<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, 1997 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-31-1997 <PERIOD-END> DEC-31-1997 <PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 379,971 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 533 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 65,002 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 73,713 <OTHER-ASSETS> 0 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 519,219 <COMMON> 51,099 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 97,112 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 31,993 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 180,204 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 0 <PREFERRED> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 147,192 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 20,215 <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> 168,055 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 519,219 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 471,449 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 10,398 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 428,539 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 438,937 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 32,512 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> (206) <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 32,306 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 15,383 <NET-INCOME> 16,923 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 0 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 16,923 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 12,264 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 13,586 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 37,199 <EPS-PRIMARY> 0 <EPS-DILUTED> 0