FORM 10-K
                  SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                        WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                                   
(Mark One)
  X     Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
        Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
        For the fiscal year ended December 31, 1996
                                  OR
        Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
        Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
        For the transition period _____ to _____
        
        Commission File Number 1-8180

                           TECO ENERGY, INC.
        (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                 FLORIDA                         59-2052286
     (State or other jurisdiction of          (I.R.S. Employer
     incorporation or organization)       Identification Number)

               TECO Plaza
         702 N. Franklin Street
             Tampa, Florida                        33602
(Address of principal executive offices)        (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (813) 228-4111

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

                                         Name of each exchange on
           Title of each class                which registered    
      Common Stock, $1.00 par value       New York Stock Exchange
      Common Stock Purchase Rights        New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: NONE

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all
reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such
shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports),
and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90
days.
                       YES     X        NO      
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to
Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be
contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy
or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of
this Form 10-K or any amendments to this Form 10-K.  X   

The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by nonaffiliates
of the registrant as of February 28, 1997 was $2,866,541,608.

Number of shares of the registrant's common stock outstanding as of
February 28, 1997 was 117,601,707.
                  DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the Definitive Proxy Statement relating to the 1997 Annual
Meeting of Shareholders of the registrant are incorporated by
reference into Part III.



                                PART I

Item 1.   BUSINESS.

TECO ENERGY

     TECO  Energy,  Inc.  (TECO Energy) was incorporated in Florida in
1981,  as  part  of  a  restructuring  in  which  it became the parent
corporation of Tampa Electric Company (Tampa Electric).
     TECO  Energy  currently owns no operating assets but holds all of
the  common  stock of Tampa Electric and the other subsidiaries listed
below.  TECO  Energy  is  a public utility holding company exempt from
registration  under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935.

     TECO Energy has eight directly owned subsidiaries:

          Tampa  Electric,  a  Florida  corporation  and TECO Energy's
largest  subsidiary,  is  an  electric  utility  that serves more than
513,000  retail  customers  in  west central Florida with a net system
generating capability of 3,650 megawatts (MWs).

          T E CO  Diversified,  Inc.  (TECO  Diversified),  a  Florida
corporation  formed  in  1987,  has  four  subsidiaries that conduct a
substantial portion of the diversified activities of TECO Energy: TECO
Coal Corporation (TECO Coal), TECO Coalbed Methane, Inc. (TECO Coalbed
Methane),  TECO  Properties  Corporation  (TECO  Properties)  and TECO
Transport & Trade Corporation (TECO Transport).

          TECO  Power  Services  Corporation  (TECO Power Services), a
Florida  corporation  formed  in  1987,  has subsidiaries that own and
operate  independent  power projects in Florida and in Guatemala. TECO
Power  Services  also  seeks  other  opportunities  principally in the
southeastern  United  States  and Latin America to develop independent
power and cogeneration projects.

          T E CO  Investments,  Inc.  (TECO  Investments),  a  Florida
corporation  formed  in  1987, invests capital in short- and long-term
securities  and  financial instruments. TECO Energy does not expect to
expand this business.

          TECO  Finance,  Inc.  (TECO  Finance), a Florida corporation
formed  in  1987,  is  a  source  of  debt  capital  primarily for the
diversified activities of TECO Energy.

          TeCom Inc. (TeCom), a Florida corporation formed in 1994, is
marketing advanced energy management, automation and control systems.

          TECO  Oil  & Gas, Inc. (TECO Oil & Gas), formerly named TECO
Gas  & Oil, Inc., a Florida corporation formed in 1995, is involved in
the  exploration  and  development  of oil and gas in the shallow gulf
waters off Texas and Louisiana, and on-shore in the Permian Basin area
of  west Texas.

     -    B o sek,  Gibson  and  Associates,  Inc.  (BGA),  a  Florida
corporation acquired in 1996, provides engineering and energy services
to customers primarily in Florida and California.

     For  financial  information  regarding  TECO Energy's significant
business segments see Note J on pages 59 and 60.
     TECO  Energy  and its subsidiaries had 4,358 employees as of Dec.
31, 1996.

TAMPA ELECTRIC

                                   2



     Tampa  Electric  was  incorporated  in  Florida  in  1899 and was
reincorporated  in  1949. Tampa Electric is a public utility operating
within  the  state  of  Florida  and  is  engaged  in  the generation,
purchase,  transmission, distribution and sale of electric energy. The
retail  territory served comprises an area of about 2,000 square miles
in  west  central Florida, including substantially all of Hillsborough
County  and  parts  of  Polk,  Pasco and Pinellas Counties, and has an
estimated  population  of  over one million. The principal communities
served are Tampa, Winter Haven, Plant City and Dade City. In addition,
the  utility  engages  in  wholesale  sales  to other utilities. Tampa
Electric  has three electric generating stations in or near Tampa, one
electric  generating  station in southwestern Polk County, Florida and
two  electric generating stations located near Sebring, a city located
in Highlands County in south central Florida.
     Tampa  Electric had 2,798 employees as of Dec. 31, 1996, of which
1,142  were represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers  (IBEW)  and  292  by  the  Office  and Professional Employees
International Union.
     In  1996,  approximately  48  percent  of  Tampa Electric's total
operating  revenue was derived from residential sales, 29 percent from
commercial  sales, 9 percent from industrial sales and 14 percent from
other sales including bulk power sales for resale. 
     The  sources of operating revenue for the years indicated were as
follows:

(millions)                       1996        1995        1994 
Residential                  $  539.7    $  523.3     $ 505.5 
Commercial                      321.3       316.1       316.8 
Industrial-Phosphate             59.6        61.7        58.3 
Industrial-Other                 43.3        45.0        50.0 
Other retail sales 
  of electricity                 83.5        82.0        80.7 
Sales for resale                 93.3        80.0        70.4 
Deferred revenues               (34.2)      (50.8)         -- 
Other                             6.4        35.0        13.2
                             $1,112.9    $1,092.3    $1,094.9 

     No  significant  part  of  Tampa Electric's business is dependent
upon a single customer or a few customers, the loss of any one or more
of  whom  would have a significantly adverse effect on Tampa Electric,
except  for  IMC-Agrico,  a large phosphate producer representing four
percent of Tampa Electric's 1996 operating revenues.
     In  May 1996, IMC-Agrico issued a request for proposals (RFP) for
electric  power  to  serve load currently served by Tampa Electric and
others.  Tampa  Electric  has  made  load-retention  proposals that it
believes  are  competitively  priced  and  attractive  because  of the
flexibility offered. Tampa Electric continues to have discussions with
IMC-Agrico.  While  it  is  unclear how this process will develop, the
ultimate  impact  on Tampa Electric is not expected to be significant.
See further discussion on page 23.
     Tampa  Electric's business is not a seasonal one, but winter peak
loads   are  experienced  due  to  fewer  daylight  hours  and  colder
temperatures,  and summer peak loads are experienced due to use of air
conditioning and other cooling equipment.








                                   3



Regulation

     The  retail  operations  of  Tampa  Electric are regulated by the
Florida  Public Service Commission (FPSC), which has jurisdiction over
retail  rates,  the  quality  of  service,  issuances  of  securities,
planning,  siting  and  construction  of  facilities,  accounting  and
depreciation practices and other matters.
     Tampa  Electric  is  also  subject  to  regulation by the Federal
Energy  Regulatory  Commission  (FERC)  in  various respects including
wholesale power sales, certain wholesale power purchases, transmission
services and accounting and depreciation practices.
     Federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations cover
air  quality,  water  quality,  land  use, power plant, substation and
transmission  line siting, noise and aesthetics, solid waste and other
environmental matters. See Environmental Matters on pages 7 and 8.
     TECO  Transport,  TECO Coal and TECO Power Services  subsidiaries
sell  transportation  services,  coal,  and  generating  capacity  and
energy,  respectively,  to  Tampa  Electric  and to third parties. The
transactions  between  Tampa  Electric  and  these  affiliates and the
prices  paid  by  Tampa Electric are subject to regulation by the FPSC
and FERC, and any charges deemed to be imprudently incurred may not be
allowed  to  be recovered from Tampa Electric's customers. See Utility
Regulation  on pages 33 through 36. Except for transportation services
performed  by  TECO  Transport  under  the  U.S. bulk cargo preference
p r ogram,  the  prices  charged  by  TECO  Transport  and  TECO  Coal
subsidiaries  to  third-party  customers are not subject to regulatory
oversight. See also TECO Power Services on pages 11 and 12.

Competition
     Tampa  Electric  s  retail  business  is  substantially free from
direct  competition  with other electric utilities, municipalities and
p u blic  agencies.  At  the  present  time,  the  principal  form  of
competition at the retail level consists of natural gas for residences
and  businesses  and  the  self-generation  option available to larger
users  of electric energy. Such users may seek to expand their options
through  legislative  and/or  regulatory initiatives that would permit
competition  at  the  retail level. Tampa Electric intends to take all
appropriate   actions  to  retain  and  expand  its  retail  business,
including  managing costs and providing high quality service to retail
customers.  Such  action could, with the approval of the FPSC, include
the   use  of  load  retention  and/or  economic  development  service
contracts  and  tariffs  to  reduce  the  loss of existing load and/or
acquire  additional load. Tampa Electric does not expect the effect of
such  actions  to have a significant affect on its operations. See the
description of the IMC-Agrico request for proposals on page 23. 
     There  is  presently  active  competition  in the wholesale power
markets  in Florida, and this is increasing largely as a result of the
Energy  Policy  Act  of 1992 and related federal initiatives. This act
removed  certain  regulatory  barriers to independent power producers,
and   required  utilities  to  transmit  power  from  such  producers,
utilities  and  others  to wholesale customers as more fully described
below.  Tampa  Electric  s  wholesale business is largely dependent on
access  to  transmission  systems owned by others and it has generally
supported  the  regulatory  efforts  described below to implement open
access  to transmission. Tampa Electric is also continuing its efforts
to  reduce  costs,  again  with  the  view of increasing its wholesale
business in an increasingly competitive market.
     In  April  1996  the  Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
issued  its  Final Rule on Open Access Non-discriminatory Transmission
Stranded  Costs,  Open Access Same-time Information System (OASIS) and
Standards  of  Conduct.  These  rules work together to open access for
wholesale  power  flows  on  transmission  systems.  Utilities  owning
transmission  facilities  (including  Tampa  Electric) are required to

                                   4



provide  services  to  wholesale  transmission customers comparable to
those  they  provide  to themselves on comparable terms and conditions
including  price.  Among  other things, the rules require transmission
services  to  be unbundled from power sales and owners of transmission
systems  must  take  transmission service under their own transmission
tariffs.
     Transmission  system  owners  are  also  required to implement an
OASIS  system  providing,  via  the  Internet,  access to transmission
service  information  (including  price and availability), and to rely
exclusively  on  their  own  OASIS  system  for  such  information for
purposes  of  their  own  wholesale  power transactions. To facilitate
compliance,  owners must implement Standards of Conduct to ensure that
personnel  involved  in  marketing of wholesale power are functionally
separated   from  personnel  involved  in  transmission  services  and
reliability  functions. Tampa Electric, together with other utilities,
has  implemented an OASIS system and believes it is in compliance with
the Standards of Conduct.
Retail Pricing

     In  general,  the  FPSC's  pricing objective is to set rates at a
level  that  allows the utility to collect total revenues equal to its
cost  of  providing service, including a reasonable return on invested
capital.
     The  costs  of  owning,  operating  and  maintaining  the utility
system,  other  than  fuel,  purchased power, conservation and certain
environmental  costs,  are  recovered  through  base  rates. The costs
intended to be covered by base rates include operation and maintenance
expenses,  depreciation  and  taxes,  as  well  as  a  return on Tampa
Electric's  investment in assets used and useful in providing electric
service  (rate  base).  The  rate  of  return  on  rate base, which is
intended  to  approximate  Tampa  Electric's weighted cost of capital,
includes its costs for debt and preferred stock, deferred income taxes
at  a  zero  cost  rate  and  an allowed return on common equity. Base
prices  are  determined  in FPSC price setting hearings which occur at
irregular  intervals  at the initiative of Tampa Electric, the FPSC or
other  parties.  See  the  discussion  of the FPSC-approved agreements
covering 1995 through 1999 on pages 33 through 35.
     Fuel,  conservation,  certain environmental and certain purchased
p o w e r  costs  are  recovered  through  levelized  monthly  charges
established  pursuant  to the FPSC's fuel adjustment and cost recovery
clauses.  These  charges,  which  are  reset  semi-annually in an FPSC
hearing,  are  based  on    estimated  costs  of  fuel,  environmental
compliance,  conservation  programs  and purchased power and estimated
customer  usage  for  a  specific  recovery  period,  with  a  true-up
adjustment  to reflect the variance of actual costs from the projected
charges.
     The  FPSC  may  disallow  recovery of any costs that it considers
imprudently incurred.

Fuel

     About 98 percent of Tampa Electric's generation for 1996 was from
its coal-fired units. About the same level is anticipated for 1997.
     Tampa  Electric's  average  fuel cost per million BTU and average
cost per ton of coal burned have been as follows:








                                   5



Average cost
 per million BTU:         1996    1995    1994    1993    1992

Coal                    $ 2.01  $ 2.15  $ 2.22  $ 2.26  $ 2.23
Oil                     $ 3.68  $ 2.76  $ 2.49  $ 2.69  $ 2.76
Gas                         --      --      --  $ 3.52  $ 2.43
Composite               $ 2.05  $ 2.16  $ 2.22  $ 2.27  $ 2.24
Average cost per ton
 of coal burned         $46.71  $50.97  $53.39  $54.55  $53.65

     Tampa  Electric's  generating  stations  burn  fuels  as follows:
Gannon Station burns low-sulfur coal; Big Bend Station burns coal of a
somewhat  higher  sulfur content; Polk Power Station burns high-sulfur
coal  which  is  gasified; Hookers Point Station burns low-sulfur oil;
Phillips  Station  burns  oil of a somewhat higher sulfur content; and
Dinner  Lake Station, which was placed on long-term reserve standby in
March 1994, burned natural gas and oil.
     Coal.  Tampa  Electric  burned  approximately 8.0 million tons of
coal  during  1996  and  estimates  that  its coal consumption will be
7.9  million  tons  for  1997.  During  1996, Tampa Electric purchased
approximately  58  percent  of its coal under long-term contracts with
six  suppliers, including TECO Coal, and 42 percent of its coal in the
spot  market  or under intermediate-term purchase agreements. About 16
percent  of  Tampa  Electric's 1996 coal requirements were supplied by
TECO  Coal.  During  December 1996, the average delivered cost of coal
(including  transportation)  was  $42.59 per ton, or $1.87 per million
BTU.  Tampa Electric expects to obtain approximately 60 percent of its
c o al  requirements  in  1997  under  long-term  contracts  with  six
suppliers,  including  TECO  Coal, and the remaining 40 percent in the
spot  market.  Tampa  Electric's  long-term coal contracts provide for
revisions in the base price to reflect changes in a wide range of cost
factors and for suspension or reduction of deliveries if environmental
regulations  should  prevent  Tampa  Electric  from  burning  the coal
supplied,  provided that a good faith effort has been made to continue
burning  such  coal. Tampa Electric estimates that about 12 percent of
its  1997  coal  requirements  will  be  supplied  by  TECO  Coal. For
information  concerning  transportation  services and sales of coal by
affiliated companies to Tampa Electric, see TECO Coal on pages 8 and 9
and TECO Transport on page 10.
     In  1996,  about  64  percent of Tampa Electric's coal supply was
deep-mined,  approximately  33  percent  was  surface-mined  and three
percent  was  a  processed  oil  by-product  known  as petroleum coke.
Federal  surface-mining laws and regulations have not had any material
adverse  impact  on  Tampa  Electric's  coal  supply or results of its
operations.  Tampa Electric, however, cannot predict the effect on the
market  price  of  coal  of  any  future  mining laws and regulations.
Although  there  are  reserves  of  surface-mineable coal dedicated by
suppliers  to  Tampa Electric's account, high-quality coal reserves in
Kentucky that can be economically surface-mined are being depleted and
in the future more coal will be deep-mined. This trend is not expected
to result in any significant additional costs to Tampa Electric.
     Oil.  Tampa  Electric had supply agreements through Dec. 31, 1996
for  No. 2 fuel oil and No. 6 fuel oil for its four combustion turbine
units,  Polk  Station,  Hookers  Point Station and Phillips Station at
prices based on Gulf Coast Cargo spot prices. Contracts for the supply
of  No.  2 and No. 6 fuel oil through Dec. 31, 1997 are expected to be
finalized in early 1997. The price for No. 2 fuel oil deliveries taken
in  December 1996 was $31.90 per barrel, or $5.50 per million BTU. The
price  for No. 6 fuel oil deliveries taken in December 1996 was $21.98
per barrel, or $3.48 per million BTU.




                                   6



Franchises

     Tampa  Electric  holds franchises and other rights that, together
with  its  charter  powers,  give it the right to carry  on its retail
business  in  the localities it serves. The franchises are irrevocable
and  are  not  subject  to  amendment  without  the  consent  of Tampa
Electric, although, in certain events, they are subject to forfeiture.
     Florida municipalities are prohibited from granting any franchise
for  a  term  exceeding  30  years. If a franchise is not renewed by a
municipality,  the  franchisee  has the statutory right to require the
municipality  to purchase any and all property used in connection with
the  franchise at a valuation to be fixed by arbitration. In addition,
all  of  the  municipalities except for the cities of Tampa and Winter
Haven  have  reserved  the right to purchase Tampa Electric's property
used  in  the  exercise  of  its  franchise,  if  the franchise is not
renewed.
     Tampa  Electric  has  franchise  agreements  with 13 incorporated
municipalities  within  its retail service area. These agreements have
various expiration dates ranging from December 2005 to September 2021,
including  the  agreement  with  the  city  of Tampa, which expires in
August 2006. Tampa Electric has no reason to believe that any of these
franchises will not be renewed.
     F r a nchise  fees  payable  by  Tampa  Electric,  which  totaled
$20.1  million in 1996, are calculated using a formula based primarily
on electric revenues. 
     Utility  operations  in  Hillsborough,  Pasco,  Pinellas and Polk
Counties  outside of incorporated municipalities are conducted in each
case  under one or more permits to use county rights-of-way granted by
the  county  commissioners  of such counties. There is no law limiting
the  time for which such permits may be granted by counties. There are
no  fixed  expiration  dates  for the Hillsborough County and Pinellas
County  agreements.  The  agreements  covering  electric operations in
Pasco  and  Polk  counties  expire  in  September 2010 and March 2004,
respectively.

Environmental Matters
     Tampa  Electric's  operations  are  subject  to county, state and
f e deral   environmental   regulations.   The   Hillsborough   County
Environmental  Protection  Commission  and  the  Florida Environmental
Regulation  Commission  are responsible for promulgating environmental
regulations  and  coordinating  most  of  the environmental regulation
functions  performed  by  the various departments of state government.
T h e   Florida  Department  of  Environmental  Protection  (FDEP)  is
responsible    for  the  administration  and  enforcement of the state
regulations.  The  U.S.  Environmental  Protection Agency (EPA) is the
primary federal agency with environmental responsibility.
     Tampa   Electric  has  all  required  environmental  permits.  In
addition,   monitoring programs are in place to assure compliance with
permit  conditions.  Tampa  Electric  has  been  identified  as one of
numerous  potentially  responsible parties (PRP) with respect to seven
Superfund  Sites.  While the total costs of remediation at these sites
may  be  significant,  Tampa  Electric shares potential liability with
other  PRPs, many of which have substantial assets. Accordingly, Tampa
Electric  expects  that  its  liability in connection with these sites
will not be significant.
     Expenditures.  During  the  five years ended Dec. 31, 1996, Tampa
E l e c tric  spent  $159.3  million  on  capital  additions  to  meet
environmental  requirements,  including  $102.7  million  for the Polk
Power  Station project. Environmental expenditures are estimated at $6
million  for 1997 and $8 million in total for 1998 through 2001. These
totals  exclude amounts required to comply with the 1990 amendments to
the Clean Air Act.

                                   7



     Tampa Electric is complying with the Phase I emission limitations
imposed by the Clean Air Act Amendments which became effective Jan. 1,
1995 by using blends of lower-sulfur coal, controlling stack emissions
and using  emission allowances. 
     In  1995  Tampa  Electric  successfully  integrated Big Bend Unit
Three  into the existing scrubber on Big Bend Unit Four. This resulted
in  an  additional  scrubbed  unit  at a fraction of the cost of a new
scrubber.  Also as part of its Phase I compliance plan, Tampa Electric
has a long-term contract for the purchase of low-sulfur coal.
     Tampa  Electric  is  currently  evaluating options to comply with
Phase  II  sulfur  dioxide emission standards imposed by the Clean Air
Act  Amendments set for the year 2000. The options include potentially
having  to  scrub  additional  capacity.  The  company  is  evaluating
equipment  and  technologies to accomplish compliance in the most cost
effective  manner. Tampa Electric is also evaluating options to comply
with  Phase  II  of  the  Clean  Air Act Amendments for nitrogen oxide
reductions.  These  options  include  combustion  modifications  and
retrofit  control  technology.  While  Tampa  Electric  s  capital
expenditure  estimates for the 1997-2001 period, discussed on page 32,
include  $30 million for compliance with Phase II of the Clean Air Act
Amendments,  the actual level of required expenditures is uncertain at
this  time.  The  cost of compliance with Phase II is expected to have
little impact on Tampa Electric's prices. 
     In    addition   to   recovering   certain   prudently   incurred
environmental  costs  through  base rates, Tampa Electric may petition
the  FPSC for recovery of certain other environmental compliance costs
on a current basis pursuant to a statutory environmental cost recovery
procedure.

