<ARTICLE>          UT
<LEGEND>           
THIS SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED
FROM THE INTERIM
CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT, BALANCE SHEET AND STATEMENT OF
CASH FLOWS AND
IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS.
</LEGEND>                                                                       
<MULTIPLIER>       1,000
                                                                                
                                                         
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                               YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                                           SEP-30-1997
<PERIOD-START>                                              OCT-01-1996
<PERIOD-END>                                                JUN-30-1997
<BOOK-VALUE>                                                PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                                   1,181,447
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                                     3,121
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                                        200,389
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                                      110,616
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                                      0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                              1,495,573
<COMMON>                                                       43,742
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                                     301,894
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                                           270,583
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                                616,219
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                               0
<PREFERRED>                                                    28,433
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                                          402,729 <F1>
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                             10,000 <F2>
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                                           0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                                  4,296 <F2>
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                                   7,706
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                                           0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                                       913
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                                  491
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                                424,786
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                               1,495,573
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                                     948,365
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                                           54,960
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                                    773,371
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                                    828,331
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                                       120,034
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                                              2,266
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                                122,300
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                       26,097
<NET-INCOME>                                                   96,203
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                                       999
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                                  95,204
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                                       38,247
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                                      26,097 <F3>
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                                        195,037
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                                    2.18
<EPS-DILUTED>                                                    2.18

<FN> 
<F1> REPRESENTS TOTAL LONG-TERM DEBT INCLUDING $56,000 IN FIRST
MORTGAGE BONDS,
$346,500 IN UNSECURED MEDIUM-TERM NOTES, $958 IN OTHER LONG-TERM DEBT
AND ($729)
IN UNAMORTIZED PREMIUM AND DISCOUNT-NET.
<F2> TOTAL OF SHORT-TERM NOTES PAYABLE AND COMMERCIAL PAPER TIES TO
BALANCE
SHEET CAPTION ENTITLED NOTES PAYABLE.
<F3> REPRESENTS TOTAL INTEREST EXPENSE, PER STATEMENT OF INCOME.
</FN>