<ARTICLE>                     UT
<LEGEND>
This  schedule  contains  summary  financial   information  extracted  from  the
Company's Consolidated  Statements of Earnings,  Consolidated Balance Sheets and
Consolidated  Statement of Cash Flows for the period ended December 31, 1996 and
is qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial statements.
</LEGEND>
<MULTIPLIER>                                   1,000
<CURRENCY>                                     US Dollars
       
                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   12-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                              DEC-31-1996
<PERIOD-START>                                 JAN-01-1996
<PERIOD-END>                                   DEC-31-1996
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                          1
<BOOK-VALUE>                                      PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                        1,552,693
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                        254,268
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                             286,674 
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                           136,678 
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                           0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                   2,230,313
<COMMON>                                           208,870
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                          468,256
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                                 77,185
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                     754,311
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                    0
<PREFERRED>                                         12,800
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                               713,919 
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                 100,400
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                                0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                           0
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                       14,970
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                                0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                              0
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                         0
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                     633,913
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                    2,230,313
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                          883,386
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                                40,494
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                         717,972
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                         757,367
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                            126,019
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                                   1,268 
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                     127,287
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                            54,707
<NET-INCOME>                                        72,580
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                            586
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                       71,994
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                            20,052
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                           49,009
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                             151,718
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                         1.71
<EPS-DILUTED>                                         1.71