<ARTICLE> UT
                                             EXHIBIT 27.01
<LEGEND>
This schedule contains summary financial information
extracted from the Statements of Income and Retained
Earnings, Balance Sheets and Statements
of Cash Flows and is qualified in its entirety by reference
to such financial statements.
</LEGEND>
<MULTIPLIER> 1,000
       
                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   12-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          DEC-31-1997
<PERIOD-END>                               DEC-31-1997
<BOOK-VALUE>                                  PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                      681,283
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                     10,918
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                          84,321
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                        48,113
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                       0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                 824,635
<COMMON>                                        86,200
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                       10,461
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                            244,171
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                 340,832
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                0
<PREFERRED>                                          0
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                           231,775
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                              45,300
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                            0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                       0
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                        0
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                            0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                          0
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                     0
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                 206,728
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                  824,635
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                      472,649
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                            24,120
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     394,929
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     419,049
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                         53,600
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                               1,499
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                  55,099
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                        17,682
<NET-INCOME>                                    37,417
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                          0
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                   37,417
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                        27,997
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                       16,322
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                          74,870
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                    43.41 <F1> 
<EPS-DILUTED>                                    43.41 <F1>

<FN>
<F1>  The Company has had no dilutive securities outstanding during the last
three years.  Adopting SFAS No. 128 "Earnings per Share" did not change 
previously reported earnings per share.
</FN>