<ARTICLE> UT <LEGEND> This schedule contains summary financial information extracted from the balance sheet, statement of income, statement of retained earnings and statement of cash flows contained in Form 10-K of Commonwealth Electric Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1996 and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial statements. </LEGEND> <CIK> 0000071222 <NAME> COMMONWEALTH ELECTRIC COMPANY <MULTIPLIER> 1,000 <FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1996 <PERIOD-END> DEC-31-1996 <PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 373,922 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 657 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 60,009 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 71,411 <OTHER-ASSETS> 0 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 505,999 <COMMON> 51,099 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 97,112 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 27,334 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 175,545 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 0 <PREFERRED> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 150,734 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 18,070 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 3,553 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 0 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LEASES-CURRENT> 0 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 158,097 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 505,999 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 453,780 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 12,951 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 404,478 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 417,429 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 36,351 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> (477) <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 35,874 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 16,269 <NET-INCOME> 19,605 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 0 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 19,605 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 12,979 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 13,968 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 36,804 <EPS-PRIMARY> 0 <EPS-DILUTED> 0