<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 statement of Illinois Power Company.
</LEGEND>
<CIK>                         0000049816
<NAME>                        Illinois Power Company
<SUBSIDIARY>
   <NUMBER>                   0
   <NAME>                     0
<MULTIPLIER>                                   1,000,000
<CURRENCY>                                     Default
       
                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   3-mos
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                              Dec-31-1999
<PERIOD-START>                                 Jan-01-1999
<PERIOD-END>                                   Mar-31-1999
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                1
<BOOK-VALUE>                                   Per-book
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                      4470
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                    3
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                         371
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                       1134
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                 5978
<COMMON>                                       1089
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                      0
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                            19
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                 1108
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                          195
<PREFERRED>                                    53
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                           2028
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                             25
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                      0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                 173
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                  162
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                      0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                    51
<LEASES-CURRENT>                               20
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                 2163
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                  5978
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                      472
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                           14
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     403
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     417
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                        55
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                             7
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                 62
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                       39
<NET-INCOME>                                   23
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                    4
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                  19
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                       0
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                      27
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                         (27)
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                  0
<EPS-DILUTED>                                  0