<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>