TECO DIVERSIFIED

     TECO  Diversified owns all of the common stock of TECO Coal, TECO
Coalbed  Methane,  TECO Properties and TECO Transport. It is a holding
company  that  owns  no  operating  assets.  TECO  Diversified and its
subsidiaries had 1,349 employees as of Dec. 31, 1996.
TECO Coal

     TECO  Coal,  a Kentucky corporation, owns no operating assets but
holds  all of the common stock of Gatliff Coal Company (Gatliff), Rich
Mountain  Coal  Company  (Rich  Mountain),  Clintwood  Elkhorn  Mining
Company  (Clintwood),  Pike-Letcher  Land  Company  (Pike-Letcher) and
Premier  Elkhorn  Coal Company (Premier). TECO Coal's subsidiaries own
and/or  operate  surface and underground mines and coal processing and
loading facilities in Kentucky and Tennessee.
     In  1996,  TECO  Coal subsidiaries sold 5.9 million tons of coal,
with  approximately  80  percent  sold to third parties and 20 percent
sold  to  Tampa Electric. Rich Mountain has no reserves; it mines coal
reserves  owned  by  Gatliff. About 62 percent of Gatliff's production
and  third-party purchases were sold to Tampa Electric. This specialty
coal  has  low-ash  fusion  temperature and low-sulfur characteristics
specifically  suited  for  Tampa  Electric's Gannon Station units. The
majority  of  production  from  Clintwood and Premier is sold to third
parties.
     Tampa Electric is reducing its coal purchases from TECO Coal as a
result  of  its  efforts to reduce costs and its successful fluxing of
conventional  steam  coal from other sources. TECO Coal's objective is
to  more  than  offset the effects of this reduction by increasing the
amount  of  coal  sold to third parties, principally from the reserves
being developed by Premier.
     Primary  competitors  of  TECO Coal's subsidiaries are other coal
suppliers, many of which are located in Central Appalachia.
     The  operations  of  underground  mines,  including  all  related

                                   8



surface  facilities,  are  subject to the Federal Coal Mine Safety and
Health  Act  of  1977.  TECO  Coal's  subsidiaries are also subject to
various  Kentucky  and  Tennessee mining laws that require approval of
roof  control,  ventilation, dust control and other facets of the coal
mining  business.  Federal  and  state inspectors inspect the mines to
ensure  compliance  with  these  laws. TECO Coal's subsidiaries are in
compliance  with the standards of the various enforcement agencies. It
is  unaware  of  any  mining  laws or regulations having a prospective
effective  date  that would materially affect the market price of coal
sold by its subsidiaries.
     TECO  Coal's  subsidiaries  have  not  experienced  difficulty in
complying  with  federal,  state  and  local  air  and water pollution
standards  in  their  mining  operations.  In  1996 approximately $1.6
m i llion  was  spent  on  environmental  protection  and  reclamation
programs.  TECO  Coal  expects  to spend about $1.5 million in 1997 on
these programs.
     The coal mining operations are also subject to the Surface Mining
Control  and Reclamation Act of 1977 which places a charge of $.15 and
$.35  on  every  net  ton  mined  of  underground  and  surface  coal,
respectively, to create a fund for reclaiming land and water adversely
affected by past coal mining. Other provisions establish standards for
the  control  of environmental effects and reclamation of surface coal
mining  and  the  surface  effects  of  underground  coal  mining, and
requirements for federal and state inspections.

TECO Coalbed Methane
     TECO Coalbed Methane, an Alabama corporation, participates in the
production  of  natural  gas  from coalbeds located in Alabama's Black
Warrior  Basin.  TECO Coalbed Methane has invested $207 million as the
principal  investor  in three ventures that control, in the aggregate,
approximately  100,000  acres  of  lease holdings. At the end of 1996,
TECO  Coalbed Methane had interests in 749 wells that were operational
and  producing  gas  for  sale.  These  wells  are  operated by Taurus
Exploration,  a  unit  of  Energen  Corporation, and, to a much lesser
extent, by other third-party operators.
     A non-conventional fuel tax credit is available on all production
through  the  year  2002.  The  tax  credit,  a major economic factor,
escalates  with inflation and could be limited by domestic oil prices.
In  1996,  domestic oil prices would have had to exceed $46 per barrel
for this limitation to have been effective.
     All  production from these wells is committed for the life of the
reserves  based on spot prices which are tied to the price of on-shore
Louisiana gas.
     TECO  Coalbed  Methane s operations are subject to federal, state
and  local regulations for air emissions and water and waste disposal.
Its  operations  are  in  substantial  compliance  with all applicable
environmental laws and regulations.

TECO Properties

     TECO   Properties,  a  Florida  corporation,  has  $35.7  million
invested  in  six  projects, by itself or as a limited partner, and in
undeveloped  land in the Tampa area. TECO Properties plans to continue
a conservative investment approach.
TECO Transport

     TECO  Transport,  a  Florida  corporation, owns all of the common
stock of four subsidiaries that transport, store and transfer coal and
other dry bulk commodities. TECO Transport currently owns no operating
assets.
     All of TECO Transport's subsidiaries perform substantial services

                                   9



for  Tampa  Electric.  In  1996,  approximately  49  percent  of  TECO
Transport's  revenues  were  from third-party customers and 51 percent
were  from  Tampa Electric. The pricing for services performed by TECO
Transport's operating companies for Tampa Electric is based on a fixed
price  per  ton,  adjusted  quarterly  for changes in certain fuel and
price  indices. Most of the third-party utilization of the ocean-going
b a r ges  is  for  domestic  phosphate  movements  and  domestic  and
international  movements  of  other  dry  bulk  commodities.  Both the
terminal  and  river transport operations handle a variety of dry bulk
commodities for third-party customers.
     A  substantial  portion of TECO Transport's business is dependent
upon  Tampa  Electric, industrial phosphate customers, export coal and
grain  customers,  and  participation  in  the  U.S.  cargo preference
program. 
     Primary  competitors  of  TECO  Transport's  barge  subsidiaries,
Gulfcoast  Transit  Company  (Gulfcoast), which transports products in
the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  worldwide,  and  Mid-South  Towing Company
(Mid-South),  which  operates  on  the  Mississippi, Ohio and Illinois
rivers,  are other barge and shipping lines and railroads. There are a
number  of companies offering transportation services on the waterways
served  by  TECO  Transport's  subsidiaries.  To  date,  physical  and
technological  improvements  have  allowed barge operators to maintain
competitive  rate  structures  with  alternate methods of transporting
bulk commodities when the origin and destination of such shipments are
contiguous to navigable waterways.
     Electro-Coal Transfer Corporation (Electro-Coal) operates a major
transfer  and  storage  terminal on the Mississippi River south of New
Orleans.  Demand  for  the  use  of  such  terminals is dependent upon
customers'  use  of  water  transportation  versus  alternate means of
moving   bulk  commodities  and  the  demand  for  these  commodities.
Competition  consists  primarily  of  mid-stream operators and another
land-based terminal located nearby.
     The  business of TECO Transport's subsidiaries, taken as a whole,
is not subject to significant seasonal fluctuation.
     The Interstate Commerce Act, as amended in December 1973, exempts
from regulation water transportation of dry bulk commodities that were
transported  in  bulk  as of June 1, 1939. In 1996, all transportation
services  provided  by  TECO Transport's subsidiaries were within this
exemption.
     TECO  Transport's subsidiaries are also subject to the provisions
of  the Clean Water Act of 1977 that authorize the Coast Guard and the
EPA  to  assess  penalties for oil and hazardous substance discharges.
Under  this  Act, these agencies are also empowered to assess clean-up
costs  for  such  discharges.  Compliance  with  this  Act  has had no
material  effect on TECO Transport's capital expenditures, earnings or
competitive position, and no such effect is anticipated. In 1996, TECO
Transport  spent  $.7 million for environmental control. Environmental
expenditures  are estimated at $.7 million in 1997, primarily for work
on  solid  waste disposal and storm water drainage at the Electro-Coal
facility  in Louisiana and for expenses related to oil and bilge water
disposal at its river-barge repair facility in Illinois.

TECO POWER SERVICES

     TECO Power Services, a Florida corporation, has subsidiaries that
own   and  operate  independent  power  projects  in  Florida  and  in
Guatemala.  TECO  Power  Services  also seeks opportunities to develop
other independent power and cogeneration projects. It had 53 employees
as of Dec. 31, 1996.
     Hardee  Power  Partners Limited (Hardee Power), a Florida limited
partnership  whose  general  and  limited  partners  are  wholly owned
subsidiaries  of TECO Power Services, owns the Hardee Power Station, a
295-MW  combined  cycle electric generating facility located in Hardee

                                  10



County,  Florida,  which  began  commercial operation on Jan. 1, 1993.
Hardee  Power  has  20-year  power  supply  agreements, for all of the
capacity  and  energy  of  the  Hardee  Power  Station,  with Seminole
E l e c tric  Cooperative  (Seminole  Electric),  a  Florida  electric
cooperative  that provides wholesale power to 11 electric distribution
cooperatives,  and  with  Tampa  Electric. Under the Seminole Electric
agreement, Hardee Power has agreed to supply Seminole Electric with an
additional  145  MWs  of  capacity  during  the  first 10 years of the
contract,  which it is purchasing from Tampa Electric's coal-fired Big
Bend  Unit  Four for resale to Seminole Electric, and at the option of
Seminole  Electric,  to  expand the Hardee Power Station's capacity by
145  MWs  for the second 10 years of the contract. Tampa Electric also
has  the  right  under  its  agreement to require the expansion of the
Hardee  Power  Station,  subordinate  to Seminole Electric's expansion
option.
     The  Hardee  Power Station is fueled by natural gas or No. 2 fuel
oil  and  has  contracted for the supply and transportation of natural
gas through June 30, 1997. It is currently in the process of obtaining
a  new  contract for periods beyond that date. About 96 percent of the
Hardee Power Station's generation for 1996 was from natural gas. 
     Hardee  Power's  average  fuel  cost  per million BTU has been as
follows:

          Average cost 
           per million BTU:       1996    1995    1994    1993
          Oil                   $ 4.61  $ 4.64  $ 3.68   $4.86
          Gas                   $ 3.60  $ 2.70  $ 2.02   $2.51
          Composite             $ 3.65  $ 2.71  $ 2.40   $2.74


     The  price  for natural gas deliveries taken in December 1996 was
$5.08 per thousand cubic feet, or $4.84 per million BTU. The price for
fuel  oil  deliveries  taken  in  March 1996 was $25.55 per barrel, or
$4.39 per million BTU. There were no fuel oil deliveries taken in 1996
subsequent to that date.
     Through  its  ownership  and  operation of a wholesale generating
facility  in the U.S., TECO Power Services is subject to regulation by
the  FERC  in  various  respects.  Depending  upon  the  nature of the
project,  FERC  may regulate, among other things, the rates, terms and
conditions for the sale of electric capacity and energy.
     Like  Tampa  Electric, the U.S. operations of TECO Power Services
are  subject  to  federal,  state  and  local  environmental  laws and
regulations  covering  air  quality,  water  quality,  land use, power
plant,  substation and transmission line siting, noise and aesthetics,
solid waste and other environmental matters.
     Tampa  Centro  Americana  de Electricidad, Ltd. (TCAE), an entity
98.15-percent  owned by TPS Guatemala One, Inc. (TPS Guatemala One), a
subsidiary of TECO Power Services, has a U.S. dollar-denominated power
sales  agreement  to provide 78 MWs of capacity to an electric utility
in  Guatemala  for  a  15-year period ending in 2010. The project (the
Alborada  Power  Station)  consists  of two combustion turbines with a
total  cost  of  approximately  $50  million.  TECO Power Services has
obtained political risk insurance from the Overseas Private Investment
Corporation  (OPIC),  an  agency  of the U.S. government, for currency
inconvertibility,  expropriation and political violence covering up to
90 percent of its equity investment and economic returns.
     TCAE  began commercial operation of the Alborada Power Station on
Sept.  14,  1995. The power sales agreement between TCAE and the power
purchaser,  Empresa Electrica de Guatemala, S.A. (EEGSA), provides for
a capacity charge and operations and maintenance expense payments. The
capacity  charge is subject to adjustment due to output, heat rate and
availability.  EEGSA  is  responsible  for  providing the fuel for the

                                  11



plant   with  TECO  Power  Services    providing  assistance  in  fuel
administration.
     EEGSA,  a  private  distribution and generation company formed in
1894,  serves more than 400,000 customers. Approximately 92 percent of
this company is owned by the Guatemalan central government through the
Ministry  of  Finance,  with  the remaining 8 percent owned by private
Guatemalan  investors.  EEGSA  s  service territory includes Guatemala
City.



















































                                  12



     In  January 1997, TECO Power Services secured $29 million of non-
recourse financing for the Alborada Power Station from OPIC.
     In 1996, Central Generadora Electrica San Jose (CGESJ), an entity
in  which  TECO  Power  Services  has a 46 percent ownership interest,
signed  a  U.S.-dollar denominated power sales agreement with EEGSA to
provide  120  MWs  of  capacity  for  15  years beginning in 1999. The
project  consists  of  a single unit pulverized coal baseload facility
(San  Jose  Power Station) including port modifications to accommodate
the  importation of coal, as well as the construction of approximately
30 miles of transmission line to connect the San Jose Power Station to
the  Alborada  substation.  The total cost of the project approximates
$175  million.  At  Dec.  31,  1996  46  percent of CGESJ was owned by
another  U.S.  independent power producer (a subsidiary of The Coastal
Corporation)  and  8 percent was owned by the same Guatemalan business
group  that  TECO Power Services partnered with for the Alborada Power
Station  project.  The  U.S.  partners  have obtained a commitment for
political risk insurance from OPIC for inconvertibility, expropriation
and  political  violence  covering  up  to  90  percent  of the equity
investment and economic returns.

TECO INVESTMENTS

     T E CO  Investments'  assets  consist  of  short-  and  long-term
financial  investments. The portfolio includes a continuing investment
in  leveraged  leases  of  $63  million.  At  Dec.  31,  1996, the net
leveraged lease investment had essentially a zero balance. TECO Energy
does not expect to expand this business.

TECO FINANCE

     TECO  Finance  raises short- and long-term debt capital primarily
for  the  diversified activities of TECO Energy. It has its own credit
ratings,  based  on  a  guarantee by TECO Energy. TECO Finance owns no
operating assets.

TECO OIL & GAS
     TECO  Oil  &  Gas was formed in 1995 to enter into joint ventures
with  several  partners to explore for oil and gas in the shallow gulf
waters  off  Texas and Louisiana. The joint ventures have successfully
bid for a number of offshore lease blocks at federal auctions and have
negotiated drilling rights on other blocks. Making extensive use of 3-
D    seismic  imaging  technology,  the  joint  ventures  successfully
completed  six  of  the  nine exploratory wells drilled as of Dec. 31,
1996.  Three  wells  began  producing  in 1996, but one has since been
abandoned. In early 1997, the other three successful exploratory wells
b e g a n  producing  and  two  additional  wells  were  drilled,  one
successfully.  TECO  Oil & Gas s share of 1996 production was two Bcf.
The company expects to invest $25 to $30 million per year for the next
few  years  for  exploration  and production. Sales of gas are at spot
prices.
     In  1997, TECO Oil & Gas began an on-shore exploration program in
the  Permian  Basin  area  of  west  Texas  using  3-D seismic imaging
technology.  In  this  venture,  TECO Oil & Gas will hold a 65-percent
working interest and be the operator.
TeCom

     TeCom,  formed  in 1994, is marketing advanced energy management,
a u tomation  and  control  systems  for  residential  and  commercial
applications,  called the InterLane  system. TeCom had 31 employees as
o f   Dec.  31,  1996.  Several  utilities  are  engaged  in  projects
demonstrating and testing the InterLane product.

                                  13



     Because   of  a  continued  high  level  of  product  enhancement
activity, TeCom capitalized $4.9 million pretax of product development
costs  in  1996. The product development costs capitalized in 1996 and
those  to be capitalized in 1997 are expected to be amortized starting
in  1998  when  TeCom  anticipates  its products will be available for
general distribution.
Bosek, Gibson and Associates

     I n   November  1996  TECO  Energy  acquired  Bosek,  Gibson  and
Associates,  Inc.  (BGA),  an engineering energy services company, for
about  $3  million  in  common  stock  in  a merger accounted for as a
purchase  transaction.  BGA, headquartered in Tampa, has seven offices
in  Florida and two in California, and had 93 employees as of Dec. 31,
1996. 
     It provides design, engineering and construction services to more
than  300  customers,  including  public schools, universities, health
care  facilities  and other governmental facilities throughout Florida
and California. 

Merger of TECO Energy and Lykes Energy, Inc.

     In  November  1996, TECO Energy announced an agreement with Lykes
Energy,  Inc. (Lykes Energy) to merge that company into TECO Energy in
a  tax-free,  stock-for-stock transaction with an equity value of $300
million.  The number of TECO Energy shares to be issued will depend on
the  average  market  price  during  a  specified  period prior to the
closing,  subject  to  a  collar.  Based on TECO Energy s common stock
closing  price of $24.375 on Feb. 28, 1997, approximately 12.3 million
shares  would  be  issued, representing about a 10 percent increase in
shares outstanding.
     This  merger,  to be accounted for as a pooling of interests, was
approved by both companies  boards of directors and in December by the
Lykes  Energy  shareholders. Approval by TECO Energy s shareholders is
not required.
     The  principal  subsidiary  of Lykes Energy is Peoples Gas System
(PGS),  a  regulated retail natural gas distributor in Florida. PGS is
Florida  s  largest  natural  gas  distribution  company  with  retail
operations  in  all  of the state s major metropolitan communities and
over  200,000 customers. It recorded annual sales of 86 Bcf of natural
gas  in fiscal 1996. It will be merged into Tampa Electric but will be
operated as a separate business unit.
     Also continuing operations as separate businesses will be Peoples
Gas  Company, a propane business, and another unit involved in natural
gas marketing.
     TECO  Energy  expects  some  cost  savings  and efficiencies as a
result  of  the merger. Savings are mainly expected to be derived from
the elimination of duplicative overhead and administrative activities,
improved operating efficiencies and lower interest costs. In addition,
TECO  Energy  expects to benefit from expanding energy demand in areas
already  served  by  these businesses and from opportunities to secure
new customers in other areas.
     The  merger is subject to certain closing conditions with closing
expected by mid-year 1997.
     Item 2.                  PROPERTIES.

     TECO   Energy  believes  that  the  physical  properties  of  its
operating  companies  are  adequate  to  carry  on their businesses as
currently   conducted.  The  properties  of  Tampa  Electric  and  the
subsidiaries  of  TECO  Power  Services are generally subject to liens
securing long-term debt.


                                  14



TAMPA ELECTRIC

     At  Dec.  31,  1996,  Tampa Electric had five electric generating
plants  and  four combustion turbine units in service with a total net
winter  generating capability of 3,650 MWs, including Big Bend (1,745-
MW  capability from four coal units), Gannon (1,205-MW capability from
six  coal  units),  Hookers  Point  (212-MW  capability  from five oil
units),  Phillips (34-MW capability from two diesel units), Polk (250-
MW  capability  from  one  integrated gasification combined cycle unit
(IGCC))  and four combustion turbine units located at the Big Bend and
Gannon  stations  (204  MWs).  The capability indicated represents the
demonstrable  dependable  load  carrying  abilities  of the generating
units  during  winter  peak  periods  as proven under actual operating
conditions.  Units  at  Hookers  Point  went into service from 1948 to
1955,  at Gannon from 1957 to 1967, and at Big Bend from 1970 to 1985.
The  Polk  IGCC  unit began commercial operation in September 1996. In
1991,  Tampa  Electric  purchased  two  power  plants (Dinner Lake and
Phillips) from the Sebring Utilities Commission (Sebring). Dinner Lake
(11-MW  capability from one natural gas unit) and Phillips were placed
in  service  by Sebring in 1966 and 1983, respectively. In March 1994,
Dinner Lake Station was placed on long-term reserve standby.
     T a m pa  Electric  owns  180  substations  having  an  aggregate
transformer  capacity  of  16,235,857  KVA.  The  transmission  system
c o n s ists  of  approximately  1,208  pole  miles  of  high  voltage
transmission lines, and the distribution system consists of 6,866 pole
miles  of  overhead lines and 2,538 trench miles of underground lines.
As of Dec. 31, 1996, there were 513,117 meters in service. All of this
property is located in Florida. 
     All plants and important fixed assets are held in fee except that
title  to  some  of  the properties are subject to  easements, leases,
contracts,  covenants and similar encumbrances and minor defects, of a
nature  common  to  properties  of  the size and character of those of
Tampa Electric.
     Tampa  Electric  has easements for rights-of-way adequate for the
m a i ntenance  and  operation  of  its  electrical  transmission  and
distribution  lines  that  are  not  constructed upon public highways,
roads  and  streets.  It has the power of eminent domain under Florida
law for the acquisition of any such rights-of-way for the operation of
transmission  and  distribution  lines.  Transmission and distribution
lines  located  in  public  ways  are  maintained  under franchises or
permits. 
     Tampa  Electric  has a long-term lease for its office building in
downtown  Tampa  that  serves  as  headquarters for TECO Energy, Tampa
Electric and certain other TECO Energy subsidiaries.
TECO COAL

     TECO  Coal, through its subsidiaries, controls over 100,000 acres
of coal reserves and mining property in Kentucky and Tennessee.
     Pike-Letcher  controls  in  excess  of  43,000  acres in Pike and
Letcher  Counties, Kentucky. These properties contain estimated proven
and probable reserves in excess of 110 million tons.
     Premier  owns  and  operates  a  preparation plant and unit-train
loadout  facility  in  Pike  County, Kentucky and conducts surface and
deep mining operations of reserves which are leased from Pike-Letcher.
Premier does not own any coal reserves.
     Clintwood  has 25,000 acres of coal reserves held under long-term
leases  in  Pike  County, Kentucky. These properties contain estimated
proven  and  probable  reserves of 30 million tons. Clintwood owns and
operates a rail tipple and a coal preparation plant near the mines.
     Gatliff  has 65,000 acres of coal reserves and mining property in
Knox  and  Whitley  Counties, Kentucky and Campbell County, Tennessee.
Gatliff  owns  9,300  acres  in  fee  and  leases  55,700  acres under

                                  15



long-term  leases.  These  properties  contain  estimated  proven  and
probable  coal  reserves of 15 million tons. This coal, which combines
low-sulfur and low-ash fusion temperature characteristics, is found in
both deep and surface mines. Gatliff owns and operates a rapid-loading
rail tipple and a coal preparation plant near its deep mines. In 1996,
TECO Coal closed certain of its older Gatliff mines.
     Rich  Mountain  operates  a  surface mine for Gatliff in Campbell
     County, Tennessee, and does not own any coal reserves.

TECO COALBED METHANE

     TECO  Coalbed  Methane's  interest in proven gas reserves at Dec.
31,  1996  was  independently estimated to be 190.5 billion cubic feet
for 657 wells.
     TECO  Coalbed  Methane's  share  of  gas  production for 1996 was
19.8 billion cubic feet.
TECO TRANSPORT

     Electro-Coal's  storage  and transfer terminal is on a 1,070-acre
site  fronting  on the Mississippi River, approximately 40 miles south
of  New Orleans. Electro-Coal owns 342 of these acres in fee, with the
remainder held under long-term leases.
     Mid-South  operates  a fleet of 15 towboats and 578 river barges,
nearly  all  of  which  it owns, on the Mississippi, Ohio and Illinois
rivers.  Mid-South owns 15 acres of land fronting on the Ohio River at
Metropolis,  Illinois  on  which  its operating offices, warehouse and
repair  facilities  are  located. Fleeting and repair services for its
barges  and  those of other barge lines are performed at this location
and  on  the  upper  Mississippi River near the mouth of the Kaskaskia
River.
     At  Dec.  31,  1996,  Gulfcoast  owned and operated a fleet of 11
ocean-going  tug/barge units and a 30,000 ton ocean-going ship, with a
combined  cargo capacity of over 372,000 tons. An additional tug/barge
unit was chartered in early 1997.
TECO POWER SERVICES

     Hardee Power has a 22-year lease for approximately 1,300 acres of
land  in  Hardee  and Polk Counties, Florida on which the Hardee Power
Station is located.
     In  addition,  a  TECO  Power  Services'  subsidiary had a 98.15-
percent  ownership  interest  in  a project entity, TCAE, which owns 7
acres in Guatemala on which the Alborada Power Station is located.
TECO OIL & GAS

     TECO  Oil  & Gas had 37 federal off-shore leases at Dec. 31, 1996
and, in early 1997, was the successful bidder for five additional off-
shore  leases.  It  has  six  successful  off-shore  wells. Net proven
reserves at Dec. 31, 1996 were 11.0 billion cubic feet from two wells.

