<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 Electric Company for the nine months ended September 30, 1998 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-31-1998 <PERIOD-END> SEP-30-1998 <PERIOD-TYPE> 9-MOS <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 382,093 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 492 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 62,158 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 97,877 <OTHER-ASSETS> 0 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 542,620 <COMMON> 51,099 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 97,112 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 38,535 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 186,746 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 0 <PREFERRED> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 146,148 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 40,590 <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> 165,583 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 542,620 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 318,766 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 8,120 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 285,479 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 293,599 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 25,167 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> 296 <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 25,463 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 11,971 <NET-INCOME> 13,492 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 0 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 13,492 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 6,950 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 9,963 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 2,399 <EPS-PRIMARY> 0 <EPS-DILUTED> 0