<ARTICLE> UT <LEGEND> THIS SCHEDULE CONSTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM ORANGE AND ROCKLAND UTILITIES, INC. QUARTERLY REPORT ON FORM 10-Q FOR THE QUARTER ENDED JUNE 30, 1997 AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. </LEGEND> <MULTIPLIER> 1,000 <PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1997 <PERIOD-END> JUN-30-1997 <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 912,561 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 10,641 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 169,969 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 150,974 <OTHER-ASSETS> 0 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 1,244,145 <COMMON> 68,274 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 127,517 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 169,461 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 365,252 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 0 <PREFERRED> 43,226 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 276,648 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 0 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 107,551 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 78,025 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 0 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 1,721 <LEASES-CURRENT> 164 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 371,558 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 1,244,145 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 322,514 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 10,394 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 277,658 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 288,052 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 34,462 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> (12,649) <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 21,813 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 15,891 <NET-INCOME> 5,922 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 1,399 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 4,523 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 17,614 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 12,161 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 28,806 <EPS-PRIMARY> 0.33 <EPS-DILUTED> 0