<ARTICLE>                                           UT
<LEGEND>
     THIS SCHEDULE  CONTAINS SUMMARY  FINANCIAL  INFORMATION  EXTRACTED FROM THE
     BALANCE SHEET,  INCOME  STATEMENT AND CASH FLOW STATEMENT OF ILLINOIS POWER
     COMPANY AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO THE BALANCE SHEET,
     INCOME STATEMENT AND CASH FLOW SATEMENT OF ILLINOIS POWER COMPANY.
</LEGEND>
<CIK>                         0000049816
<NAME>                        ILLINOIS POWER COMPANY
<SUBSIDIARY>
   <NUMBER>                   0
   <NAME>                     0
<MULTIPLIER>                                   1,000,000
<CURRENCY>                                     Default
       
                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   Year
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                              Dec-31-1998
<PERIOD-START>                                 Jan-01-1998
<PERIOD-END>                                   Dec-31-1998
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                1
<BOOK-VALUE>                                   Per-Book
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                      4475
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                    3
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                         885
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                       1067
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                 6430
<COMMON>                                       1089
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                      0
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                            0
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                 1089
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                          199
<PREFERRED>                                    57
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                           2089
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                             50
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                      0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                 98
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                  444
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                      0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                    70
<LEASES-CURRENT>                               62
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                 2272
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                  6430
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                      2069
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                           (885)
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     4341
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     3456
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                        (1387)
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                             163
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                 (1224)
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                       132
<NET-INCOME>                                   (1356)
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                    20
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                  (1376)
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                       105
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                      107
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                         310
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                  0
<EPS-DILUTED>                                  0