OTHER-ASSETS>                   930,681

<TOTAL-ASSETS>                   14,321,204

<COMMON>                         587,583

<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>        855,008

<RETAINED-EARNINGS>              4,469,185

<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>   5,911,776

<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>            84,550

<PREFERRED>                      237,794

<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>             4,288,837

<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>               0

<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>        0

<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>   0

<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>    102,630

<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>        0

<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>      40,575

<LEASES-CURRENT>                 2,757

<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>   3,652,285

<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>   14,321,204

<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>        5,401,190

<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>             305,780

<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>       4,279,973

<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>       4,585,753

<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>          815,437

<OTHER-INCOME-NET>               1,014

<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>   816,451

<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>         247,239

<NET-INCOME>                     569,212

<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>      13,808

<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>    555,404

<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>         370,155

<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>        315,663

<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>           961,868

<EPS-PRIMARY>                    2.36

<EPS-DILUTED>                    2.36