TeCom

     In  1996,  TeCom  was issued its first patent covering the system
design  concept  for the InterLane products; other patent applications
are pending.







                                  16



Item 3.   LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

     None.

Item 4.   SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS.

     No  matter  was  submitted during the fourth quarter of 1996 to a
vote  of  TECO  Energy's security holders, through the solicitation of
proxies or otherwise.


















































                                  17



EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT

Information  concerning  the current executive officers of TECO Energy
is as follows: 

                                  Current Positions and Principal
     Name             Age        Occupations During Last Five Years

Timothy L. Guzzle     60           Chairman  of  the  Board and Chief
                                   Executive  Officer,  July  1994 to
                                   date;  and prior thereto, Chairman
                                   of  the Board, President and Chief
                                   Executive Officer.


Girard F. Anderson    65           President  and  Chief  Operating
                                   Officer,  July  1994  to date; and
                                   prior  thereto,  Executive  Vice
                                   President-Utility  Operations  and
                                   P r esident  and  Chief  Operating
                                   Officer of Tampa Electric Company.


Keith S. Surgenor     49           President  and  Chief  Operating
                                   Officer of Tampa Electric Company,
                                   July 1995 to date; Vice President-
                                   Human Resources, and President and
                                   Chief  Operating  Officer of Tampa
                                   Electric  Company,  July  1994  to
                                   July 1995; and prior thereto, Vice
                                   President-Human Resources.

Roger  H. Kessel      60           Senior   Vice   President-General
                                   Counsel  and Secretary, April 1995
                                   to  date;  and prior thereto, Vice
                                   President-General    Counsel   and
                                   Secretary.

Alan D. Oak           50           Senior  Vice President-Finance and
                                   Chief   Financial  Officer,  April
                                   1995  to  date; and prior thereto,
                                   Senior   Vice   President-Finance,
                                   T r easurer  and  Chief  Financial
                                   Officer.

Roger  A. Dunn        54           Vice  President-Human  Resources,
                                   July   1995  to  date;  and  prior
                                   thereto,  Senior  Vice  President-
                                   H u man  Resources  and  Corporate
                                   Affairs  of LTV Corporation (steel
                                   manufacturer), Cleveland, Ohio.
__________________________

     There  is no family relationship between any of the persons named
above.  The  term  of office of each officer extends to the meeting of
t h e  Board  of  Directors  following  the  next  annual  meeting  of
shareholders,  scheduled  to  be held on April 16, 1997, and until his
successor is elected and qualified.





                                  18



                               PART  II

Item 5.   MARKET  FOR  THE  REGISTRANT'S  COMMON  EQUITY  AND  RELATED
          STOCKHOLDER MATTERS. 

     The  following  table  shows  the composite high, low and closing
sale prices for shares of TECO Energy common stock, which is listed on
the  New  York  Stock  Exchange,  and  dividends  paid  per share, per
quarter. 

                    1st       2nd       3rd       4th
     1996           
     High           $27       $25 1/4   $25 1/4   $25 3/8
     Low            $23 3/4   $23       $23       $23 1/4
     Close          $24 7/8   $25 1/4   $23 3/4   $24 1/8
     Dividend       $.265     $.28      $.28      $.28

     1995
     High           $22 1/8   $22 3/4   $23 1/2   $25 3/4
     Low            $20       $20 1/2   $21 1/4   $23 1/8
     Close          $21       $22       $23 1/2   $25 5/8
     Dividend       $.2525    $.265     $.265     $.265

___________________

     The  approximate number of shareholders of record of common stock
of TECO Energy as of Feb. 28, 1997 was 30,047.

     TECO  Energy's  primary  source  of  funds  is dividends from its
operating   companies.   Tampa   Electric's   Restated   Articles   of
Incorporation  and  certain of the supplemental indentures relating to
different  series  of its First Mortgage Bonds contain restrictions as
to  the payment of dividends on the common stock of Tampa Electric and
as  to  the purchase or retirement of capital stock of Tampa Electric.
Substantially all of Tampa Electric's retained earnings were available
for dividends throughout 1996.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

     On Nov. 27, 1996, TECO Energy issued 119,231 shares of its common
stock (the Shares) in connection with its acquisition of Bosek, Gibson
and  Associates,  Inc.  (BGA)  pursuant  to  the Agreement and Plan of
Merger  dated  as  of  Nov. 27, 1996 (the Merger Agreement) among TECO
Energy,  a  wholly  owned  subsidiary  of  TECO  Energy,  BGA  and the
shareholders of BGA.  Under the Merger Agreement, TECO Energy s wholly
owned  subsidiary  merged  into  BGA  and  as  a  result  all  of  the
outstanding capital stock of BGA was exchanged for the Shares. The BGA
stock  was  held by eleven individuals, each of whom was active in the
business of BGA.
     The  Shares were issued without registration under the Securities
Act  of  1933,  as amended, in reliance upon the exemption provided in
Section  4(2) thereof. Reliance upon this exemption was based upon the
nature  of  the  transaction, the number of shareholders of BGA, their
relationship to BGA and investment representations made by each. 








                                  19



Item 6.   SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA.(6)

Year ended Dec. 31,       1996      1995        1994       1993       1992

Revenues(1)(2)        $1,473.0  $1,392.3   $ 1,350.9    $1,283.9  $ 1,183.2
Income before 
 cumulative effect  of change in 
 accounting 
 principle(1)         $  200.7  $  186.1   $  153.2(5)  $  150.3  $  149.0 
Cumulative effect
 of change in
 accounting
 principle(1)               --        --         --         11.2        -- 
Net income(1)         $  200.7  $  186.1   $  153.2(5)  $  161.5  $  149.0 

Earnings per averageshare outstanding: 
 Before cumulative
  effect of change
  in accounting
  principle(3)        $   1.71  $   1.60   $   1.32(5)  $   1.30  $   1.30 
 Cumulative effect
  of change in 
  accounting
  principle(3)              --        --           --        .10       -- 
Earnings per average
  common share 
  outstanding(3)      $   1.71  $   1.60   $   1.32(5)  $   1.40  $   1.30 
Common dividends
 paid per share(3)    $  1.105  $ 1.0475   $  .9975     $  .9475  $  .8975 

Total assets (1)(4)   $3,560.7  $3,473.4   $3,312.2     $3,123.3  $3,020.6 
Long-term debt(1)(4)  $  996.3  $  994.9   $1,023.9     $1,038.8  $1,044.9 
_________________
(1)  Millions of dollars.
(2)  Amounts  shown  in  1996 and 1995 are after deferred revenues of $34.2
     million  and $50.8 million, respectively, in accordance with the FPSC-
     approved plans described in the Utility Regulation section on pages 33
     through 35.
(3)  Restated to reflect a two-for-one stock split on Aug. 30, 1993.
(4)  The  total  asset  and  long-term debt balances for 1993 and 1992 have
     been restated to reflect the current year presentation.
(5)  Includes  the effect of a corporate restructuring charge which reduced
     net  income  by $15 million and earnings per share by $.13. See Note H
     on page 57.
(6)  See the discussion of the pending merger between TECO Energy and Lykes
     Energy, Inc. on pages 30 and 31.















                                     20



Item 7.MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
       AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.

This  Management  s  Discussion  and Analysis contains forward-looking
statements.  These  forward-looking  statements  are  subject  to  the
inherent  uncertainties  in  predicting future results and conditions.
Certain  factors  that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those projected in these forward-looking statements are set forth
below in the Investment Considerations section.

EARNINGS SUMMARY

     TECO Energy achieved earnings of $1.71 per share in 1996 compared
to  $1.60  in  1995,  a  6.9 percent increase. These 1996 results were
achieved  after  the  deferral  of  $34.2 million of revenues at Tampa
Electric  under  agreements  approved  by  the  Florida Public Service
Commission (FPSC) described in the Utility Regulation section. Results
in  1995  reflect  the  deferral of $50.8 million of revenues at Tampa
Electric  under  the  1995 agreement approved by the FPSC described in
the  Utility  Regulation  section. Earnings in 1994 were $1.32 after a
13-cent  charge for corporate restructuring which included a reduction
in  staffing  levels  and  other  cost  reductions, primarily at Tampa
Electric.
     Earnings growth in 1996 and 1995 was driven by strong performance
at    the  diversified companies as well as continued growth in energy
sales, lower operations and maintenance expenses, and higher levels of
capitalized  financing  costs  (AFUDC),  primarily associated with the
investment in the Polk Power Station at Tampa Electric.

     Earnings Per Share           1996  Change     1995  Change    1994   
     Earnings per share         $ 1.71    6.9%   $ 1.60   21.2%  $ 1.32   
     Restructuring charge          -       -        -       -       .13   
     Earnings per share before        
       restructuring charge     $ 1.71    6.9%   $ 1.60   10.3%  $ 1.45(1)

     Earnings per share:
       Tampa Electric           $ 1.19    6.3%   $ 1.12    8.7%  $ 1.03(1)
       Diversified companies
          and other                .52    8.3%      .48   14.3%     .42(1)
     Total earnings per share   $ 1.71    6.9%   $ 1.60   10.3%  $ 1.45(1)

     Net Income                 $200.7    7.8%   $186.1   21.5%  $153.2   
     Net income before
       restructuring charge
       (millions)               $200.7    7.8%   $186.1   10.4%  $168.6(1)
     Average common
       shares outstanding
       (millions)                117.2     .6%    116.5     .5%   115.9   
     Return on average 
      common equity              15.6%            15.5%           14.8%(1)

     (1) Excludes the effect of the corporate restructuring charge.











                                       21



OPERATING RESULTS

TECO Energy's Operating Results 
     Operating  income  growth in 1996 reflected strong performance by
the  diversified companies, particularly TECO Coalbed Methane and TECO
Power  Services,  and continued growth at Tampa Electric. Consolidated
operating income rose in 1996 despite the deferral of $34.2 million of
revenues  at  Tampa  Electric  under  agreements  approved by the FPSC
described  in  the  Utility  Regulation  section.  Higher consolidated
operating  income  in 1995 was the result of the strong performance of
the  diversified  companies,  particularly TECO Transport & Trade, and
growth at Tampa Electric. The improved 1995 results were achieved even
after  the  deferral  of  $50.8  million of revenues at Tampa Electric
under  the  agreement  approved  by  the FPSC described in the Utility
Regulation section. 
     The  following  table  identifies the unconsolidated revenues and
operating income of the significant operating groups.
Contributions by operating group (unconsolidated)

Revenues             1996     Change      1995     Change     1994    
(millions)
Tampa Electric    $1,112.9(1)   1.9%   $1,092.3(1)   -.2%  $1,094.9   
Diversified 
  companies       $  562.5     11.2%   $  505.7      7.4%  $  470.9   
Operating income
 (millions)
Tampa Electric    $  244.0      6.3%   $  229.5      1.6%  $  225.8(3)
Diversified(2)
 companies        $  106.5     12.5%   $   94.7     33.2%  $   71.1(3)

(1)  1996 and 1995 Tampa Electric revenues were net of $34.2 and $50.8
million of revenues, respectively, deferred under agreements described
in the Utility Regulation section.
(2)  Operating  income  includes  items  which  are  reclassified  for
consolidated financial statement purposes. The principal items are the
n o n -conventional  fuels  tax  credit  related  to  coalbed  methane
production  and  interest  expense on the non-recourse debt related to
the  independent  power  operations. In the Consolidated Statements of
Income,  the  tax credit is part of the provision for income taxes and
the  interest  is  part of interest expense. Certain 1995 amounts have
been restated to conform to current year presentation.
(3)  Excludes  the  effects  of  a  1994 corporate restructuring which
reduced  operating  income  $  21.3 million at Tampa Electric and $2.5
million at the diversified companies.

Tampa Electric's Operating Results

 Tampa  Electric's  1996  operating  income  increased  more  than six
percent  after  the  deferral  of  $34.2 million of revenues under the
agreements  described  in  the Utility Regulation section. Two-percent
customer  growth  and  colder  than  normal  weather early in the year
contributed  to  five  percent  higher  total  energy  sales. Non-fuel
operations  and  maintenance  expenses  were  one  percent  below 1995
levels,  despite  a  full  quarter  of  operations  of  the Polk Power
Station,  reflecting the continued focus on aggressive cost management
throughout  the  company.  Tampa  Electric  s  operating  income  also
increased  because  of the inclusion of the Polk Power Station in rate
base  for  earnings purposes upon commencement of commercial operation
late in the third quarter.

                                  22



   In  1996  Tampa Electric successfully completed the construction of
the  250-megawatt,  state-of-the-art, clean-coal technology Polk Power
Station. The addition of this facility will cause an increase in Tampa
Electric  s  1997  operating  expenses.  However, during the first two
years  of operations the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) will provide
funding  that  will  offset  a  portion of the non-fuel operations and
maintenance expenses associated with the facility. Agreements approved
by the FPSC allowing full recovery of capital costs and operations and
maintenance  expenses  associated  with  the  plant  described  in the
Utility Regulation section, are in place.
   Tampa  Electric's  1995 operating income increased two percent over
1994  s.  Higher  base revenues from retail customer growth, favorable
weather and an improved economy together with lower operating expenses
contributed  to  the  improved  results  after  the  deferral of $50.8
million of revenues. 

Tampa Electric Results     1996   Change     1995    Change     1994 
(millions)
Revenues               $1,112.9(1)  1.9%  $1,092.3(1)  -.2% $1,094.9
Operating expenses        868.9      .7%     862.8    -3.1%    890.4

Operating income          244.0     6.3%     229.5    12.2%    204.5

Restructuring charge              
(included in operating
  expenses above)            --       --        --       --     21.3
Operating income before
restructuring charge   $  244.0     6.3%  $  229.5     1.6% $  225.8

(1) 1996 and 1995 Tampa Electric revenues are net of $34.2 million and
$50.8  million, respectively, of revenues deferred under agreements as
described in the Utility Regulation section.

Tampa Electric's Operating Revenues
   Tampa Electric s 1996 revenues increased almost two percent to $1.1
billion,  after  the deferral of $34.2 million of revenues, reflecting
customer  growth  of more than two percent and increased retail energy
usage.  Tampa  Electric's  1995  revenues  decreased  slightly  as the
deferral of $50.8 million of revenues offset increased energy sales. 
   The  economy  in Tampa Electric's service area continued to grow in
1996  due  to  increased  employment  from  corporate  relocations and
expansions.  Combined  residential and commercial energy sales grew by
more  than  three  percent  in  1996.  Non-phosphate  industrial sales
declined in 1996 due to the closure of a brewery at the end of 1995.
   Sales  to  the  phosphate industry decreased in 1996 reflecting the
closure  of  some  depleted  phosphate mines and reduced production at
several  processing plants. Energy sales to the phosphate industry are
expected   to  increase  in  1997  over  1996  levels  from  increased
production  to meet continued strong domestic and international demand
for  phosphate  products.  After  1997  sales  are expected to decline
slowly  as  mining  activity  migrates out of Tampa Electric's service
area.  In 1996 sales to the phosphate customer group represented about
five percent of total operating revenues.









                                  23



   In  May  IMC-Agrico,  a  large phosphate producer representing four
percent  of  1996  revenues,  issued a request for proposals (RFP) for
electric  power  to  serve load currently served by Tampa Electric and
others.  Some  portions  of the services identified in the RFP are not
permitted  under  current  Florida  laws and utility regulation. Tampa
Electric  has  made  load-retention  proposals  that it believes to be
competitively   priced  and  attractive  because  of  the  flexibility
offered,  and  continues to have discussions with IMC-Agrico. While it
is unclear how this process will develop, the ultimate impact on Tampa
Electric  is not expected to be material. For a general description of
competition see the Utility Competition section.
   Tampa  Electric  s  and independent forecasts indicate that in 1997
the Tampa Electric service area economy is expected to grow moderately
at  rates  higher  than  the  country  as  a  whole. The local economy
continues  to  benefit  from a good labor market, available land, good
access  through  airport  and  port facilities and aggressive economic
development activities by the communities served by Tampa Electric.
   Based  on  the  expected continued growth of the local economy with
both  population  and  business  activity  increases,  Tampa  Electric
projects  retail energy sales growth of more than two percent annually
for  the next five years. This forecast includes combined energy sales
growth  in  the  residential  and  commercial  sectors of almost three
percent  annually  as  the Tampa Electric service area economy becomes
more  service  oriented.  Growth  in  energy  sales  to  non-phosphate
industrial customers is expected in 1997 after the 1996 decline. 
   Non-fuel revenues from sales to other utilities were $36 million in
1996,  $34  million  in  1995  and $33 million in 1994. Energy sold to
other  utilities  increased  in 1996 due to weather-related demand and
lower  Tampa  Electric  fuel costs. A shift from broker system economy
sales  to longer-term, higher-margin wholesale power sales resulted in
a  seven  percent increase in revenues in 1996. In 1995 energy sold to
o t h e r  utilities  increased  because  of  higher  generating  unit
availability and lower fuel costs at Tampa Electric. 
   Signing  additional  longer-term  wholesale  power sales agreements
remains  a  priority  at Tampa Electric, where in recent years 11 bulk
power  sales  contracts  of varying size and duration have been added.
Competitive   pricing  of  coal-fired  generation  has  allowed  Tampa
Electric to market available capacity successfully.

Tampa Electric Megawatt-Hour Sales:
                              1996    Change     1995  Change    1994
    (thousands)
  Residential                 6,607     4.0%    6,352    6.8%   5,947
  Commercial                  4,815     2.2%    4,710    2.8%   4,583
  Industrial                  2,304    -2.4%    2,362    3.7%   2,278
  Other                       1,203     2.3%    1,176    4.6%   1,124
    Total retail             14,929     2.3%   14,600    4.8%  13,932
  Sales for resale            3,241    19.8%    2,706   28.7%   2,102
    Total energy sold        18,170     5.0%   17,306    7.9%  16,034

  Retail customers            506.0     2.2%    495.2    2.0%   485.7
  (average)











                                  24



Tampa Electric's Operating Expenses
 Effective  cost  management  and  improved  efficiency continue to be
principal  objectives  at  Tampa  Electric.  Non-fuel  operations  and
maintenance  expenses  declined  in  1996 from the continuing focus on
managing  costs  in  all  areas  of  the company and the restructuring
actions taken in 1994. 
    Operating Expenses:
                               1996   Change     1995  Change   1994 
(millions)
Other operating expenses     $164.1      .5%   $163.3   -4.8%  $171.6
Maintenance                    65.5    -5.9%     69.6   -4.5%    72.9
Depreciation                  120.2     6.1%    113.3   -1.6%   115.1
Taxes, other than income       87.0    -1.0%     87.9    1.3%    86.8
 Operating expenses           436.8      .6%    434.1   -2.8%   446.4

Restructuring charge            -        -        -.      -      21.3
Fuel                          383.1     -.3%    384.3   -1.3%   389.3
Purchased power                49.0    10.4%     44.4   32.9%    33.4
  Total fuel cost             432.1      .8%    428.7    1.4%   422.7

Total operating expenses     $868.9      .7%   $862.8   -3.1%  $890.4

   A g g ressive  cost  management  reduced  non-fuel  operations  and
maintenance  expenses  more  than  one  percent  in  1996, despite the
additional  expenses  related  to  the  operation  of  the  Polk Power
Station. In 1995 non-fuel operations and maintenance expenses declined
almost  five percent from 1994 levels before the restructuring charge.
The  $11.6-million  reduction in 1995 was primarily from lower payroll
and  employee-related expenses as a result of 217 fewer positions than
in 1994. 
   In  both  1996  and  1995  Tampa Electric achieved lower costs from
equipment  redesign  and enhancements, work redesign efforts including
the  streamlining  of  maintenance  programs,  the sharing of manpower
r e sources  in  power  generation  facilities  and  the  use  of  new
technologies throughout the company.
   In  1996  the  savings realized from these efforts more than offset
increased  operations  and  maintenance  expenses  from the Polk Power
Station.   Over  the  next  several  years,  non-fuel  operations  and
maintenance expenses are expected to remain at 1996 levels. 
   During  the  first two years of operations, when specified domestic
coals  will  be evaluated for use in the gasifier, Tampa Electric will
receive  up  to  a  total  of  $20 million from DOE for operations and
maintenance  expenses  of  the  Polk  Power  Station. Based on current
forecasts  this funding is expected to offset a significant portion of
the non-fuel operating costs of the new plant during this period.
   Total  operating  expenses  in  1994  included  the  $21.3  million
restructuring charge discussed in the Earnings Summary section and the
first  annual  $4.0-million  charge to a transmission and distribution
property storm-damage reserve in accordance with regulatory directives
described in the Utility Regulation section.
   Depreciation  expense  increased  $6.9  million in 1996 from normal
plant  additions  and  the  completion  of  the  Polk  Power  Station.
Depreciation expense in 1995 decreased as certain shorter-lived assets
were  fully  amortized.  This  decrease more than offset the impact of
normal  additions  to plant and equipment. Tampa Electric s efforts to
reduce  capital  investment  in recent years have limited additions to
all asset classes. Depreciation expense is projected to increase again
in  1997  as a result of a full year of depreciation of the Polk Power
Station.
   Changes  in  taxes  other  than those on income reflected increased
state  gross  receipts taxes and franchise fees associated with higher

                                  25



energy  sales,  changes  in  property  values and decreases in payroll
related  taxes as a result of the 1994 restructuring. Taxes other than
those  on  income  are expected to increase in 1997 as a result of the
property taxes associated with the Polk Power Station.
   Total  system  fuel  cost  in 1996 was less than one percent higher
than  in  1995  despite a five-percent increase in total energy sales.
The  success  in controlling fuel cost is a result of Tampa Electric's
use  of  lower-priced coals and the mix in operating generating units.
Average  coal  costs,  on a cents-per-million BTU basis, declined more
than six percent in 1996 after a three-percent decrease in 1995.  Fuel
and  purchased  power  cost  rose  one percent in 1995 despite a five-
percent rise in retail energy sales. 
   Tampa Electric purchased more power in both 1996 and 1995 primarily
to  meet  weather-related demand. Substantially all fuel and purchased
power expenses were recovered through the fuel adjustment clause.
   Nearly  all  of Tampa Electric's generation in the last three years
has been from coal, and the fuel mix will continue to be substantially
coal. External forecasts indicate relatively stable coal prices during
the  next  few  years  compared  to  oil or gas prices. Tampa Electric
continues  to  work to reduce its fuel cost through effective contract
management,  use  of  non-traditional fuels such as petroleum coke and
tire-derived  fuel,  and increased purchases of coal in the lower-cost
spot market.

