<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, 1997 AND IS
            QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH FINANCIAL
            STATEMENTS.
<MULTIPLIER>                                                        1,000
       
                                                           
<CURRENCY>                                                   U.S. DOLLARS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                                             DEC-31-1997
<PERIOD-START>                                                JAN-01-1997
<PERIOD-END>                                                  JUN-30-1997
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                                       6-MOS
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                                         1
<BOOK-VALUE>                                                     PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                                       3,043,653   
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                                       749,927   
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                                            549,538
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                                                0
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                                    461,899
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                                  4,805,017
<COMMON>                                                            1,128
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                                         729,655
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                                             1,192,776
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                                  1,923,559
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                                   0
<PREFERRED>                                                        30,450
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                                            1,172,045
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                                 50,996
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                                         209,416
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                                     51,897
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                                     170,520
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                                               0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                                        25,906
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                                   13,156
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                                  1,157,072
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                                   4,805,017
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                                         913,597
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                                               27,670
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                                        788,574
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                                        816,244
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                                            97,353
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                                                 (6,649)
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                                     90,704
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                           55,666
<NET-INCOME>                                                       35,038
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                                           601
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                                      34,437
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                                           85,808
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                                               0
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                                            230,086
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                                         .31
<EPS-DILUTED>                                                         .31
<FN>
   See financial statements and footnotes in accompanying 10-Q.