<ARTICLE>                                                              UT
<LEGEND>    THE SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED
            FROM THE UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF WISCONSIN ENERGY
            CORPORATION FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 1996 AND IS
            QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH FINANCIAL
            STATEMENTS.
<MULTIPLIER>                                                        1,000
       
                                                           
<CURRENCY>                                                   U.S. DOLLARS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                                             DEC-31-1996
<PERIOD-START>                                                JAN-01-1996
<PERIOD-END>                                                  JUN-30-1996
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                                       6-MOS
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                                         1
<BOOK-VALUE>                                                     PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                                       2,913,880
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                                       654,226
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                                            487,372
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                                                0
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                                    496,942
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                                  4,552,420
<COMMON>                                                            1,108
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                                         676,909
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                                             1,218,769
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                                  1,896,786
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                                   0
<PREFERRED>                                                        30,450
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                                            1,127,969
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                                 67,379
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                                         207,350
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                                     79,802
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                                      10,475
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                                               0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                                        23,794
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                                   22,052
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                                  1,086,363
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                                   4,552,420
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                                         897,143
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                                               65,994
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                                        677,622
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                                        743,616
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                                           153,527
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                                                  8,744
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                                    162,271
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                           53,312
<NET-INCOME>                                                      108,959
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                                           601
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                                     108,358
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                                           82,837
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                                               0
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                                            259,809
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                                         .98
<EPS-DILUTED>                                                         .98
<FN>
   See financial statements and footnotes in accompanying 10-Q.