Diversified Companies' Operating Results
   The  diversified  companies  achieved  operating  income  of $106.5
million in 1996 compared with $94.7 million in 1995 and  $71.1 million
in 1994 before the restructuring charge.
   The  improved  results  in  1996  were  driven by higher gas prices
throughout  the  year  at  TECO  Coalbed Methane as well as TECO Power
Services    full  year  of operations at the Alborada Power Station in
Guatemala.  The increase in 1995 was the result of strong performances
at  all  of  the diversified companies, led by TECO Transport & Trade.
Increased  third-party  sales  at  TECO  Coal  and TECO Power Services
Guatemalan power project were other important contributors. 
Diversified Companies Results (unconsolidated)
                               1996   Change  1995(2)  Change    1994
  (millions)
  Revenues                   $562.5    11.2%   $505.7    7.4%  $470.9
  Operating expenses          456.0    10.9%    411.0    2.2%   402.3
  Operating income (1)        106.5    12.5%     94.7   38.0%    68.6

  Restructuring charge             
  (included in operating
  expenses above)             -         -       -        -      2.5

Operating income before
   restructuring charge(1)   $106.5    12.5%   $ 94.7   33.2%  $ 71.1














                                  26



(1)  Operating  income  includes  items  which  are  reclassified  for
consolidated financial statement purposes. The principal items are the
n o n -conventional  fuels  tax  credit  related  to  coalbed  methane
production  and  interest  expense on the non-recourse debt related to
independent  power operations, both of which are included in operating
income  for  the diversified companies. In the Consolidated Statements
of Income the tax credit is part of the provision for income taxes and
the interest is part of interest expense.

(2)  Certain 1995 amounts have been restated to conform to the current
year presentation.

   TECO  Coalbed Methane's 1996 operating income increased as a result
of  average  gas prices almost 60 percent higher than 1995 levels. Gas
prices  rose  in  1996 on extreme winter weather and lower than normal
levels  of natural gas inventories at the end of the 1995/1996 heating
season.  Production declined slightly to 19.8 billion cubic feet (Bcf)
from 20.3 Bcf in 1995.
   TECO  Coalbed  Methane  has  an  active  program  of  reworking and
enhancing  existing  wells  to increase production, extend the life of
the wells, and add to reserves. These efforts have reduced the decline
in  production to about three percent per year, half of the originally
estimated  rate  of  decline.  At  year-end  1996 proven reserves were
estimated to be 190 Bcf.
   In  1995  operating  income increased, despite gas prices that were
significantly  lower  than in 1994, as production rose to 20.3 Bcf, up
from  19.5 Bcf in 1994. Lower 1995 gas prices were more than offset by
a  five-percent  increase  in  production,  a  10-percent reduction in
operating  costs,  and a $4.4-million pretax settlement related to the
termination of a gas sales contract and related agreements.
   In  both  1994  and 1995 TECO Coalbed Methane acquired interests in
additional  reserves  in  Alabama  s  Black  Warrior Basin through the
purchase of royalty interests in wells located on or near TECO Coalbed
Methane's  existing holdings. The company continually seeks additional
investment  opportunities  to add to its holdings, but no acquisitions
were made in 1996.
   Production  from  TECO  Coalbed Methane s reserves are eligible for
non-conventional  fuels  tax  credits under Section 29 of the Internal
Revenue  Code  through  the  year  2002.  The credit, which grows with
inflation,  was  estimated  at  $1.02 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) in
1996.
   All  gas  produced is sold under contract at spot market prices for
the  life  of  the  reserves.  Natural gas prices have been subject to
significant  volatility  since  late  1994, but have generally trended
upward. The Section 29 tax credits provide some degree of stability to
TECO  Coalbed  Methane  s operating results. To date, financial market
instruments  have  not  been  used  to  manage  exposure  to gas price
volatility.
   TECO Power Services achieved higher operating income in 1996 from a
full year of operation of the Alborada Power Station in Guatemala. The
Station  commenced  commercial  operation  and  began  contributing to
earnings in September 1995.
   The  station supplies 78 megawatts of power to a local distribution
utility  under  a  15-year  power  sales agreement. Early in 1996 TECO
Power Service increased its percentage of ownership from 87 percent to
98  percent.  The  $29-million non-recourse project debt financing for
the project was completed in January 1997.







                                  27



   In  1996  TECO  Power  Services  formed a partnership with the same
Guatemalan  business interest it partnered with for the Alborada Power
Station  and with Coastal Corporation to build, own and operate a 120-
megawatt pulverized coal-fired power plant, the San Jose Power Station
in  Guatemala. The partnership signed a 15-year power supply agreement
with the same Guatemalan distribution utility.
   Design  and engineering for the $175 million plant are underway and
construction is scheduled to be completed by mid-1999.
   TECO  Power Services  domestic project, the Hardee Power Station in
west  central  Florida, continues to operate reliably, supplying power
to Seminole Electric Cooperative and Tampa Electric.
   TECO  Transport & Trade achieved higher operating income in 1996 in
both  the ocean-going business and at the transfer terminal. The river
business   benefited  from  strong  demand  and  increased  northbound
business, but higher fuel prices more than offset the higher revenues.
The  addition  of 48 new barges increased the fleet size to almost 600
barges.
   The ocean-shipping business increased its capacity, adding a 30,000
ton  ship  in  mid-year.  It  moved  higher  volumes of  coal to Tampa
Electric  and  phosphate.  The  effects  of this growth were partially
offset  by  higher  costs  from  severe  weather  delays and fuel. The
transfer  terminal handled slightly lower quantities of export coal as
a result of changes in shipping rates for international coal shipments
between  the  Far East and Europe. This impact was more than offset by
improved pricing on the coal moved for export and increased tonnage of
coal transferred for Tampa Electric.
   The  ocean-shipping  business expects to benefit from the continued
strong  demand  for  phosphate  products  world-wide, and from further
diversification  into new markets and cargoes in 1997. The significant
factors  which  could  influence  results are weather, commodity grain
prices and economic activity both domestically and overseas.
   The conditions affecting favorable pricing and strong demand at the
river  company  in 1995 returned to normal in late 1996 as a result of
lower  grain inventories and reduced grain shipments, partially offset
by  new  demand  created by the steel industry. The pricing and demand
conditions  experienced  on  the  Mississippi  River  in late 1996 are
expected to continue in 1997. Transfers of export coal are expected to
i n crease  in  1997  from  increased  shipments  of  U.  S.  coal  to
international markets.
   TECO  Transport  & Trade s operating income increased significantly
in  1995  reflecting  improved  results  in all of its businesses. The
river  business  in  particular  had  an excellent year as a result of
higher  volumes  and  prices. Improved fleet utilization and increased
levels  of  northbound  shipments  contributed to increased volumes. A
strong demand for northbound movements and a record 1994 grain harvest
together  with  a  better  balance in the supply and demand for barges
caused  stronger prices throughout the industry. The transfer facility
at  the  mouth  of the Mississippi River handled more coal tonnage for
Tampa  Electric  and  third-party  export business. The ocean shipping
business  benefited  from  increased shipments of phosphate and higher
shipments of coal to Tampa Electric in 1995.
   TECO  Coal  s  1996  operating  income was lower primarily due to a
$5.2-million  pretax gain from a road condemnation settlement in 1995.
In  1996  the  effects  of strong growth in third-party sales and some
improvement  in prices for coal from the newer Premier mines were more
than  offset  by  higher  production  costs,  lower shipments to Tampa
Electric  and  $1.5  million  of  pretax  expenses  related to closing
certain older Gatliff mines.
   Success in burning more conventional and lower-cost steam coals has
enabled Tampa Electric to adopt a competitive strategy of phasing down
coal shipments from TECO Coal for the last several years. Shipments to
Tampa  Electric  declined  by  about 20 percent in both 1995 and 1996.
Because  of  this  decrease  and high production costs, Gatliff closed

                                  28



several  mines  in  1996.  Shipments to Tampa Electric are expected to
decline by 17 percent in 1997.
   Shipments  to  other  customers  continued to increase in 1996 with
total tonnage up more than 11 percent to 5.9 million tons, compared to
5.3  million  tons  in  1995 and 4.9 million tons in 1994. Growth from
sales  of  steam  coal to other utilities and metallurgical and stoker
coal  to  industrial  customers,  more  than offset reduced tonnage to
Tampa Electric.
   I n    September  1996  TECO  Coal  acquired  25  million  tons  of
metallurgical grade coal reserves contiguous to its existing Clintwood
operations,  and  began  construction of a new preparation plant. This
facility   will  support  an  additional  1  million  tons  of  annual
production when it goes in service in mid-1997. Metallurgical coal has
unique  characteristics  and  is  sold primarily to the steel industry
both  domestically  and  internationally. TECO Coal expects to use the
additional production to increase its share in this market segment.
   TECO  Coal expects sales to third parties to increase again in 1997
as  eastern  utilities  meet increasing demand for electric power with
existing  coal-fired  generating  capacity  and use low-sulfur coal to
comply with the Clean Air Act Amendments. 
   Substantially  all  of  the  production  from  the Premier mines is
committed  through  1997.  Shipments  from  the  Premier mines and the
Clintwood  expansion  are  expected  to more than offset the impact of
reduced tonnage to Tampa Electric in 1997.
   TECO  Oil & Gas was formed in 1995 to participate in joint ventures
in  the exploration and development of oil and gas in the shallow gulf
waters  off  Texas  and  Louisiana.  TECO  Oil  & Gas made significant
progress  in  1996 and operated at almost break-even in its first full
year  of  operation. TECO Oil & Gas accounts for its operations on the
successful  efforts  basis,  expensing  unsuccessful exploratory wells
currently.
   Making  extensive  use  of 3-D seismic imaging technology the joint
ventures successfully completed six of nine exploratory wells in 1996.
Three wells began producing in 1996, but one has since been abandoned.
The  other three successful exploratory wells began producing early in
1997.  Also  in  early  1997,  two  additional wells were drilled, one
successfully.  TECO  Oil  & Gas s share of 1996 production was two Bcf
and  its  net  proven  reserves  at Dec. 31, 1996 were 11 Bcf from two
wells.  Based on current production rates and test results, TECO Oil &
Gas  s share of 1997 production is expected to exceed 10 Bcf. TECO Oil
&  Gas  had  37  federal  off-shore leases as of Dec. 31, 1996 and, in
early  1997,  was  the  successful  bidder for five additional federal
leases.
   The  joint  ventures  expect  to  expand  the  offshore exploration
activities  in  1997;  a  new  on-shore  exploration  program has been
launched in the Permian Basin area of west Texas. In this venture TECO
Oil & Gas will hold an increased interest and will be the operator.
   The  company  expects to commit $20 million to $30 million per year
during the next few years for further exploration and development.
   TeCom,  a  subsidiary  organized  in 1995, is marketing an advanced
energy  management, automation and control systems for residential and
commercial applications, called the InterLane  system.
   Several   utilities  are  engaged  in  projects  demonstrating  the
InterLane  product. In 1996 TeCom was issued its first patent covering
the  system  design  concept for the InterLane  products; other patent
applications are pending.
   Because  of a continued high level of product enhancement activity,
TeCom  capitalized $4.9 million pretax of product development costs in
1996.  In  accordance  with  accepted  accounting  practices,  product
development  costs  capitalized in 1996 and those to be capitalized in
1997  are  expected  to  be  amortized  starting  in  1998  when TeCom
anticipates  its  products will be available for general distribution.
General distribution of the product will depend on a number of factors

                                  29



including market acceptance.

Diversified Companies' Operating Revenues
   In  1996  the diversified companies achieved an 11 percent increase
in  revenues.  The largest increases occurred at TECO Coal from higher
sales  to  third  parties,  at  TECO  Coalbed  Methane from higher gas
prices,  and  at TECO Power Services from a full year of operations at
the Alborada Power Station in Guatemala.
   Diversified  companies   1995 revenues also increased significantly
reflecting  improved  performance at all of the companies. Revenues in
1995 also included $5.8 million at TECO Coal from the sale of land and
mineral  rights  under  a  condemnation  settlement  with the state of
K e ntucky,  and  $4.4  million  at  TECO  Coalbed  Methane  from  the
termination of a gas sales contract. 
                               
Diversified Companies' Operating Expenses
   Diversified  companies    operating  expenses  increased  almost 11
percent  in  1996.  Difficult  underground  mining  conditions at TECO
Coal s Gatliff mines increased costs and led to the closing of several
mines.  Higher  fuel prices at TECO Transport & Trade, and a full year
of  operations  at  TECO  Oil  & Gas and TECO Power Services  Alborada
Power Station also contributed to increased operating expenses. 
    Diversified companies  operating expenses increased two percent in
1995.   TECO  Power  Services  incurred  higher  expenses  because  of
increased  power  generation  at  the Hardee Power Station and the new
Alborada Power Station in Guatemala.
   The  diversified  companies  recorded  a charge of $2.5 million for
corporate  restructuring  in  1994  related  to reductions in staffing
levels and other costs. 

NON-OPERATING ITEMS

Other Income (Expense)
   Other  income  consisted  mostly  of allowance for other funds used
during construction (AFUDC) of $16.5 million in 1996, $13.7 million in
1995,  and  $3.5  million  in  1994.  With  the  construction of Tampa
Electric's  Polk  Unit One now complete, AFUDC will decline to minimal
levels for the next several years.

Interest Charges
   Interest  charges  were $86.9 million in 1996, up four percent from
1995  primarily  due  to  the  expiration  of  an  interest  rate swap
agreement.  Interest  charges  in  1995  were  $83.2 million, up eight
percent from 1994 due to higher short-term debt balances and rates.
Income Taxes
   Income  tax  expense  increased  in  1996  and  1995 primarily from
increases  in pretax income. Income tax expense as a percent of income
before taxes was 26 percent in 1996, 24 percent in 1995 and 23 percent
in  1994.  Pretax  income  in  1994  was affected by the restructuring
charge. 
   Total  income  tax  expense  was  reduced by the federal tax credit
related  to  the  production  of  coalbed  methane.  These tax credits
totaled $19.6 million in 1996, $20.6 million in 1995 and $19.6 million
in  1994.  The tax credit rate was estimated at $1.02 per Mcf in 1996,
up  from  $1.01  in  1995  and $1.00 in 1994. This rate escalates with
inflation  and  could  be  limited  by  domestic  oil  prices. In 1996
domestic  oil  prices would have had to exceed $46 per barrel for this
limitation   to  have  been  effective.  The  federal  tax  credit  on
production of coalbed methane is available through the year 2002.

MERGER AND ACQUISITION ACTIVITIES 


                                  30



Lykes Energy Inc.:
   In  November  TECO  Energy announced an agreement with Lykes Energy
t o   merge  it  into  TECO  Energy  in  a  tax-free,  stock-for-stock
transaction  with  an equity value of $300 million. The number of TECO
Energy  shares  to  be  issued will depend on the average market price
during  a  specified period prior to the closing, subject to a collar.
Based  on  TECO Energy s common stock closing price of $24.375 on Feb.
28, 1997,  approximately  12.3  million  shares  would  be  issued,
representing about a 10 percent increase in shares outstanding.
   This  merger,  to  be  accounted for as a pooling of interests, was
approved by both companies  boards of directors and in December by the
Lykes  Energy  shareholders. Approval by TECO Energy s shareholders is
not required.
   The  principal  subsidiary of Lykes Energy is Peoples Gas System, a
regulated  retail  natural  gas  distributor  in  Florida. Peoples Gas
System  is  Florida  s  largest  natural gas distribution company with
retail operations in all of the state s major metropolitan communities
and  over  200,000  customers.  It  recorded annual sales of 86 Bcf of
natural  gas in fiscal 1996. It will be merged into Tampa Electric but
operated as a separate business unit.
   Also  continuing  operations as a separate business will be Peoples
Gas  Company, a propane business, and another unit involved in natural
gas marketing.
   TECO  Energy expects some cost savings and efficiencies as a result
of  the  merger.  Savings  are  mainly expected to be derived from the
elimination  of duplicative overhead and administrative activities, as
well  as  improved operating efficiencies and lower interest costs. In
addition,  TECO Energy expects to benefit from expanding energy demand
in  areas already served by these businesses and from opportunities to
secure new customers in other areas.
   The  merger  is  subject to certain closing conditions with closing
expected by mid-year 1997.

Effects of the Merger
   TECO  Energy  anticipates  that  the  merger with Lykes Energy will
initially  be  slightly  dilutive  to  earnings  with favorable future
growth  prospects.  The  merger will further TECO Energy's strategy of
p u rsuing  growth  in  energy-related  businesses.  It  will  provide
opportunities  for  growth in new energy markets by adding natural gas
and propane distribution and commodity sales to the company s existing
w h o l esale  and  retail  electric  operations  and  gas  production
activities. Additional growth opportunities will arise from geographic
expansion  beyond  Tampa  Electric  s  2,000  square mile service area
through   participation  in  the  gas  energy  markets  in  all  major
metropolitan  areas  of Florida. TECO Energy expects to take advantage
of  possible  growth  opportunities  by  supporting  a  larger capital
construction program for Peoples Gas System. 
   The  merger  will  also  permit  the  company  to  better  meet its
customers'  needs  through  a  broader  range  of  energy services. In
particular,  it  will  allow  full service with either gas or electric
energy  to  wholesale  customers  in  peninsular Florida and to retail
customers  in  the  limited  area  served  by  both Tampa Electric and
Peoples  Gas  System,  as well as facilitate energy services offerings
and expanded power marketing activities.
   Below are certain financial highlights of Lykes Energy for its past
three fiscal years ended September 30.








                                  31



Lykes Energy Financial Highlights

(Thousands)                  1996         1995          1994
Revenues                   $299,585     $254,001    $267,071
Net Income                 $ 15,950     $ 12,754    $ 11,779
Total Assets               $327,839     $312,172    $300,803
Equity                     $106,634     $ 95,244    $ 86,766  
Natural gas sold &                                          
 transported - therms       859,799      980,992     819,634
                                                
Retail customers (average)      201          196         191

                                                
Bosek, Gibson and Associates, Inc.:
   In November 1996 TECO Energy acquired Bosek, Gibson and Associates,
Inc.  (BGA), an energy services company, for about $3 million in stock
in a purchase transaction. BGA is headquartered in Tampa and has seven
offices in Florida and two in California. 
   It  provides  design, engineering and construction services to more
than  300  customers,  including  public schools, universities, health
care  facilities  and other governmental facilities throughout Florida
and California. 
     TECO  Energy  s  1996  results  only  include  the results of BGA
subsequent to the acquisition.
ACCOUNTING STANDARDS

Stock Options
   In  1995  the  Financial Accounting Standards Board issued FAS 123,
Accounting  for  Stock  Options,  effective for fiscal years beginning
after  Dec.  15,  1995.  FAS  123  encourages,  but  does not require,
companies  to  recognize  compensation  expense based on fair value of
grants  of  stock,  stock  options  and  other  equity  instruments to
employees.  Although  expense  recognition  for  employee  stock-based
compensation is not mandatory, FAS 123 requires non-adopting companies
to  disclose  pro forma net income and earnings per share. TECO Energy
has  continued  to apply the prior accounting rules, and the pro forma
adjustments  to  net income and earnings per share are shown in Note B
on page 51 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

FAS 121
   FAS  121,  Accounting  for  Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and for
Long-Lived  Assets  to  be  Disposed Of (FAS 121), effective for years
beginning  after  Dec.  15,  1995, requires that long-lived assets and
certain intangibles to be held and used by the company be reviewed for
impairment. The company periodically assesses whether there has been a
permanent  impairment of its long-lived assets, in accordance with FAS
121. No write-down of assets due to impairment was required in 1996.

CAPITAL EXPENDITURES
   TECO  Energy's  1996 capital expenditures of $268 million consisted
of  $203  million  for  Tampa  Electric, which included $23 million of
AFUDC, and $65 million for the diversified companies.
   Tampa  Electric  spent  $75  million in 1996 on construction of the
Polk  Power  Station,  a  250-megawatt  coal-gasification  plant which
entered commercial service late in the third quarter. The capital cost
of the plant to Tampa Electric including AFUDC was $508 million, which
is net of the construction funding from the Department of Energy under
its Clean Coal Technology Program.
   Tampa  Electric  spent  an  additional  $105  million  in  1996 for
equipment  and  facilities  to  meet its growing customer base and for
generating equipment improvements. 

