<ARTICLE> UT <CIK> 0000106170 <NAME>WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS ELECTRIC COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARY <MULTIPLIER>1,000 <PERIOD-TYPE> 3-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1997 <PERIOD-END> MAR-31-1998 <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 760,548 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 133,441 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 62,733 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 207,009 <OTHER-ASSETS> 0 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 1,163,731 <COMMON> 26,812 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 151,472 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 52,942 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 231,226 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 18,000 <PREFERRED> 20,000 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 347,564 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 47,950 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 40,000 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 1,500 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 213 <LEASES-CURRENT> 33,007 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 424,271 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 1,163,731 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 107,189 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 2,831 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 94,619 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 97,244 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 9,945 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> 1,307 <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 11,046 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 7,572 <NET-INCOME> 3,474 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 757 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 2,717 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 0 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 0 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 2,253 <EPS-PRIMARY> 0.00 <EPS-DILUTED> 0.00