<ARTICLE> UT
<LEGEND>
								   EXHIBIT 27.01

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>                   9-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>               DEC-31-1997
<PERIOD-END>                    SEP-30-1998
<BOOK-VALUE>                     PER-BOOK

<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>           697,636
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>          10,796
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>               68,033
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>             55,016
<OTHER-ASSETS>                            0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                      831,481
<COMMON>                             86,200
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>            10,541
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                 246,798
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>      343,539
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                     0
<PREFERRED>                               0
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                231,841
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                   39,900
<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>      216,201
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>       831,481
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>           350,946
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                 13,512
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>          302,822
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>          316,334
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>              34,612
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                      838
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>       35,450
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>             13,899
<NET-INCOME>                         21,551
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>               0
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>        21,551
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>             19,654
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>            12,163
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>               69,916
<EPS-PRIMARY>                         25.00
<EPS-DILUTED>                         25.00