                                  32



   TECO  Transport  &  Trade  invested  $34  million  in  1996 for the
purchase  of  a  30,000  ton ship, 48 jumbo river barges, a program of
b a rge  enlargement  and  refurbishment,  and  for  normal  equipment
replacement. TECO Coalbed Methane invested $4 million in 1996 for well
enhancements  and  normal  equipment  replacement. TECO Coal spent $13
million  for  an  expansion of its Clintwood operations and new mining
equipment.  TECO  Power  Services  spent  $4  million  to increase its
ownership  interest in the Alborada Power Station in Guatemala from 87
percent  to  98  percent  and for initial design work for the San Jose
Power  Station  in  Guatemala. TECO Oil & Gas invested $13 million for
natural gas exploration and development.
   TECO  Energy  estimates  total  capital  expenditures  for  ongoing
operations  to  be  $185  million for 1997 and $763 million during the
1998-  2001  period. Of these amounts, Tampa Electric expects to spend
$116  million  in  1997  and $470 million during the 1998-2001 period,
mainly  for  distribution  facilities  to  meet  customer  growth  and
generation  reliability  programs.  At the end of 1996, Tampa Electric
had outstanding commitments of about $7 million for capital programs.
   Tampa  Electric s capital expenditure projections include about $30
million over the 1997-2000 period to comply with Phase II of the Clean
Air  Act  as  described  in  the Environmental Compliance section. The
level  of  capital  expenditures  which  will actually be required for
compliance is uncertain at this time. 
   The  diversified companies expect capital expenditures of about $69
million  in  1997  and $293 million during the 1998-2001 period for: a
new  coal  preparation plant at Clintwood, other coal mining equipment
and  mine  development;  exploration  and  production of  oil and gas;
acquisition  of  river  barges and ocean transportation equipment, and
normal  asset  replacement.  At  the  end of 1996, $9 million had been
committed. 
   Included  in  these estimates is $34 million at TECO Power Services
for  the  construction of the San Jose Power Station in Guatemala over
the  next  three  years. TECO Power Services is seeking debt financing
for the remainder of its share of the construction costs.
   Capital requirements for Peoples Gas System and Peoples Gas Company
are  not  reflected  in  the  above  projections. In recent years, the
capital  invested  by  these companies was about $25 million annually.
Capital  expenditures  are  expected  to be above historical levels as
opportunities  to  grow  these business are identified. However, since
the  capital  investment  plans  for  these  companies are still being
developed, the actual level of investment is uncertain.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE
   TECO   Energy  and  its  subsidiaries  are  subject  to  various
environmental  regulations. TECO Energy believes that all subsidiaries
are  substantially  in  compliance  with  the  currently  applicable
standards  of  the  respective  environmental enforcement agencies and
that potential environmental liabilities are not material.
   Tampa  Electric  is complying with the Phase I emission limitations
imposed  by the Clean Air Act Amendments which became effective   Jan.
1,  1995  by  using  blends  of  lower-sulfur  coal, controlling stack
emissions and owning emission allowances. 
   In  1995 Tampa Electric successfully integrated Big Bend Unit Three
into  the existing scrubber on Big Bend Unit Four. This resulted in an
additional  scrubbed unit at a fraction of the cost of a new scrubber.
   Tampa Electric is currently evaluating options to comply with Phase
II  sulfur  dioxide  emission  standards  set  for  the year 2000. The
o p tions  include  scrubbing  additional  capacity.  The  company  is
evaluating  equipment and technologies to accomplish compliance in the
most  cost effective manner. Tampa Electric is also evaluating options
to  comply  with Phase II of the Clean Air Act Amendments for nitrogen
oxide  reductions.  These options include combustion modifications and
r e trofit  control  technology.  While  Tampa  Electric  s  estimates

                                  33



reflected in the Capital Expenditure section include up to $30 million
for  compliance  with  Phase  II  of the Clean Air Act Amendments, the
actual  level  of required expenditures is uncertain at this time. The
cost  of compliance with Phase II is expected to have little impact on
Tampa Electric's prices. 

UTILITY REGULATION 
Return on Equity (ROE) and Other Regulatory Agreements:

1994 
   In  March  1994  the  FPSC  issued  an  order  which  changed Tampa
Electric's authorized ROE to an 11.35-percent midpoint with a range of
10.35  percent  to 12.35 percent, while leaving in effect the rates it
had  previously  established.  The  FPSC  also  ordered a $4.0-million
annual  accrual  to  establish  an  unfunded  storm damage reserve for
transmission and distribution property. 
   In  July  1994  the  FPSC  issued  an  order approving an agreement
between  its staff and Tampa Electric to cap the utility s  authorized
regulatory  ROE  at  12.45  percent  for  calendar  year 1994 with any
earnings  above  that  amount  to be used to increase the storm damage
reserve.  Tampa  Electric did not exceed the 12.45-percent cap in 1994
and therefore  accrued only $4.0 million to the storm damage reserve.

Rate Stabilization Strategy 
   Building  on the 1994 approach, Tampa Electric s objective has been
to  place  the  Polk  Power  Station in service without increasing the
total  price  for  electric  service while securing the opportunity to
earn  a  fair  return.  A  number  of  actions, discussed in the Tampa
Electric  Operating  Expenses  section,  were  taken  to manage costs.
Another key component of the strategy to accomplish this objective has
been the deferral of certain revenues. With the agreements approved by
the  FPSC  in  1995  and  1996,  the  objectives of stabilizing prices
through  1999  and  securing  fair  earnings opportunities during this
period were accomplished.
1995 
   In  1995  the  FPSC  approved a plan submitted by Tampa Electric to
defer  certain  revenues  for  1995.  Under this plan Tampa Electric s
allowed  ROE  increased  to  an 11.75-percent midpoint with a range of
10.75  percent  to  12.75  percent. For 1995 an initial $15 million of
revenues  were  deferred  as  well as 50 percent of actual revenues in
excess  of  a  ROE  of  11.75  percent up to a net earned ROE of 12.75
percent  and all actual revenues above a ROE of 12.75 percent. In 1995
Tampa Electric deferred $50.8 million of revenues under this plan. The
deferred  revenues accrue interest at the 30-day commercial paper rate
specified in the Florida Administrative Code. 
   Also  as  part of this plan Tampa Electric s oil backout tariff was
eliminated  Jan.  1,  1996,  an  annual revenue reduction of about $12
million.

1996 - 1999 
   In  May  1996 the FPSC issued an order approving an agreement among
Tampa  Electric,  the  Florida  Office of Public Counsel (OPC) and the
Florida Industrial Power Users Group (FIPUG) on a multi-year base rate
freeze  and  refund  plan.  Under  this  plan,  base rates were frozen
through  1998  and  Tampa  Electric s customers began receiving a $25-
million  refund  starting  in October 1996 over a 12-month period. The
refund  consists of $10 million of revenues deferred from 1995 and $15
million of 1996 revenues. 
   In  addition,  the  agreement  set  forth  a  multi-year  plan  for
allocating  revenues based on Tampa Electric s ROE. For the years 1996
through 1998 Tampa Electric retains all revenues contributing to a ROE

                                  34



up  to  11.75  percent.  Any  additional  revenues  will  be allocated
according to a formula.
   In 1996, 40 percent of any actual revenues contributing to a ROE in
excess  of 11.75 percent were included in 1996 revenues. The remaining
60  percent  were  deferred  for  use  in  1997  and  1998. Under this
allocation  $34.2  million  of  1996 revenues were deferred. About $65
million  of  revenues deferred from 1996 and 1995, after the effect of
the  $25-million  refund are available for use in 1997 and 1998. It is
expected that Tampa Electric will recognize $30 million to $35 million
of previously deferred revenues in 1997.
   In  1997  40  percent  of  any revenues that contribute to a ROE in
excess  of  11.75 percent up to 12.75 percent will be included in 1997
revenues. The remaining 60 percent will be deferred for use in 1998 as
will  any  revenues  contributing to a ROE in excess of 12.75 percent.
The  same 40 percent allocation will be made in 1998 after taking into
account  any  deferred  revenues  not  used  in  previous  years.  The
remaining 60 percent, as well as any revenues contributing to a ROE in
excess of 12.75 percent will be refunded to customers in 1999.
   In  October  1996  the FPSC unanimously approved an agreement among
Tampa  Electric,  OPC  and  FIPUG that resolved all pending regulatory
issues associated with the Polk Power Station. 
   The  agreement  allows  the  full  recovery  of all of the expected
capital costs, and operations and maintenance expenses associated with
the  Polk  Power Station. The agreement also calls for an extension of
the  base  rate  freeze established in the May agreement through 1999.
Tampa  Electric  has the option of filing an application with the FPSC
on  or after July 1, 1999 for authorization to adjust base rates after
Jan. 1, 2000.
   Under  the October agreement, the $25-million refund established in
the  May  agreement  remains  intact  and, in addition, customers will
receive a $25-million temporary base rate reduction to be reflected as
a  credit  on  customer bills over a 15-month period beginning Oct. 1,
1997.  This  temporary  base rate reduction will be netted against any
refunds  that  otherwise  might  have  been made in 1999 under the May
agreement.
   The  October agreement closely parallels the ROE formula in the May
agreement.  In  1999, 60 percent of the revenues contributing to a ROE
in  excess of 12.0 percent will be refunded to customers in 2000 along
with  any 1999 revenues which contribute to a ROE above 12.75 percent.
   Tampa  Electric  agreed  to  remove  from  rate base the $5-million
investment  made in land at Port Manatee. This land has value for uses
other than as a power plant site, and  will continue to be recorded as
an  asset  of  Tampa Electric. A citizens task force recommended using
previously  mined  land  in  Polk  County over the Manatee site as the
preferred location for the Polk Power Station. 
Environmental Cost Recovery Clause
   In  August  the FPSC approved the recovery of $3.0 million of Tampa
Electric  s  environmental  compliance costs through the environmental
cost  recovery  clause. These are new costs incurred by Tampa Electric
to  comply  with  environmental  regulations enacted subsequent to its
most  recent full regulatory price setting proceeding but not included
in  current rates. Tampa Electric plans to seek continuing recovery of
these  types  of  costs  through  this  clause  until  the  next  full
regulatory  price setting proceeding. Under the October 1996 agreement
the  earliest  any  such  new prices could be in effect is in the year
2000.

Utility Competition:
   Tampa  Electric s retail business is substantially free from direct
competition  with  other electric utilities, municipalities and public
agencies.  At  the  present time, the principal form of competition at
the retail level consists of natural gas for residences and businesses

                                  35



and  the  self-generation option available to larger users of electric
e n ergy.  Such  users  may  seek  to  expand  their  options  through
l e g i s lative  and/or  regulatory  initiatives  that  would  permit
competition  at  the  retail level. Tampa Electric intends to take all
appropriate   actions  to  retain  and  expand  its  retail  business,
including managing costs, and providing high quality service to retail
customers.  Such  action could, with the approval of the FPSC, include
the   use  of  load  retention  and/or  economic  development  service
contracts  and  tariffs  to  reduce  the  loss of existing load and/or
acquire additional load. See the description of the IMC-Agrico request
for proposals in Tampa Electric s Operating Revenues section.
   There  is  presently  active  competition  in  the  wholesale power
markets  in Florida, and this is increasing largely as a result of the
Energy  Policy  Act  of 1992 and related federal initiatives. This Act
removed certain regulatory barriers to independent power producers and
required  utilities  to  transmit power from such producers, utilities
and others to wholesale customers as more fully described below. Tampa
Electric   continues  its  cost  reduction  efforts  to  increase  its
wholesale  business,  which  is  dependent  on  access to transmission
systems owned by others. 
   In  April  1996  the  Federal  Energy  Regulatory Commission (FERC)
issued  its Final Rule on Open Access Non-discriminatory Transmission,
Stranded  Costs,  Open Access Same-time Information System (OASIS) and
Standards  of  Conduct.  These  rules work together to open access for
wholesale  power  flows  on  transmission  systems.  Utilities  owning
transmission  facilities  (including  Tampa  Electric) are required to
provide  services  to  wholesale  transmission customers comparable to
those  they  provide  to themselves on comparable terms and conditions
including  price.  Among  other things, the rules require transmission
services  to  be unbundled from power sales and owners of transmission
systems  must  take  transmission service under their own transmission
tariffs.
   Transmission  system owners are also required to implement an OASIS
system  providing,  via  the  Internet, access to transmission service
i n f o rmation  (including  price  and  availability),  and  to  rely
exclusively  on  their  own  OASIS  system  for  such  information for
purposes  of  their  own  wholesale  power transactions. To facilitate
compliance,  owners must implement Standards of Conduct to ensure that
personnel  involved  in  marketing of wholesale power are functionally
separated   from  personnel  involved  in  transmission  services  and
reliability  functions. Tampa Electric, together with other utilities,
has  implemented an OASIS system and believes it is in compliance with
the Standards of Conduct.
                               
FERC Proceedings:
   In  July  1996  FERC  s final rule on open access mandated that all
public  utilities  file  transmission  service  tariffs with terms and
conditions  that  conform  with  FERC  s    pro  forma  tariffs. Tampa
Electric  received  interventions and protests from various parties to
the  implementing  tariffs  it  filed.  On Jan. 29, 1997, FERC ordered
minor  revisions  in  the  terms  and conditions of these tariffs. The
rates  proposed  by  Tampa Electric had previously become effective on
July 10, 1996, subject to refund.
   Tampa  Electric  has  intervened  and  protested the rates filed by
Florida Power and Light Company and Florida Power Corporation.
INVESTMENT ACTIVITY
   At  Dec.  31,  1996  TECO  Energy  had  $12.2 million in cash, cash
equivalents  and  short-term  investments versus $42.5 million at year
end  1995,  reflecting  the liquidation of the investment in a hedged-
equity utility portfolio, and the use of the proceeds to reduce short-
term debt balances.
   The company also has a continuing investment in leveraged leases of

                                  36



$63.2 million. At Dec. 31, 1996 the net leveraged lease investment had
essentially a zero balance and all leases were performing on a current
basis.  The  company  has made no investment in leveraged leases since
1989.
                               
FINANCING ACTIVITY
   TECO Energy's 1996 year-end capital structure, excluding the effect
of  unearned  compensation,  was  50  percent  debt, 49 percent common
equity and one percent preferred equity. The company's objective is to
maintain  a  capital structure over time that will support its current
credit ratings. 

Credit Ratings/Senior Debt
                          Duff & Phelps  Moody's      Standard & Poor s
Tampa Electric                   AA+       Aa2            AA      
TECO Finance/TECO Energy         AA-        A1            AA-     
                                        
   In  December  1996 the Polk County Industrial Development Authority
issued  $75 million of Solid Waste Disposal Facility Revenue Bonds for
the  benefit  of Tampa Electric. The bonds were issued at a tax-exempt
rate  of  5.85%  and  will mature on Dec. 1, 2030. The proceeds of the
issue   were  used  to  repay  short-term  debt  incurred  during  the
construction of the Polk Power Station.
   TECO  Energy  raised  $9.2  million  of common equity in 1996, $9.4
million  in  1995  and  $10.6  million in 1994 from the sale of common
stock through its Dividend Reinvestment and Common Stock Purchase Plan
(DRP).  In  1997  the DRP will purchase shares of TECO Energy stock on
the open market for plan participants in lieu of issuing new shares.
   In  April  1996  Tampa  Electric  retired $35 million aggregate par
value  8.0%  Series E and 7.44% Series F preferred stock at redemption
prices of $102.00 and $101.00, respectively.
   As  a  part of its risk management program, during 1995 TECO Energy
entered  into  an  interest  rate  exchange  agreement to moderate its
e x posure  to  short-term  interest  rate  changes.  This  three-year
agreement  effectively  converted the interest rate on $100 million of
short-term  debt  from  a  floating rate to a fixed rate. TECO Finance
pays  a fixed rate of 5.8% and receives a floating rate based on a 30-
day commercial paper index. The benefits of this agreement are at risk
only  in  the  event  of  non-performance  by  the  other party to the
agreement,  which  the  company does not anticipate. The costs of this
agreement  did  not  have  a significant impact on interest in 1996 or
1995. The company has no other derivative instruments.

LIQUIDITY, CAPITAL RESOURCES
  TECO  Energy  and its operating companies met cash needs during 1996
largely with internally generated funds with the balance from the sale
of  long-  and short-term debt, short-term investments and from equity
raised through the DRP.
   At Dec. 31, 1996 TECO Energy had bank credit lines of $370 million,
of which $367 million in credit was available.
   TECO  Energy  anticipates  meeting  its  capital  requirements  for
o n going  operations  in  the  1997-2001  period  substantially  from
internally  generated funds. In early 1997 TECO Power Services secured
$29  million  of non-recourse financing for the Alborada Power Station
in  Guatemala.  TECO  Power  Services  expects to finance the San Jose
Power  Station  with non-recourse project financing upon completion of
construction.
   Based upon anticipated revenue growth and effective cost management
in  all  of  its  businesses,  dividend  payout  levels and identified
capital  expenditures,  TECO  Energy  expects to generate between $400
million and $500 million of free cash flow through the year 2000. This
would  be  available  to  further grow the business and strengthen the
balance sheet.

                                  37



INVESTMENT CONSIDERATIONS

   The  following  are  certain of the factors which could affect TECO
Energy  s future results. They should be considered in connection with
evaluating  forward-looking  statements contained in this Management s
Discussion  and  Analysis  and  elsewhere in this Report and otherwise
made  by  or  on  the behalf of TECO Energy since these factors, among
others, could cause actual results and conditions to differ materially
from those projected in these forward-looking statements.
   General Economic Conditions. The company s businesses are dependent
on general economic conditions. In particular, the projected growth in
Tampa Electric s service area is important to the realization of Tampa
Electric  s  forecasts  for  annual  energy  sales growth for 1997 and
beyond.  An  unanticipated  downturn  in  the  area  s  economy  could
adversely affect Tampa Electric s performance through time.
   The  activities  of  the  diversified businesses, particularly TECO
Transport & Trade and TECO Coal, are also affected by general economic
conditions  in  the  respective  industries  and geographic areas they
serve both nationally and internationally.
   Weather  Variations.  Most of TECO Energy s businesses are affected
by  variations  in  general  weather  conditions  and unusually severe
weather.  Tampa  Electric s energy sales are particularly sensitive to
variations  in  weather  conditions.  It forecasts energy sales on the
basis  of  normal  weather,  which  represents  a long-term historical
average.  Significant  variations  from  normal  weather  could have a
material  impact on energy sales. Unusual weather, such as hurricanes,
could also have an effect on operating costs as well as sales.
   Variations  in weather conditions also affect the demand and prices
for  the  commodities sold by TECO Coalbed Methane, TECO Oil & Gas and
TECO  Coal. TECO Transport & Trade is also impacted by weather because
of  its  effects  on  the  supply  of  and  demand  for  the  products
transported.  Severe  weather  conditions that could interrupt or slow
service  and  increase  operating  costs  also  affects  each of these
businesses.
   Potential  Competitive  Changes.  The  electric  industry  has been
undergoing certain restructuring. Competition in wholesale power sales
has  been introduced on a national level. Some states have mandated or
encouraged  competition  at  the  retail  level. While there is active
wholesale  competition  in  Florida,  the retail electric business has
remained  substantially  free  from direct competition. Changes in the
competitive  environment  occasioned  by  legislation,  regulation  or
market  conditions,  however,  particularly  with  respect  to  retail
competition,  could adversely affect Tampa Electric s business and its
performance.
   Regulatory  Actions.  Tampa Electric operates in a highly regulated
industry.  Its retail operations, including the prices it charges, are
regulated  by the FPSC, and its wholesale power sales and transmission
services  are  subject  to  regulation  by FERC. Changes in regulatory
requirements  or  adverse  regulatory  actions  could  have an adverse
affect on Tampa Electric s performance.
   Commodity  Price  Changes.  Most  of  TECO  Energy s businesses are
sensitive  to  changes in certain commodity prices. Such changes could
affect   the  prices  they  charge,  their  operating  costs  and  the
competitive position of their products and services. 
   In  the  case of Tampa Electric, fuel costs used for generation are
mostly  affected  by  the cost of coal. Tampa Electric is able to pass
the  cost  of  fuel through to retail customers, but increases in fuel
costs affect electric prices and therefore the competitive position of
electricity  against  other energy sources. On the wholesale side, the
ability  to  make sales and the margins on power sales are affected by
the  cost of coal to Tampa Electric, particularly as it relates to the
cost of gas and oil to other power producers.
   At  the  diversified  companies,  changes  in  gas  and coal prices

                                  38



directly  affect  the  margins at TECO Oil & Gas, TECO Coalbed Methane
and TECO Coal.
   Environmental  Matters.  TECO  Energy  s  businesses are subject to
regulation by various governmental authorities dealing with air, water
and  other environmental matters. Changes in and compliance with these
regulations  may  impose additional costs on the company, or result in
the curtailment of certain activities.



















































                                  39



Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.

   INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

                                                                  Page
                                                                   No.
Report of Independent Accountants                                   40

Consolidated Balance Sheets, Dec. 31, 1996 and 1995                 41

Consolidated Statements of Income for the years ended 
 Dec. 31, 1996, 1995 and 1994                                       42

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years
 ended Dec. 31, 1996, 1995 and 1994                                 43
Consolidated Statements of Common Equity for the years
 ended Dec. 31, 1996, 1995 and 1994                                 44

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements                       45-61


   Financial  Statement Schedules have been omitted since they are not
required, are inapplicable or the required information is presented in
the financial statements or notes thereto.


































                                  40



REPORT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

To the Board of Directors  
of TECO Energy, Inc.,

   We  have  audited  the  consolidated balance sheets of TECO Energy,
Inc.  and  subsidiaries  as of Dec. 31, 1996 and 1995, and the related
consolidated  statements  of  income, common equity and cash flows for
each  of  the  three  years  in  the period ended Dec. 31, 1996. These
f i n ancial  statements  are  the  responsibility  of  the  company's
management.  Our  responsibility  is  to  express  an opinion on these
financial statements based on our audits.

   We  conducted  our  audits  in  accordance  with generally accepted
auditing  standards.  Those standards require that we plan and perform
the  audit  to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial
statements  are  free  of  material  misstatement.  An  audit includes
examining,  on  a  test  basis,  evidence  supporting  the amounts and
disclosures  in  the  financial  statements.  An  audit  also includes
assessing  the  accounting  principles  used and significant estimates
made  by  management,  as  well  as  evaluating  the overall financial
s t atement  presentation.  We  believe  that  our  audits  provide  a
reasonable basis for our opinion.

   In  our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present
fairly,  in all material respects, the consolidated financial position
of  TECO  Energy,  Inc. and subsidiaries as of Dec. 31, 1996 and 1995,
and  the consolidated results of their operations and their cash flows
for  each  of  the  three  years in the period ended Dec. 31, 1996, in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.




                                              COOPERS & LYBRAND L.L.P.
                                          Certified Public Accountants
Tampa, Florida
Jan. 15, 1997
























                                  41



                         CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
                                 (millions)
                                   Assets
Dec. 31,                                              1996           1995 

Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents                         $   12.2       $   10.3 
Short-term investments                                  --           32.2 
Receivables, less allowance for uncollectibles       190.1          163.5 
Inventories, at average cost
 Fuel                                                 62.2           76.7 
 Materials and supplies                               55.9           49.0 
Prepayments                                            8.9            9.6 
                                                     329.3          341.3 
Property, Plant and Equipment, at Original Cost
Utility plant in service                           3,784.7        3,174.5 
Construction work in progress                         45.4          479.6 
Other property                                       891.5          836.4 
                                                   4,721.6        4,490.5 
Less accumulated depreciation                     (1,765.0)      (1,616.2)
                                                   2,956.6        2,874.3 
Other Assets
Other investments                                     86.4           86.3 
Deferred income taxes                                 76.7           65.9 
Deferred charges and other assets                    111.7          105.6 
                                                     274.8          257.8 
                                                  $3,560.7       $3,473.4 
                             Liabilities and Capital
Current Liabilities
Long-term debt due within one year                $   76.7       $   31.3
Notes payable                                        305.7          361.4 
Accounts payable                                     150.3          146.3 
Customer deposits                                     52.9           51.3 
Interest accrued                                      16.2           13.3 
Taxes accrued                                          9.8           11.7 
                                                     611.6          615.3 
Other Liabilities  
Deferred income taxes                                426.7          396.6
Investment tax credits                                56.2           61.3
Regulatory liability-tax related                      35.7           47.5 
Other deferred credits                               152.1          136.1 
Long-term debt, less amount due within one year      996.3          994.9 

Preferred Stock of Tampa Electric                     20.0           55.0 

Capital
Common equity                                      1,332.8        1,240.9 
Unearned compensation related to ESOP                (70.7)         (74.2)
                                                  $3,560.7       $3,473.4

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial
statements.











