<ARTICLE>                      UT
<CIK>  0000086521
<NAME> San Diego Gas and Electric
<MULTIPLIER> 1000
       

                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          DEC-31-1996
<PERIOD-END>                               DEC-31-1996
<BOOK-VALUE>                                  PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                    3,074,371
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                    337,520
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                         365,700
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                        91,596
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                 291,329
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                               4,160,516
<COMMON>                                       291,458
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                      566,233
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                            546,445
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>               1,404,136
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                           25,000
<PREFERRED>                                     78,475
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                         1,188,093
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                   0
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                            0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                       0
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                   25,047
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                            0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                     96,723
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                 8,592
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>               1,334,450
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                4,160,516
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                    1,938,917
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                           202,185
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                   1,427,970
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                   1,630,155
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                        308,762
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                               4,694
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                 313,456
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                        90,691
<NET-INCOME>                                   222,765
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                      6,582
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                  216,183
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                       181,866
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                       76,463
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                         529,187
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                        0
<EPS-DILUTED>                                        0