<ARTICLE> UT <LEGEND> This schedule contains summary financial information extracted from the balance sheet, statement of income and statement of cash flows contained in Form 10-Q of Commonwealth Energy System for the nine months ended September 30, 1994 and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial statements. </LEGEND> <CIK> 0000071304 <NAME> COMMONWEALTH ENERGY SYSTEM <MULTIPLIER> 1,000 <PERIOD-TYPE> 9-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1994 <PERIOD-END> SEP-30-1994 <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 983,339 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 13,900 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 149,549 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 126,105 <OTHER-ASSETS> 15,594 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 1,288,487 <COMMON> 41,842 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 100,980 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 214,865 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 357,687 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 14,660 <PREFERRED> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 437,137 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 13,925 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 25,973 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 820 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 14,026 <LEASES-CURRENT> 1,568 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 422,691 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 1,288,487 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 749,837 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 23,022 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 656,494 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 679,516 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 70,321 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> (297) <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 70,024 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 32,097 <NET-INCOME> 37,927 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 888 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 37,039 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 23,407 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 29,644 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 107,406 <EPS-PRIMARY> 3.57 <EPS-DILUTED> 0