                                       42



                        CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
                                   (millions)

Year ended Dec. 31,                      1995          1995         1994 
Revenues                            $ 1,473.0     $ 1,392.3    $ 1,350.9 
Expenses
Operation                               737.4         684.6        670.8 
Maintenance                              92.2         101.3        101.1
Restructuring charge and
  other cost reductions                    --            --         25.0 
Depreciation                            185.2         174.7        174.0 
Taxes, other than income                115.3         114.0        110.2 
                                      1,130.1       1,074.6      1,081.1 
Income from Operations                  342.9         317.7        269.8(1)
Other Income (Expense)
Allowance for other funds used
 during construction                     16.5          13.7          3.5 
Other income (expense), net               1.4            .6          6.4 
Preferred dividend requirements of 
 Tampa Electric                          (1.8)         (3.6)        (3.6)
                                         16.1          10.7          6.3
Income Before Interest and
 Income Taxes                           359.0         328.4        276.1 

Interest Charges
Interest expense                         93.3          88.8         79.3 
Allowance for borrowed funds
 used during construction                (6.4)         (5.6)        (2.2)
                                         86.9          83.2         77.1
Income Before Provision for
 Income Taxes                           272.1         245.2        199.0 
Provision for income taxes               71.4          59.1         45.8 

Net Income                          $   200.7     $   186.1    $   153.2(1)
Average common shares
 outstanding during year                117.2         116.5        115.9 

Earnings per Average Common Share 
 Outstanding:
 Earnings per average common share
   outstanding                      $    1.71     $    1.60    $    1.32 (1)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial
statements.

(1) Includes the effect of a corporate  restructuring charge which reduced
operating income by $25 million, net income by $15 million and earnings per
share by $0.13. See Note H.
















                                       43
                      CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                                   (millions)
Year ended Dec. 31,                         1996          1995        1994 
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Net income                                $200.7        $186.1      $153.2 
Adjustments to reconcile net 
 income to net cash
 Depreciation                              185.2         174.7       174.0
 Deferred income taxes                       7.5         (17.3)      (12.1)
 Restructuring charge and other
  cost reductions                             --            --        25.0 
 Investment tax credits, net                (5.1)         (5.3)       (6.8)
 Allowance for funds used 
  during construction                      (22.9)        (19.3)       (5.7)
Amortization of unearned
  compensation related to ESOP               5.4           4.9         5.7 
 Deferred revenue                           34.2          50.8          -- 
 Deferred recovery clause                    4.0         (12.4)       19.9 
 Fuel cost settlement                         --            --          -- 
 Refund to customers                        (6.0)           --        (2.4)
 Coal contract buyout and amortization       2.7           2.0       (25.5)
 Receivables, less allowance for 
  uncollectibles                           (24.5)        (18.9)      (10.5)
 Inventories                                 7.6          25.8       (23.7)
 Taxes accrued                              (2.0)         11.5        (1.0)
 Interest accrued                            2.9          (2.1)         .6 
 Accounts payable                          (15.2)          1.0        30.0
 Other                                      (2.0)         25.7        17.5
                                           372.5         407.2       338.2 
Cash Flows from Investing Activities
 Capital expenditures                     (267.7)       (432.7)     (309.1)
 Allowance for funds used 
  during construction                       22.9          19.3         5.7
 Investment in short-term investments       32.3          68.4        12.5
 Other non-current investments               2.8          17.5        (6.0)
                                          (209.7)       (327.5)     (296.9)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
 Common stock                               13.9          11.1        11.1 
 Proceeds from long-term debt               78.1            .6          .7 
 Repayment of long-term debt               (32.1)         (6.5)      (19.0)
 Net increase in short-term debt           (55.8)         11.5        84.1
 Redemption of preferred stock             (35.5)           --          -- 
 Dividends                                (129.5)       (121.9)     (115.6)
                                          (160.9)       (105.2)      (38.7)
Net increase (decrease) in 
 cash and cash equivalents                   1.9         (25.5)        2.6
Cash and cash equivalents at
 beginning of year                          10.3          35.8        33.2 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year  $ 12.2        $ 10.3      $ 35.8 

Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information
 Cash paid during the year for:
   Interest (net of amounts capitalized)  $ 82.2        $ 86.8      $ 85.1
   Income taxes                           $ 79.6        $ 66.5      $ 69.2

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial
statements.












                                       44


                              CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMMON EQUITY
                                             (millions)

                                               Additional                                Total 
                                       Common    Paid-in   Retained      Unearned       Common 
                           Shares(1)  Stock(1) Capital(1)  Earnings  Compensation       Equity 

                                                                    
Balance, Dec. 31, 1993         115.6   $ 115.6    $ 321.0   $ 675.8       $ (84.8)    $1,027.6
 Net income for 1994                                          153.2                      153.2
 Common stock issued              .6        .6       10.5                                 11.1 
 Cash dividends declared
  ($.9975 per share)                                         (115.6)                    (115.6)
 Amortization of unearned
  compensation related 
  to ESOP                                                                     5.7          5.7 
 Tax benefits-ESOP dividends                                    2.2                        2.2 
Balance, Dec. 31, 1994         116.2     116.2      331.5     715.6         (79.1)     1,084.2
 Net income for 1995                                          186.1                      186.1
 Common stock issued              .5        .5       10.6                                 11.1 
 Cash dividends declared
  ($1.0475 per share)                                        (121.9)                    (121.9)
 Amortization of unearned
  compensation related 
  to ESOP                                                                     4.9          4.9 
 Tax benefits-ESOP dividends
  and stock options                                    .1       2.2                        2.3 
Balance, Dec. 31, 1995         116.7     116.7      342.2     782.0         (74.2)     1,166.7
 Net income for 1996                                          200.7                      200.7
 Common stock issued              .9        .9       17.8                    (1.9)        16.8 
 Cash dividends declared
  ($1.105 per share)                                         (129.5)                    (129.5)
 Amortization of unearned
  compensation                                                                5.4          5.4 
 Premium on redemption of
 preferred stock                                                (.5)                       (.5)
 Tax benefits-ESOP dividends
  and stock options                                    .3       2.2                        2.5
Balance, Dec. 31, 1996         117.6   $ 117.6    $ 360.3   $ 854.9       $ (70.7)    $1,262.1 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial
statements.

(1)TECO Energy had 400 million shares of $1 par value common stock authorized
   in 1996, 1995 and 1994.





                                                 45
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

A.   Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of Consolidation
     The  significant accounting policies for both utility and diversified
operations are as follows:
     The  consolidated  financial  statements include the accounts of TECO
Energy, Inc. (TECO Energy) and its wholly owned subsidiaries.
     The equity method of accounting is used to account for investments in
partnership  arrangements in which TECO Energy or its subsidiary companies
do not have majority ownership or exercise control.
     The  proportional  share  of expenses, revenues and assets reflecting
TECO  Coalbed  Methane's  and TECO Oil & Gas s undivided interest in joint
venture property is included in the consolidated financial statements.
     All  significant  intercompany balances and intercompany transactions
have been eliminated in consolidation.

Basis of Accounting
     Tampa  Electric  maintains its accounts in accordance with recognized
policies  prescribed or permitted by the Florida Public Service Commission
(FPSC) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). These policies
conform  with  generally  accepted  accounting  principles in all material
respects.
     The  impact of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) No. 71, Accounting
for  the Effects of Certain Types of Regulation, has been minimal in Tampa
Electric's  experience,  but  when  cost recovery is ordered over a period
longer  than  a  fiscal  year, costs are recognized in the period that the
regulatory  agency  recognizes  them  in  accordance  with FAS 71. Also as
provided  in  FAS  71,  Tampa Electric has deferred revenues in accordance
with  various regulatory agreements approved by the FPSC in 1995 and 1996.
In  the  future,  these  revenues  will be recognized as allowed under the
terms of the agreements.
     Tampa Electric's retail and wholesale businesses are regulated by the
FPSC  and  the  FERC,  respectively.  Prices  allowed by both agencies are
generally  based  on  recovery of prudent costs incurred plus a reasonable
return on invested capital.
     The  use  of  estimates  is  inherent in the preparation of financial
statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Revenues and Fuel Costs
     Revenues  include  amounts resulting from cost recovery clauses which
provide  for  monthly billing charges to reflect increases or decreases in
fuel,  purchased  capacity,  oil  backout,  conservation and environmental
costs.  These  adjustment  factors  are  based on costs projected by Tampa
Electric  for  a  specific  recovery  period.  Any over-recovery or under-
recovery  of  costs  plus an interest factor are taken into account in the
process  of  setting  adjustment  factors for subsequent recovery periods.
Over-recoveries  of  costs  are  recorded  as  deferred credits and under-
recoveries of costs are recorded as deferred debits.
     In  August  1996,  the  FPSC  approved  Tampa Electric's petition for
r e c o v ery  of  certain  environmental  compliance  costs  through  the
environmental cost recovery clause.
     On May 10, 1995, the FPSC approved the termination of the oil backout
clause  effective  Jan.  1,  1996.  Any oil backout project costs incurred
beginning  Jan  1, 1996 were no longer recovered through the cost recovery
clause.
     In  December  1994, Tampa Electric bought out a long-term coal supply
contract  which would have expired in 2004 for a lump sum payment of $25.5
million  and  entered  into  two new contracts with the supplier. The coal
supplied  under  the  new  contracts is competitive in price with coals of
comparable  quality.  As a result of this buyout, Tampa Electric customers
will  benefit  from  anticipated net fuel savings of more than $40 million
through  the year 2004. In February 1995, the FPSC authorized the recovery
of  the  $25.5 million buy-out amount plus carrying costs through the Fuel
and  Purchased  Power  Cost  Recovery  Clause  over  the  ten-year  period

                                     46
beginning  April  1,  1995. In 1996 and 1995, $2.7 million and $2 million,
respectively, of buy-out costs were amortized to expense.
     Certain  other  costs  incurred  by  Tampa Electric are allowed to be
recovered  from  customers  through  prices  approved  in  the  regulatory
process. These costs are recognized as the associated revenues are billed.
     Tampa  Electric  accrues  base  revenues  for  services  rendered but
unbilled to provide a closer matching of revenues and expenses.
     In  May  1996,  the FPSC issued an order approving an agreement among
Tampa  Electric,  the  Office  of  Public  Counsel  (OPC)  and the Florida
Industrial  Power  Users  Group  (FIPUG)  regarding  1996  earnings.  This
agreement  provides  for  a  $25-million revenue refund to customers to be
made over the 12-month period beginning Oct. 1, 1996. This refund consists
of  $15 million of revenues deferred from 1996 and $10 million of revenues
deferred from 1995, plus accrued interest.
     In October 1996, the FPSC approved an agreement among Tampa Electric,
OPC  and FIPUG that resolved all pending regulatory issues associated with
the  Polk  Power Station. The agreement allows the full recovery of all of
the  expected  capital  costs  and  operations  and  maintenance  expenses
associated  with the Polk Power Station, and calls for an extension of the
base  rate freeze established in the May agreement through 1999. Under the
October agreement, the $25-million refund established in the May agreement
remains  intact  and  customers  will receive a $25-million temporary base
rate  reduction  to  be reflected as a credit on customer bills over a 15-
month period beginning Oct. 1, 1997.

Depreciation
     TECO  Energy provides for depreciation primarily by the straight-line
method  at annual rates that amortize the original cost, less net salvage,
of depreciable property over its estimated service life. The provision for
utility  plant  in service, expressed as a percentage of the original cost
of depreciable property, was 3.9% for 1996 and 1995, and 4.2% for 1994.
     The  original  cost of utility plant retired or otherwise disposed of
and   the  cost  of  removal  less  salvage  are  charged  to  accumulated
depreciation.

Asset Impairment
     FAS  121,  Accounting for the Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and for
Long-Lived  Assets  Disposed  Of  (FAS 121), effective for years beginning
after   Dec.  15,  1995,  requires  that  long-lived  assets  and  certain
intangibles to be held and used by the company be reviewed for impairment.
The  company  periodically  assess  whether  there  has  been  a permanent
impairment of its long-lived assets, in accordance with FAS 121. No write-
down of assets due to impairment was required in 1996.

Foreign operations
     The  functional  currency of TPS Guatemala One, Inc. s partnership in
Guatemala  is  the U.S. dollar. Transactions conducted in Guatemala in the
local  currency,  the  quetzal,  are  remeasured  to  the  U.S. dollar for
financial  reporting  purposes  with aggregate transaction gains or losses
included  in  net income. The aggregate transaction losses included in net
income in 1996 and 1995 were not significant.
     The  partnership  is protected from any significant currency gains or
losses  by  the  terms  of the power sales agreement in which payments are
defined in U.S. dollars.

Deferred Income Taxes
     TECO  Energy  utilizes  the  liability  method  in the measurement of
d e ferred  income  taxes.  Under  the  liability  method,  the  temporary
differences  between  the  financial statement and tax bases of assets and
liabilities  are reported as deferred taxes measured at current tax rates.
Tampa  Electric  is  a  regulated  enterprise,  and  its books and records
reflect  approved  regulatory  treatment, including certain adjustments to
accumulated deferred income taxes and the establishment of a corresponding
regulatory  tax  liability  reflecting  the  amount  payable  to customers
through future rates.


                                     47
Investment Tax Credits
     Investment tax credits have been recorded as deferred credits and are
being  amortized  to  income  tax  expense  over  the service lives of the
related property.

Allowance for Funds Used During Construction (AFUDC)
     AFUDC  is  a non-cash credit to income with a corresponding charge to
utility plant which represents the cost of borrowed funds and a reasonable
return  on  other  funds used for construction. The rate used to calculate
AFUDC  is  revised  periodically  to  reflect significant changes in Tampa
Electric's  cost  of  capital.  The  rate was 7.79% for 1996 and 1995, and
7 . 28%  for  1994.  The  base  on  which  AFUDC  is  calculated  excludes
construction work in progress which has been included in rate base.

Capitalized Development Costs
     TeCom,  a  subsidiary  of  TECO  Energy,  is developing for market an
advanced  energy management and home automation system for residential and
commercial  applications.  In  1996,  TeCom  capitalized  $4.9  million of
product  development  costs.  The  costs  capitalized  in  1996  and those
anticipated  to  be  capitalized during the product enhancement period are
expected  to  be  amortized  over the life of the product, estimated to be
three  years, starting in 1998 when TeCom anticipates its products will be
available for general distribution.

Interest Capitalized
     Interest  costs for the construction of TECO Coal's preparation plant
and loadout facility, and TECO Power Services  Alborada Power Station were
capitalized  and will be depreciated over the service lives of the related
property.  Such  interest  costs  capitalized  in  1995  and 1994 were not
significant.

Short-Term Investments
     Short-term  investments  at  Dec.  31, 1995 included $32.2 million of
trading  securities,  which  had  a  cost  basis  of  $31.4 million. These
investments  were  liquidated in 1996. The estimated fair market value for
1995  was  based  on quoted market prices. Trading securities consist of a
hedged equity investment in a utility portfolio. Realized gains and losses
were  determined  on the specific identification cost basis. The change in
net unrealized gains and losses on trading securities included in earnings
in 1996 and 1995 was not significant.

Other Investments
     Other  investments include longer-term passive investments, primarily
leveraged leases.

Coalbed Seam Gas Properties
     TECO  Coalbed  Methane,  a  subsidiary  of TECO Energy, has developed
jointly  the natural gas potential in a portion of Alabama's Black Warrior
Basin.
     TECO  Coalbed  Methane  utilizes  the  successful  efforts  method to
account  for  its  gas  operations.  Under  this  method, expenditures for
unsuccessful exploration activities are expensed currently.
     Capitalized  costs  are  amortized  on  the unit-of-production method
using estimates of proven reserves. Investments in unproven properties and
major  development  projects  are  not  amortized  until  proven  reserves
associated with the projects can be determined or until impairment occurs.
     Aggregate  capitalized  costs  related  to  wells producing and under
development  at  Dec.  31,  1996  and  1995 were $207.1 million and $203.3
million,  respectively. Net proven reserves at Dec. 31, 1996 and 1995 were
as follows:







                                     48

Net Proven Reserves - Coalbed Methane Gas

(billion cubic feet)              1996           1995  
Proven reserves, 
  beginning of year               184.0          172.7 
Production                        (19.8)         (20.3)
Purchases of minerals in place       --            5.0 
Revisions of previous estimates    26.3           26.6 
Proven reserves, end of year      190.5          184.0
Number of wells                     657            556

Conventional Oil and gas Properties
     TECO  Oil  & Gas, a subsidiary of TECO Energy, has entered into joint
ventures  with  several partners to explore for oil and gas in the shallow
gulf waters off Texas and Louisiana.
     TECO  Oil & Gas utilizes the successful efforts method to account for
its  oil  and  gas  operations.  Under  this  method,  expenditures  for
unsuccessful exploration activities are expensed currently.
     At  Dec. 31, 1996 aggregate capitalized costs were $19.5 million. Net
proven  reserves  at  Dec.  31, 1996 were 11.0 billion cubic feet from two
wells.


Reclassifications and Restatements
     Certain  1995  and  1994  amounts  were  reclassified  or restated to
conform with current year presentation.

B.   Common Equity
Stock-based Compensation
     In  April  1996,  the shareholders approved the 1996 Equity Incentive
Plan (the "1996 Plan"). The 1996 Plan superseded the 1990 Equity Incentive
Plan  (the  "1990  Plan")  which  superseded  the  1980  Stock  Option and
Appreciation  Rights  Plan (the "1980 Plan") and no additional grants will
be  made  under the superseded Plans. The rights of holders of outstanding
options  under  the  1990  Plan  and  the 1980 Plan were not affected. The
purpose  of  the  1996  Plan is to attract and retain key employees of the
company,  to  provide  an  incentive  for  them  to  achieve  long-range
performance  goals  and  to  enable  them  to participate in the long-term
growth of the company. The 1996 Plan amended the 1990 Plan to increase the
number  of  shares  of common stock subject to grants by 3,750,000 shares,
expand  the types of awards available to be granted and specify a limit on
the maximum number of shares with respect to which stock options and stock
appreciation  rights  may be made to any participant under the Plan. Under
the  1996  Plan,  the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors may
award stock grants, stock options and/or stock equivalents to officers and
key  employees  of  TECO  Energy  and  its  subsidiaries. The Compensation
Committee  has  discretion  to  determine the terms and conditions of each
a w ard,  which  may  be  subject  to  conditions  relating  to  continued
employment, restrictions on transfer or performance criteria.
     In  April  1996,  under  the  1996  Plan,  293,100 stock options were
granted, each with a weighted average option price of $23.69 and a maximum
term  of  10  years.  In  addition, 79,600 shares of restricted stock were
awarded,  each  with a weighted average fair value of $23.69. Compensation
expense  recognized  in  1996 for stock grants awarded under the 1996 Plan
was  $.5  million.  In general, the stock grants are restricted subject to
continued employment; vesting occurs at normal retirement age.
     Stock  option transactions during the last three years under the 1996
Plan,  the  1990  Plan  and the 1980 Plan (collectively referred to as the
"Equity Plans"), are summarized as follows:

Stock Options - Equity Plans

                                     Option          Weighted Avg.
                                     Shares              Option
                                   (thousands)            Price      
1996 
Outstanding, beginning of year         2,263             $18.99
 Granted                                 293             $23.69
 Exercised                               268             $17.42
 Canceled                                  2             $23.56
Outstanding, end of year               2,286             $19.77
Exercisable, end of year               2,286             $19.77
Available for grant                    5,314
1995
Outstanding, beginning of year         1,913             $18.48
 Granted                                 488             $20.78
 Exercised                               100             $16.47
 Canceled                                 38             $23.11
Outstanding, end of year               2,263             $18.99
Exercisable, end of year               2,263             $18.99
Available for grant                    1,936                
1994
Outstanding, beginning of year         1,567             $17.88
 Granted                                 401             $19.45
 Exercised                                55             $14.37
 Canceled                                 --              --
Outstanding, end of year               1,913             $18.48
Exercisable, end of year               1,505             $17.10
Available for grant                    2,386                

     As  of  Dec.  31,  1996,  the  2.3  million  options  outstanding and
currently  exercisable  under  the  Equity  Plans  are  summarized  in the
following table:

Stock Options Outstanding at Dec. 31, 1996

                                                   Weighted 
                                      Weighted        Avg.  
      Option                             Avg.     Remaining 
      Shares            Range of       Option    Contractual
   (thousands)       Option Prices      Price        Life

          318      $11.5  -$14.5625     $13.11      3 Years 
        1,968      $17.375-$23.6875     $20.85      7 Years 


     The 1991 Director Stock Option Plan (the  1991 Plan ) provides grants
of  stock  options  to  non-employee  directors  on  the first trading day
following  each  annual meeting of shareholders. This plan provides for an
initial  grant  of  options for 10,000 shares to each new director, and an
annual  grant  of  options  for  2,000 shares thereafter, with an exercise
price  equal  to  the fair market value on the date of grant and a maximum
term  of 10 years. In April 1996, 40,000 options were granted, each with a
weighted average option price of $23.63. Transaction during the last three
years under the Director Stock Option Plan are summarized as follows:













                                     50

Director Stock Option Plan
                                     Option           Weighted Avg.
                                     Shares              Option
                                   (thousands)            Price      

1996
Outstanding, beginning of year          175               $19.13
 Granted                                 40               $23.63
 Exercised                               --                --
 Canceled                                --                --
Outstanding, end of year                215               $19.96
Exercisable, end of year                215               $19.96
Available for grant                     246

1995
Outstanding, beginning of year          171               $18.86
 Granted                                 20               $21.13
 Exercised                               14               $18.13
 Canceled                                 2               $23.40
Outstanding, end of year                175               $19.13
Exercisable, end of year                175               $19.13
Available for grant                     286                  

1994
Outstanding, beginning of year          149               $18.72
 Granted                                 22               $19.81
 Exercised                               --                --
Outstanding, end of year                171               $18.86
Exercisable, end of year                149               $18.19
Available for grant                     304                  

     As  of  Dec.  31, 1996, the 215,000 options outstanding and currently
exercisable  under  the  1991 Plan with option prices of $17.7188-$23.625,
had  a  weighted  average  option  price  of $19.96 and a weighted average
remaining contractual life of 6 years.
     In  January  1997,  the  Board of Directors adopted the 1997 Director
Equity  Plan  (the  "1997  Plan"),  subject to shareholder approval, as an
amendment  and  restatement  of the 1991 Plan. Upon such approval the 1997
Plan  would  supersede  the  1991  Plan and no additional grants will made
under  the  1991  Plan.  The  rights of the holders of outstanding options
under the 1991 Plan would not be affected. The purpose of the 1997 Plan is
to  attract  and  retain  highly  qualified  non-employee directors of the
company  and  to encourage them to own shares of TECO Energy common stock.
The  1997  Plan  would be administered by the Board of Directors. The 1997
Plan  would amend the 1991 Plan to increase the number of shares of common
stock  subject  to  grants  by  250,000 shares, expand the types of awards
available  to  be  granted  and replace the current fixed formula grant by
giving  the  Board  discretionary  authority  to  determine the amount and
timing of awards under the Plan.
















