<ARTICLE> UT <LEGEND> This schedule contains summary financial information extracted from Entergy Gulf States' financial statements for the year ended December 31, 1996 and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial statements. </LEGEND> <CIK> 0000044570 <NAME> ENTERGY GULF STATES INC. <SUBSIDIARY> <NUMBER> 006 <NAME> ENTERGY GULF STATES, INC. <MULTIPLIER> 1,000 <PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR <FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1996 <PERIOD-END> DEC-31-1996 <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 4,627,894 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 80,341 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 728,335 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 994,878 <OTHER-ASSETS> 0 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 6,431,448 <COMMON> 114,055 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 1,152,689 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 325,312 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 1,728,500 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 77,459 <PREFERRED> 136,444 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 1,915,346 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 0 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 160,865 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 0 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 83,524 <LEASES-CURRENT> 39,110 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 2,426,644 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 6,431,448 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 2,019,181 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 102,091 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 1,607,283 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 1,607,283 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 411,898 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> (122,039) <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 289,859 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 191,655 <NET-INCOME> (3,887) <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 28,505 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> (32,392) <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 0 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 0 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 322,355 <EPS-PRIMARY> 0 <EPS-DILUTED> 0