                                     51
     TECO  Energy  has  adopted the disclosure-only provisions of FAS 123,
Accounting  for Stock-Based Compensation (FAS 123), but applies Accounting
Principles  Board Opinion No. 25 and related interpretations in accounting
for  its plans. Therefore, no compensation expense has been recognized for
stock  options  granted  under  the  1996  Plan  and the 1991 Plan. If the
company  had  elected  to recognize compensation expense for stock options
based  on  the  fair  value  at  grant  date,  consistent  with the method
prescribed  by  FAS 123, net income and earnings per share would have been
reduced to the pro forma amounts shown below:
                                1996           1995
Net Income   As reported      $200.7         $186.1
(millions)   Pro forma        $200.0         $185.2

EPS          As reported      $ 1.71         $ 1.60
             Pro forma        $ 1.71         $ 1.59

     These  pro  forma  amounts  were  determined  using the Black-Scholes
valuation model with the following key assumptions: (a) a discount rate of
6.42%  for 1996 and 7.05% for 1995; (b) a volatility factor based upon the
average  trading  price  for the 36-month periods ending Dec. 31, 1996 and
1995;  (c) a dividend yield based upon the rate in effect for the 36-month
periods  ending Dec. 31, 1996 and 1995; and (d) an average expected option
life of 6 years.
     
Dividend Reinvestment Plan
     In  1992,  TECO Energy implemented a Dividend Reinvestment and Common
Stock  Purchase  Plan  (DRP).  TECO  Energy  raised  common equity of $9.2
million,  $9.4  million and $10.6 million from this plan in 1996, 1995 and
1994,  respectively.  In 1997, the DRP will purchase shares of TECO Energy
common stock on the open market for plan participants.

Shareholder Rights Plan
     In  1989,  TECO  Energy declared a distribution of Rights to purchase
one  additional  share of the company's common stock at a price of $40 per
share  for  each  share  outstanding.  The  Rights expire in May 1999. The
Rights  will become exercisable 10 days after a person acquires 20 percent
or  more  of  the company's outstanding common stock or commences a tender
offer  that  would result in such person owning 30 percent or more of such
stock or at the time the Board of Directors declares a person who acquired
10 percent or more of such stock to be an "adverse person."  If any person
acquires  20  percent or more of the outstanding common stock or the Board
declares  that a person is an adverse person, the rights of holders, other
than  such acquiring person or adverse person, become rights to buy shares
of common stock of the company (or of the acquiring company if the company
is  involved  in  a  merger  or  other business combination and is not the
surviving  corporation)  having a market value of twice the exercise price
of each right.
     The company may redeem the Rights at a price of $.005 per Right until
10  days  after  a  person  acquires 20 percent or more of the outstanding
common  stock  but  not  after  the  Board  has declared a person to be an
adverse person.














                                     52
Employee Stock Ownership Plan
     Effective  Jan.  1,  1990,  TECO Energy amended the TECO Energy Group
Retirement  Savings  Plan,  a  tax-qualified  benefit  plan  available  to
substantially  all  employees, to include an employee stock ownership plan
(ESOP).  During  1990,  the ESOP purchased 7 million shares of TECO Energy
common  stock  on the open market for $100 million. The share purchase was
financed  through  a  loan from TECO Energy to the ESOP. This loan is at a
fixed  interest  rate  of  9.3%  and will be repaid from dividends on ESOP
shares and from TECO Energy's contributions to the ESOP.
     TECO  Energy's  contributions  to  the  ESOP  were $3.6 million, $4.8
million  and  $7.6  million  in  1996,  1995  and 1994, respectively. TECO
Energy's  annual  contribution  equals  the  interest  accrued on the loan
during  the  year  plus  additional  principal payments needed to meet the
matching  allocation  requirements under the plan, less dividends received
on  the ESOP shares. The components of net ESOP expense recognized for the
past three years are as follows:

(millions)                       1996           1995           1994 
Interest expense                 $8.0           $8.3           $8.8
Compensation expense              4.9            4.9            5.7
Dividends                        (7.5)          (7.1)          (6.9)
Net ESOP expense                 $5.4           $6.1           $7.6 

     Compensation expense was determined by the shares allocated method.
     At  Dec.  31,  1996,  the  ESOP  had 1.8 million allocated shares, .1
million  committed-to-be-released  shares,  and  4.8  million  unallocated
shares. Shares are released to provide employees with the company match in
accordance with the terms of the TECO Energy Group Retirement Savings Plan
and  in lieu of dividends on allocated ESOP shares. The dividends received
by the ESOP are used to pay debt service.
     For  financial  statement  purposes,  the  unallocated shares of TECO
Energy  stock are reflected as a reduction of common equity, classified as
unearned  compensation.  Dividends  on  all  ESOP shares are recorded as a
reduction of retained earnings, as are dividends on all TECO Energy common
stock.  The  tax  benefit  related  to  the dividends paid to the ESOP for
allocated  shares is a reduction of income tax expense and for unallocated
shares is an increase in retained earnings. All ESOP shares are considered
outstanding for earnings per share computations.
C. Preferred Stock

Preferred Stock of TECO Energy - $1 Par
10 million shares authorized, none outstanding.

Preferred Stock of Tampa Electric - No Par
2.5 million shares authorized, none outstanding.

Preference Stock of Tampa Electric - No Par
2.5 million shares authorized, none outstanding.

















                                     53
Preferred Stock of Tampa Electric - $100 Par Value
1.5 million shares authorized

                                       Outstanding     Cash Dividends
                                       Dec.31, 1996    Paid in 1996(1)

                           Current
                          Redemption                    Per 
                            Price     Shares Amount(2) Share Amount(2)
   4.32% Cumulative,
     Series A            $103.75     49,600    $ 5.0   $4.32  $ .2
   4.16% Cumulative, 
     Series B            $102.875    50,000      5.0   $4.16    .2
   4.58% Cumulative, 
     Series D            $101.00    100,000     10.0   $4.58    .5
   8.00% Cumulative, 
     Series E              --           --       --      --     .5 (3)
   7.44% Cumulative, 
     Series F              --           --       --      --     .7 (3)
                                    199,600    $20.0          $2.1


(1) Quarterly dividends paid on Feb. 15, May 15, Aug. 15 and Nov. 15.
(2) Millions.
(3) Amounts paid in 1996 for Series E and F reflect dividends paid
    through April 29, 1996, the date that these series were redeemed.

     In April 1996, Tampa Electric retired $35 million aggregate par value
of  8.00% Series E and 7.44% Series F preferred stock at redemption prices
of $102.00 and $101.00 per share, respectively.
     At  Dec.  31,  1996,  preferred  stock had a carrying amount of $20.0
million and an estimated fair market value of $12.6 million. The estimated
fair market value of preferred stock was based on quoted market prices.

D.   Short-term Debt
     Notes  payable  consisted primarily of commercial paper with weighted
average  interest  rates  of 5.43% and 5.76% at Dec. 31, 1996 and Dec. 31,
1995, respectively. The carrying amount of notes payable approximated fair
market   value  because  of  the  short  maturity  of  these  instruments.
Consolidated  unused  lines  of credit at Dec. 31, 1996 were $367 million.
Certain  lines  of  credit  require  commitment  fees ranging from .05% to
 .1875% on the unused balances.
     During  1995,  TECO  Finance  entered  into an interest rate exchange
agreement  to  moderate its exposure to interest rate changes. This three-
year  agreement effectively converted the interest rate on $100 million of
short-term  debt  from  a floating rate to a fixed rate. TECO Finance will
pay  a  fixed rate of 5.8% and will receive a floating rate based on a 30-
day  commercial  paper index. There would not have been a significant gain
or loss to terminate this agreement at Dec. 31, 1996. The benefits of this
agreement  are  at  risk only in the event of non-performance by the other
party  to  the agreement, which the company does not anticipate. The costs
of this agreement did not have a significant impact on interest expense in
1996 or 1995.












                                     54
E.   Long-term Debt
                                                             Dec. 31,     
(millions)                                  Due         1996         1995
TECO Energy
Medium-term notes payable: 9.28% for
  1996 and 1995(1)                       1997-2000  $  100.0     $  100.0 

Tampa Electric
First mortgage bonds (issuable in series):
 5 1/2%                                    1996           --         25.0
 7 3/4%                                    2022         75.0         75.0
 5 3/4%                                    2000         80.0         80.0 
 6 1/8%                                    2003         75.0         75.0 
Installment contracts payable(2)
 5 3/4%                                    2007         24.1         24.4 
 7 7/8% Refunding bonds(3)                 2021         25.0         25.0 
 8% Refunding bonds(3)                     2022        100.0        100.0 
 6 1/4% Refunding bonds(4)                 2034         86.0         86.0 
 5.85%                                     2030         75.0           --
 Variable rate: 3.56% for 1996 and
  3.81% for 1995(1)                        2025         51.6         51.6 
 Variable rate: 3.43% for 1996 and 
  3.72% for 1995(1)                        2018         54.2         54.2 
 Variable rate: 3.67% for 1996 and
 3.90% for 1995(1)(5)                      2020         20.0         16.9 
                                                       665.9        613.1 

Diversified Companies
Dock and wharf bonds, variable rate:
 3.56% for 1996 and 3.74% for 1995(1)(2)   2007        110.6        110.6
Mortgage notes payable: 7.6%             1997-2003       1.7          3.3 
Non-recourse secured facility notes,
 Series A: 7.8%                          1997-2012     148.5        153.2 
                                                       260.8        267.1 

TECO Finance
Medium-term notes payable, various rates:
 7.04% for 1996 and 1995(1)              1997-2002      50.0         50.0 
Unamortized debt premium (discount), net                (3.7)        (4.0)
                                                     1,073.0      1,026.2 
 
Less amount due within one year(6)                      76.7         31.3 

Total long-term debt                                $  996.3      $ 994.9 
                                     
(1)  Composite year-end interest rate.
(2)  Tax-exempt securities.
(3)  Proceeds of these bonds were used to refund bonds with interest rates
     of  11  5/8% - 12 5/8%. For accounting purposes, interest expense has
     been  recorded using blended rates of 8.28%-8.66% on the original and
     refunding bonds, consistent with regulatory treatment.
(4)  Proceeds  of  these  bonds were used to refund bonds with an interest
     rate  of  9.9%  in  February  1995. For accounting purposes, interest
     expense  has  been  recorded  using  a  blended  rate of 6.52% on the
     original and refunding bonds, consistent with regulatory treatment.
(5)  This  amount  is recorded net of $3.1 million on deposit with trustee
     at Dec. 31, 1995.
(6)  Of  the  amount  due  in  1997,  $.8  million may be satisfied by the
     substitution of property in lieu of cash payments.

           Substantially all of the property, plant and equipment of Tampa
Electric is pledged as collateral.
     Maturities  and  annual  sinking  fund requirements of long-term
debt  for the years 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 are $7.2 million, $28.6
million,  $137.5  million,  and  $8.1 million, respectively. Of these
amounts  $.8  million per year for 1998 through 2001 may be satisfied

                                  55
by the substitution of property in lieu of cash payments.
     At  Dec. 31, 1996, total long-term debt had a carrying amount of
$996.3  million  and  an  estimated  fair  market  value  of $1,047.1
million.  The estimated fair market value of long-term debt was based
on  quoted  market  prices  for  the  same  or similar issues, on the
current  rates  offered for debt of the same remaining maturities, or
for long-term debt issues with variable rates that approximate market
rates, at carrying amounts. The carrying amount of long-term debt due
within  one  year approximated fair market value because of the short
maturity of these instruments.
     Tampa  Electric  had  an interest rate exchange agreement, which
expired  Jan.  11,  1996, to reduce the cost of $100 million of fixed
rate  long-term  debt. The agreement reduced interest expense by $2.3
million per year in 1995 and 1994.

F.   Retirement Plan

     TECO  Energy  has  a non-contributory defined benefit retirement
plan  which covers substantially all employees. Benefits are based on
employees' years of service and average final earnings.
     The  company's  policy is to fund the plan within the guidelines
set  by  ERISA  for  the  minimum annual contribution and the maximum
allowable  as  a  tax  deduction by the IRS. About 67 percent of plan
assets  were invested in common stocks and 33 percent in fixed income
investments at Dec. 31, 1996.

Components of Net Pension Expense
(millions)                                   
                                            1996      1995      1994
Service cost
  (benefits earned during the period)      $ 8.5     $ 7.2     $ 8.8 
Interest cost on projected 
  benefit obligations                       18.8      17.3      15.8 
Less: Return on plan assets
  Actual                                    43.4      66.4      (3.7)
  Less net amortization of unrecognized
   transition asset and deferred return     18.6      43.3     (25.8)
Net return on assets                        24.8      23.1      22.1
Net pension expense                          2.5       1.4       2.5
Effect of restructuring charge                --        --      13.3 
Net pension expense recognized
  in the Consolidated Statements 
  of Income                                $ 2.5     $ 1.4     $15.8 






















                                  56
Reconciliation  of  the  Funded Status of the Retirement Plan and the
Accrued Pension Prepayment/(Liability)
(millions)
                                              Dec. 31,     Dec. 31,
                                                 1996         1995  

Fair market value of plan assets               $ 320.5      $ 286.7 
Projected benefit obligation                    (262.2)      (260.2)

Excess of plan assets over projected
 benefit obligation                               58.3         26.5
Less unrecognized net gain from past
 experience different from that assumed           65.9         33.4 
Less unrecognized prior service cost             (11.7)        (7.1)
Less unrecognized net transition asset
 (being amortized over 19.5 years)                 8.5          9.5 

Accrued pension prepayment/(liability)         $  (4.4)     $  (9.3)
Accumulated benefit obligation
 (including vested benefits of 
 $196.7 for 1996 and $193.2 for 1995)          $ 220.0      $ 215.2 

Assumptions Used in Determining Actuarial Valuations
                                                  1996         1995 
Discount rate to determine projected 
  benefit obligation                              7.75%         7.3%
Rates of increase in compensation levels       3.3-5.3%     3.3-5.3%
Plan asset growth rate through time                  9%           9%

G.   Postretirement Benefit Plan

     TECO  Energy  and  its  subsidiaries  currently  provide certain
postretirement  health  care benefits for substantially all employees
retiring  after  age  55  meeting  certain  service requirements. The
company  contribution  toward health care coverage for most employees
retiring  after  Jan.  1, 1990 is limited to a defined dollar benefit
based   on  years  of  service.  Postretirement  benefit  levels  are
substantially  unrelated to salary. The company reserves the right to
terminate or modify the plans in whole or in part at any time.

Components of Postretirement Benefit Cost 
(millions)
                                             1996     1995     1994

Service cost (benefits earned 
    during the period)                      $ 2.2    $ 1.9    $ 2.2
Interest cost on projected
    benefit obligations                       5.9      6.3      5.3
Amortization of transition obligation
   (straight line over 20 years)              2.5      2.7      2.8
Amortization of actuarial (gain)/loss          .4       .2       .2
 Net periodic postretirement 
    benefit expense                          11.0     11.1     10.5
Effect of restructuring charge                 --       --      2.7
Net periodic postretirement 
    benefit expense recognized in the 
    Consolidated Statements of Income       $11.0    $11.1    $13.2








                                  57
Reconciliation  of  the  Funded  Status of the Postretirement Benefit
Plan and the Accrued Liability (millions)
                                                   Dec. 31,  Dec. 31,
                                                     1996      1995  
Accumulated postretirement benefit obligation
 Active employees eligible to retire                $ (4.9)    $(4.8)
 Active employees not eligible to retire             (26.0)    (30.9)
 Retirees and surviving spouses                      (49.2)    (51.9)
                                                     (80.1)    (87.6)
Less unrecognized net gain/(loss)
  from past experience                               (12.0)    (19.2)
Less unrecognized transition obligation              (39.7)    (46.2)
 Liability for accrued postretirement benefit       $(28.4)   $(22.2)


Assumptions Used in Determining Actuarial Valuations
                                                      1996      1995 
Discount rate to determine projected 
  benefit obligation                                  7.75%     7.3% 

     The  assumed health care cost trend rate for medical costs prior
to  age  65  was  10.25%  in  1996 and decreases to 5.75% in 2002 and
thereafter. The assumed health care cost trend rate for medical costs
after  age  65  was  7.25% in 1996 and decreases to 5.75% in 2002 and
thereafter.
     A 1 percent change in the medical trend rates would produce an 7
percent  ($.6  million)  change in the aggregate service and interest
cost  for  1996  and  an  8  percent  ($6.3  million)  change  in the
accumulated postretirement benefit obligation as of Dec. 31, 1996.

H. Restructuring Charge

In  1994,  TECO  Energy implemented a corporate restructuring program
which  resulted  in  a $25-million charge ($15 million after tax) and
reduced  earnings  per  share by $.13. The cost of this restructuring
program  reflects  charges for 241 early retirements, the elimination
of  other positions and other cost control initiatives. Approximately
$1.7  million  of  this  charge  was paid in 1994 and $6.3 million in
1995.  No  amount  remained payable at the end of 1996. The impact on
pension cost resulting from the restructuring as determined under the
provisions  of FAS 88, Accounting for Settlements and Curtailments of
Defined  Benefit  Pension  Plans  and  for  Termination Benefits, was
approximately $13.3 million. The impact on postretirement benefits as
determined  under  FAS  106,  Accounting  for Postretirement Benefits
Other  Than  Pensions,  was approximately $2.7 million. These amounts
are  included  as  part  of the total 1994 charge of $25 million. See
Note F and Note G.

















                                  58
I. Income Tax Expense

Income tax expense consists of the following components:

(millions)                                 Federal  State    Total 


1996
 Currently payable                         $ 57.8   $ 11.2  $ 69.0 
 Deferred                                     7.5       --     7.5
 Amortization of investment tax credits      (5.1)      --    (5.1)

  Total income tax expense                 $ 60.2   $ 11.2  $ 71.4 

1995
 Currently payable                         $ 68.4   $ 13.3  $ 81.7 
 Deferred                                   (16.6)     (.7)  (17.3)
 Amortization of investment tax credits      (5.3)      --    (5.3)
  Total income tax expense                 $ 46.5   $ 12.6  $ 59.1 

1994
 Currently payable                         $ 54.7   $ 10.0  $ 64.7 
 Deferred                                    (8.3)    (3.8)  (12.1)
 Investment tax credits                      (1.3)      --    (1.3)
 Amortization of investment tax credits      (5.5)      --    (5.5)

  Total income tax expense                 $ 39.6   $  6.2  $ 45.8 

     D e ferred  taxes  result  from  temporary  differences  in  the
recognition  of  certain  liabilities or assets for tax and financial
reporting   purposes.  The  principal  components  of  the  company's
deferred  tax  assets and liabilities recognized in the balance sheet
are as follows:

(millions)                                Dec. 31,         Dec. 31, 
                                           1996              1995
Deferred income tax assets(1)
 Property related                          $ 54.3           $ 43.7 
 Other                                       22.4             22.2 
  Total deferred income tax assets           76.7             65.9 

Deferred income tax liabilities(1)
 Property related                          (465.0)          (423.6)
 Basis difference in oil and gas
  producing properties                      (23.6)           (22.8)
 Revenue deferral plan (2)                   23.1             19.6
 Alternative minimum tax
  credit carryforward                        22.2             23.8 
 Other                                       16.6              6.4 
  Total deferred income 
    tax liabilities                        (426.7)          (396.6)
  Accumulated deferred income taxes       $(350.0)         $(330.7)

(1) Certain property related assets and liabilities have been netted.
(2) In 1997 an estimated $12.4 million of deferred taxes related to
    deferred revenue is expected to currently reverse.








                                  59
    The  total  income tax provisions differ from amounts computed by
applying the federal statutory tax rate to income before income taxes
for the following reasons:

(millions)                                 1996      1995      1994 

Net income                                $200.7    $186.1    $153.2 
Total income tax provision                  71.4      59.1      45.8 
Preferred dividend requirements              1.8       3.6       3.6 
 Income before income taxes and 
   preferred dividend requirements        $273.9    $248.8    $202.6 

Income taxes on above at federal 
  statutory rate of 35%                   $ 95.8    $ 87.1    $ 70.9 
Increase (Decrease) due to:
 State income tax, net of 
   federal income tax                        7.3       8.2       4.0 
 Amortization of investment
   tax credits                              (5.1)     (5.3)     (5.5)
 Non-conventional fuels tax credit         (19.6)    (20.6)    (19.6)
 Equity portion of AFUDC                    (5.8)     (4.9)     (1.4)
 Other                                      (1.2)     (5.4)     (2.6)
  Total income tax provision              $ 71.4    $ 59.1    $ 45.8 

Provision for income taxes as a percent 
  of income before income taxes             26.1%     23.8%     22.6%

J.   Segment Information
     TECO  Energy's  principal  business  segment is Energy Services.
This  segment  has  been  separated  into  two  components: Regulated
Electric  Utility  Services  and Other Energy Services which includes
the transportation, coal mining, coalbed methane gas and  oil and gas
production,  independent  power  generation,  energy  management  and
energy  services  subsidiaries.  All  other activities of TECO Energy
have been included in Other.



























                                  60

    Identifiable  assets  are  those  assets  used directly in a segment's operations and are
presented net of depreciation.

                                                 Income                Identifiable     Capital  
                                                  From                    Assets     Expenditures
(millions)                        Revenues    Operations Depreciation  at Dec. 31,   for the Year
                                                                           
1996
 Regulated electric
  utility services             $1,112.9 (1)   $244.0           $120.2     $2,645.8        $203.3 
 Other energy services            556.2        103.9 (2)         64.4        879.3          68.9
 Eliminations                    (202.0)        (7.6)(2)           --        (83.3)           --
 Energy services segment        1,467.1        340.3            184.6      3,441.8         272.2 
 Other and eliminations             5.9          2.6               .6        118.9          (4.5)
 TECO Energy
  consolidated                 $1,473.0       $342.9           $185.2     $3,560.7        $267.7 

1995
 Regulated electric
  utility services             $1,092.3 (1)   $229.5           $113.3     $2,566.7        $334.5  
Other energy services            500.4         93.5 (2)         61.1        838.3          95.8 
 Eliminations                    (205.3)        (8.2)(2)           --        (86.1)           -- 
 Energy services segment        1,387.4        314.8            174.4      3,318.9         430.3 
 Other and eliminations             4.9          2.9               .3        154.5           2.4 
 TECO Energy
  consolidated                 $1,392.3       $317.7           $174.7     $3,473.4        $432.7 























                                                    61

1994
 Regulated electric
  utility services             $1,094.9       $204.5           $115.1     $2,348.7        $230.8 
 Other energy services            465.7         67.3 (2)         58.6        803.2          78.0 
 Eliminations                    (214.5)        (6.9)(2)           --        (19.8)           -- 
 Energy services segment        1,346.1        264.9            173.7      3,132.1         308.8 
 Other and eliminations             4.8          4.9               .3        180.1            .3 
 TECO Energy
  consolidated                 $1,350.9       $269.8(3)        $174.0     $3,312.2        $309.1 

(1) Revenues shown in 1996 and 1995 are after the revenue deferral at
    Tampa Electric of $34.2 million and $50.8 million, respectively.
(2) Income from operations includes non-conventional fuels tax credit
    of  $19.6  million, $20.6 million and $19.6 million in 1996, 1995
    and  1994,  respectively,  and  interest cost on the non-recourse
    debt  related  to  independent power operations of $12.0 million,
    $12.4   million  and  $12.7  million  in  1996,  1995  and  1994,
    respectively.  In  the Consolidated Statements of Income, the tax
    credit is part of the provision for income taxes and the interest
    is part of interest expense.
(3) Income from operations in 1994 includes the effect of a corporate
    restructuring charge of $25 million. See Note H.

























                                  62
K.   Pending Merger

     TECO  Energy  and  Lykes Energy have agreed to merge in a stock-
for-stock  transaction  with  an  equity  value  of $300 million. The
number  of TECO Energy shares to be issued will depend on the average
market  price during a specified period prior to the closing, subject
to  certain  limitations. The principal subsidiary of Lykes Energy is
Peoples  Gas  System, a regulated, retail gas distributor in Florida.
This  merger,  to be accounted for as a pooling of interest, has been
approved  by both companies' boards of directors and the shareholders
of  Lykes Energy. The merger is subject to certain closing conditions
with closing expected by mid-year 1997.

L.   Commitments and Contingencies

     TECO  Energy has made certain commitments in connection with its
continuing  capital  improvements program. TECO Energy estimates that
capital expenditures for ongoing businesses during 1997 will be about
$185  million  and  approximately  $763  million  for  the years 1998
through 2001.
     Tampa  Electric's  capital expenditures are estimated to be $116
million for 1997 and $470 million for 1998 through 2001 for equipment
and  facilities to meet customer growth. This includes commitments of
approximately $7 million at the end of 1996.
     At the diversified companies, capital expenditures are estimated
at  $69  million for 1997 and $293 million for the years 1998 through
2001,  primarily  for  asset  replacement  and  refurbishment at TECO
Transport  &  Trade  and TECO Coal and development of TECO Oil & Gas.
This includes commitments of about $9 million at the end of 1996.
     Capital  requirements  for  Peoples  Gas  System and Peoples Gas
Company,  both  wholly  owned  subsidiaries  of Lykes Energy, are not
reflected  in  the  above  projections.  Capital investment plans for
these companies are still being developed.































                                  63
L.   Quarterly Data (unaudited)

Financial data by quarter is as follows (unaudited):
                                                
                                           Quarter ended              
                              March 31   June 30  Sept. 30   Dec. 31  
1996
 Revenues(1)                 $  341.1  $  361.5  $  400.9   $ 369.5   
 Income from operations(1)   $   68.1  $   80.6  $  106.4   $  87.8   
 Net income(1)               $   41.5  $   48.3  $   65.4   $  45.5
 Earnings per average
  common share               $    .36  $    .41  $    .56   $   .38   
 Dividends paid per common 
  share                      $   .265  $    .28  $    .28   $   .28   
 Stock price per common 
  share(2)
   High                      $ 27      $ 25 1/4  $ 25 1/4   $ 25 3/8  
   Low                       $ 23 3/4  $ 23      $ 23       $ 23 1/4  
   Close                     $ 24 7/8  $ 25 1/4  $ 23 3/4   $ 24 1/8  
1995
 Revenues(1)                 $  319.1  $  349.7  $  389.1   $ 334.4   
 Income from operations(1)   $   66.0  $   80.7  $  107.1   $  63.9   
 Net income(1)               $   36.5  $   46.4  $   63.2   $  40.0   
 Earnings per average 
  common share               $    .31  $    .40  $    .55   $   .34   
 Dividends paid per common 
  share                      $  .2525  $   .265  $   .265   $  .265   
 Stock price per common
  share(2)
   High                      $ 22 1/8  $ 22 3/4  $ 23 1/2   $ 25 3/4  
   Low                       $ 20      $ 20 1/2  $ 21 1/4   $ 23 1/8  
   Close                     $ 21      $ 22      $ 23 1/2   $ 25 5/8  

(1)  Millions.
(2)  Trading prices for common shares.




























                                     64
Item 9.   CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING
          AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE.

     During  the period Jan. 1, 1995 to the date of this report, TECO
Energy  has not had and has not filed with the Commission a report as
to  any  changes  in  or disagreements with accountants on accounting
principles  or practices, financial statement disclosure, or auditing
scope or procedure.

                               PART III

Item 10.  DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT. 

(a) The information required by Item 10 with respect to the directors
of  the  registrant  is  included  under  the  caption  "Election  of
Directors"  on  pages  1  through 4 of TECO Energy's definitive proxy
statement,  dated  March  3,  1997,  for  its  Annual  Meeting  of
Shareholders  to  be  held on April 16, 1997 (Proxy Statement) and is
incorporated herein by reference.
    
(b) The information required by Item 10 concerning executive officers
of  the  registrant is included under the caption "Executive Officers
of the Registrant" on page 17 of this report.

Item 11.  EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION. 

     The  information  required  by  Item 11 is included in the Proxy
Statement  beginning  on  page  9  and ending just before the caption
"Approval  of the 1997 Director Equity Plan" on page 11 and under the
caption  "Compensation  of  Directors" on page 4, and is incorporated
herein by reference. 
     
Item 12.  S E CURITY  OWNERSHIP  OF  CERTAIN  BENEFICIAL  OWNERS  AND
          MANAGEMENT. 

     The  information  required  by  Item  12  is  included under the
caption "Share Ownership" on pages 4 through 5 of the Proxy Statement
and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 13.  CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS. 

    The information required by Item 13 is included under the caption
"Election  of  Directors"  on  page  3  of the Proxy Statement and is
incorporated herein by reference. 




















                                  65
                               PART IV

Item 14.   EXHIBITS,  FINANCIAL  STATEMENT  SCHEDULES  AND REPORTS ON
           FORM 8-K.

(a)  1. Financial Statements - See index on page 39.
     2. Financial Statement Schedules - See index on page 39.
     3. Exhibits
     *2.1    Conformed  copy of Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as
             of  Nov.  21,  1996, between TECO Energy, Inc. and Lykes
             Energy,  Inc.  (Exhibit  2.1  to  TECO  Energy,  Inc.'s
             Registration  Statement  on  S-4 filed on Nov. 22, 1996,
             File No. 333-16683).
     *2.2    Conformed  copy  of  Stock  Option Agreement dated as of
             Nov.  21,  1996,  between  Lykes  Energy,  Inc. and TECO
             E n ergy,  Inc.(Exhibit  2.2  to  TECO  Energy,  Inc.'s
             Registration  Statement  on  S-4 filed on Nov. 22, 1996,
             File No. 333-16683).
     *3.1    Articles  of Incorporation, as amended on April 20, 1993
             (Exhibit  3,  Form  10-Q for the quarter ended March 31,
             1993 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
     *3.2    Bylaws,  as  amended effective July 18, 1995 (Exhibit 3,
             Form  10-Q  for  the quarter ended June 30, 1995 of TECO
             Energy, Inc.).
     *4.1    Indenture  of  Mortgage  among  Tampa  Electric Company,
             State  Street  Trust  Company  and First Savings & Trust
             Company  of Tampa, dated as of Aug. 1, 1946 (Exhibit 7-A
             to Registration Statement No. 2-6693).
     *4.2    Thirteenth  Supplemental  Indenture  dated as of Jan. 1,
             1974,   to  Exhibit  4.1  (Exhibit  2-g-1,  Registration
             Statement No. 2-51204).
     *4.3    Sixteenth  Supplemental  Indenture, dated as of Oct. 30,
             1992,  to  Exhibit  4.1  (Exhibit 4.1, Form 10-Q for the
             quarter ended Sept. 30, 1992 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
     *4.4    Eighteenth  Supplemental  Indenture,  dated as of May 1,
             1993,  to  Exhibit  4.1  (Exhibit 4.1, Form 10-Q for the
             quarter ended June 30, 1993 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
     *4.5    Installment  Purchase  and Security Contract between the
             Hillsborough County Industrial Development Authority and
             Tampa  Electric  Company,  dated  as  of  March  1, 1972
             (Exhibit 4.9, Form 10-K for 1986 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
     *4.6    First  Supplemental  Installment  Purchase  and Security
             Contract,  dated  as of Dec. 1, 1974 (Exhibit 4.10, Form
             10-K for 1986 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
     *4.7    Third  Supplemental Installment Purchase Contract, dated
             as  of  May 1, 1976 (Exhibit 4.12, Form 10-K for 1986 of
             TECO Energy, Inc.).
     *4.8    Installment  Purchase  Contract between the Hillsborough
             County  Industrial  Development  Authority  and  Tampa
             Electric  Company,  dated  as  of  Aug. 1, 1981 (Exhibit
             4.13, Form 10-K for 1986 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
     *4.9    Amendment to Exhibit A of Installment Purchase Contract,
             dated    April 7, 1983 (Exhibit 4.14, Form 10-K for 1989
             of TECO Energy, Inc.).
     *4.10   Second Supplemental Installment Purchase Contract, dated
             as  of June 1, 1983 (Exhibit 4.11, Form 10-K for 1994 of
             TECO Energy, Inc.). 
     *4.11   Third  Supplemental Installment Purchase Contract, dated
             as  of Aug. 1, 1989 (Exhibit 4.16, Form 10-K for 1989 of
             TECO Energy, Inc.).
     *4.12   Installment  Purchase  Contract between the Hillsborough
             C o unty  Industrial  Development  Authority  and  Tampa
             Electric  Company,  dated  as  of Jan. 31, 1984 (Exhibit
             4.13, Form 10-K for 1993 of TECO Energy, Inc.). 
     *4.13   First  Supplemental Installment Purchase Contract, dated
             as  of Aug. 2, 1984 (Exhibit 4.14, Form 10-K for 1994 of

                                  66
             TECO Energy, Inc.). 
     *4.14   Second Supplemental Installment Purchase Contract, dated
             as  of  July  1,  1993  (Exhibit  4.3, Form 10-Q for the
             quarter ended June 30, 1993 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
     *4.15   Loan  and  Trust Agreement among the Hillsborough County
             Industrial Development Authority, Tampa Electric Company
             and  NCNB National Bank of Florida, as trustee, dated as
             of  Sept.  24,  1990  (Exhibit  4.1,  Form  10-Q for the
             quarter ended Sept. 30, 1990 for TECO Energy, Inc.).
     *4.16   Loan  and  Trust  Agreement,  dated  as of Oct. 26, 1992
             among  the  Hillsborough  County  Industrial Development
             Authority,  Tampa  Electric  Company  and NationsBank of
             Florida,  N.A.,  as  trustee (Exhibit 4.2, Form 10-Q for
             the quarter ended Sept. 30, 1992 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
     *4.17   Loan  and  Trust  Agreement,  dated as of June 23, 1993,
             among  the  Hillsborough  County  Industrial Development
             Authority,  Tampa  Electric  Company  and NationsBank of
             Florida,  N.A.,  as  trustee (Exhibit 4.2, Form 10-Q for
             the quarter ended June 30, 1993 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
     *4.18   Installment  Sales  Agreement  between  the  Plaquemines
             Port,  Harbor  and  Terminal  District  (Louisiana)  and
             Electro-Coal  Transfer Corporation, dated as of Sept. 1,
             1985  (Exhibit  4.19, Form 10-K for 1986 of TECO Energy,
             Inc.). 
     *4.19   Reimbursement  Agreement  between  TECO Energy, Inc. and
             Electro-Coal Transfer Corporation, dated as of March 22,
             1989  (Exhibit  4.19, Form 10-K for 1988 of TECO Energy,
             Inc.).
     *4.20   Rights Agreement between TECO Energy, Inc. and The First
             National  Bank  of  Boston, as Rights Agent, dated as of
             April  27, 1989 (Exhibit 4, Form 8-K, dated as of May 2,
             1989 of TECO Energy, Inc.). 
     *4.21   Amendment No. 1 to Rights Agreement dated as of July 20,
             1993  between  TECO  Energy, Inc. and The First National
             Bank  of  Boston,  as Rights Agent (Exhibit 1.2, Form 8-
             A/A, dated as of July 27, 1993 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
      4.22   Loan  and  Trust  Agreement,  dated  as of Dec. 1, 1996,
             among  the Polk County Industrial Development Authority,
             Tampa  Electric  Company  and  the  Bank of New York, as
             trustee.
     *10.1   1980  Stock  Option  and  Appreciation  Rights  Plan, as
             amended  on  July  18, 1989 (Exhibit 28.1, Form 10-Q for
             quarter ended June 30, 1989 of TECO Energy, Inc.). 
     *10.2   Directors' Retirement Plan, as amended effective July 1,
             1995 (Exhibit 10.1, Form 10-Q for quarter ended June 30,
             1995 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
     *10.3   S u pplemental  Executive  Retirement  Plan  for  H.  L.
             Culbreath,  as amended on April 27, 1989 (Exhibit 10.14,
             Form 10-K for 1989 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
      10.4   Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan for T. L. Guzzle,
             as amended and restated as of Oct. 16, 1996.
      10.5   Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan for R. H. Kessel,
             as amended and restated as of Jan. 15, 1997.
      10.6   TECO  Energy  Group  Supplemental  Executive  Retirement
             Plan, as amended and restated as of Oct. 16, 1996.
      10.7   TECO Energy Group Supplemental Retirement Benefits Trust
             Agreement as amended and restated as of Jan. 15, 1997.
     *10.8   Annual  Incentive  Compensation Plan for TECO Energy and
             subsidiaries,  as  revised  January  1993 (Exhibit 10.2,
             Form  10-Q  for  quarter  ended  March  31, 1994 of TECO
             Energy, Inc.). 
     *10.9   TECO  Energy  Group Supplemental Disability Income Plan,
             dated as of March 20, 1989 (Exhibit 10.22, Form 10-K for
             1988 of TECO Energy, Inc.). 
     *10.10  Forms  of  Severance Agreement between TECO Energy, Inc.
             and  certain  senior executives, as amended and restated

                                  67
             as of March 20, 1996.
     *10.11  Severance  Agreement  between TECO Energy, Inc. and H.L.
             Culbreath,  dated  as  of April 28, 1989 (Exhibit 10.24,
             Form 10-K for 1989 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
     *10.12  Loan  and  Stock Purchase Agreement between TECO Energy,
             Inc.  and  Barnett Banks Trust Company, N.A., as trustee
             of  the  TECO  Energy Group Savings Plan Trust Agreement
             (Exhibit 10.3, Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31,
             1990 for TECO Energy, Inc.).
     *10.13  TECO  Energy,  Inc.  1991  Director Stock Option Plan as
             amended  on  Jan. 21, 1992 (Exhibit 10.26, Form 10-K for
             1991 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
      10.14  Supplemental  Executive Retirement Plan for A.D. Oak, as
             amended and restated as of Oct. 16, 1996.
      10.15  Supplemental    Executive  Retirement  Plan  for  K.  S.
             Surgenor, as amended and restated as of Oct. 16, 1996.
     *10.16  Terms  of T.L. Guzzle's employment, dated as of July 20,
             1993  (Exhibit  10, Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June
             30, 1993 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
      10.17  Supplemental  Executive  Retirement  Plan  for  G.  F.
             Anderson, as amended and restated as of Oct. 16, 1996.
     *10.18  TECO  Energy  Directors'  Deferred Compensation Plan, as
             amended  and  restated  effective April 1, 1994 (Exhibit
             10.1, Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 1994 for
             TECO Energy, Inc.).
     *10.19  TECO  Energy  Group  Retirement  Savings  Excess Benefit
             Plan,  as  amended  and  restated effective Aug. 1, 1994
             (Exhibit  10.21,  Form  10-K  for  1994  of TECO Energy,
             Inc.).
      10.20  Supplemental  Executive  Retirement Plan for R. A. Dunn,
             as amended and restated as of Jan. 15, 1997.
     *10.21  TECO  Energy,  Inc.  1996 Equity Incentive Plan (Exhibit
             10.1,  Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 1996 of
             TECO Energy, Inc.).
     *10.22  Form of Nonstatutory Stock Option under the TECO Energy,
             Inc. 1996 Equity Incentive Plan (Exhibit 10.1, Form 10-Q
             for  the  quarter  ended  June  30, 1996 of TECO Energy,
             Inc.).
     *10.23  Form  of Restricted Stock Agreement between TECO Energy,
             Inc.  and  certain  senior  executives  under  the  TECO
             Energy,  Inc.  1996 Equity Incentive Plan (Exhibit 10.2,
             Form  10-Q  for  the quarter ended June 30, 1996 of TECO
             Energy, Inc.).
     *10.24  Form  of Restricted Stock Agreement between TECO Energy,
             Inc. and G. F. Anderson under the TECO Energy, Inc. 1996
             Equity  Incentive  Plan (Exhibit 10.3, Form 10-Q for the
             quarter ended June 30, 1996 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
     11.     Computation of earnings per common share.
     21.     Subsidiaries of the Registrant.
     23.     Consent of Independent Accountants.
     24.1    Power of Attorney.
     24.2    Certified   copy  of  resolution  authorizing  Power  of
             Attorney. 
     27.     Financial Data Schedule (EDGAR filing only).
     _____________                
     *  Indicates  exhibit  previously  filed with the Securities and
     Exchange   Commission  and  incorporated  herein  by  reference.
     Exhibits  filed  with periodic reports of TECO Energy, Inc. were
     filed under Commission File No. 1-8180.








                                  68
Executive Compensation Plans and Arrangements

     Exhibits  10.1  through  10.11 and 10.13 through 10.24 above are
management  contracts  or compensatory plans or arrangements in which
executive officers or directors of TECO Energy, Inc. participate.

     Certain  instruments defining the rights of holders of long-term
debt  of  TECO  Energy,  Inc.  and  its  consolidated  subsidiaries
authorizing  in  each case a total amount of securities not exceeding
10  percent  of  total  assets  on a consolidated basis are not filed
herewith.  TECO  Energy, Inc. will furnish copies of such instruments
to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request.

(b)  TECO Energy, Inc. filed the following reports on Form 8-K during
     the last quarter of 1996. 

The  registrant filed a Current Report on Form 8-K dated Oct. 9, 1996
reporting  under  Item 5. Other Events  announcing the Florida Public
Service  Commission  s  vote  to  approve  the  agreement among Tampa
Electric  Company,  the  Office  of  Public  Counsel  and the Florida
Industrial  Power  Users  Group  which resolves all regulatory issues
related  to  a prudence review of Tampa Electric Company s Polk Power
Station,  extends  the  current  base  rate  freeze  through 1999 and
provides for a temporary reduction in base rates.

The registrant filed a Current Report on Form 8-K dated Nov. 21, 1996
reporting  under  Item 5. Other Events  that the registrant and Lykes
Energy,  Inc.  (  LEI  ) entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger
pursuant  to which the registrant will acquire LEI through the merger
of   LEI  with  and  into  the  registrant  or,  subject  to  certain
conditions, with a wholly owned subsidiary of the registrant. 

The  registrant filed a Current Report on Form 8-K dated Dec. 5, 1996
reporting  under  "Item  5.  Other Events" announcing approval by the
shareholders  of  LEI  of the previously announced merger of LEI with
the registrant.




























                                  69
                              SIGNATURES

     Pursuant  to  the  requirements  of  Section  13 or 15(d) of the
Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this
report  to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized on the 26th day of March, 1997.

                                  TECO ENERGY, INC.

                          By  T. L. GUZZLE*
                              T. L. GUZZLE, Chairman of the Board,
                                  and Chief Executive Officer  

     Pursuant  to  the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934,  this report has been signed by the following persons on behalf
of the registrant and in the capacities indicated on March 26, 1997:

     Signature                    Title

     T. L. GUZZLE*                Chairman of the Board,
     T. L. GUZZLE                 Director and Chief Executive
                                  Officer
                                  (Principal Executive Officer)

     /s/ A. D. OAK                Senior Vice President-
         A. D. OAK                Finance and Chief Financial Officer
                                  (Principal Financial
                                  and Accounting Officer)
     G. F. ANDERSON*              President, Director
     G. F. ANDERSON               and Chief Operating
                                  Officer

     C. D. AUSLEY*                Director
     C. D. AUSLEY

     S. L. BALDWIN*               Director
     S. L. BALDWIN

     H. L. CULBREATH*             Director
     H. L. CULBREATH

     J. L. FERMAN, JR.*           Director
     J. L. FERMAN, JR.

     E. L. FLOM*                  Director                           
     E. L. FLOM

     H. R. GUILD, JR.*            Director
     H. R. GUILD, JR.

     D. R. HENDRIX*               Director
     D. R. HENDRIX   

     R. L. RYAN*                  Director
     R. L. RYAN

     W. P. SOVEY*                 Director
     W. P. SOVEY     







                                  70
     J. T. TOUCHTON*              Director
     J. T. TOUCHTON

     J. A. URQUHART*              Director
     J. A. URQUHART

     J. O. WELCH, JR.*            Director
     J. O. WELCH, JR.

     *By: /s/ A. D. OAK
              A. D. OAK, Attorney-in-fact



















































                                  71





                          INDEX TO EXHIBITS
 Exhibit                                                         Page
  No.     Description                                             No.

 2.1      Conformed copy of Agreement and Plan of Merger            *
          dated as of Nov. 21, 1996, between TECO Energy,
          Inc. And Lykes Energy, Inc. (Exhibit 2.1 to
          TECO Energy, Inc. s Registration Statement on 
          S-4 filed on Nov. 22, 1996, File No. 333-16683).
 2.2      Conformed copy of Stock Option Agreement                  *
          dated as of Nov. 21, 1996, between Lykes Energy, Inc.
          and TECO Energy, Inc.(Exhibit 2.2 to TECO Energy,
          Inc. s Registration Statement on S-4 filed on Nov. 22,
          1996, File No. 333-16683).                            
 3.1      Articles of Incorporation, as amended on                  *
          April 20, 1993 (Exhibit 3, Form 10-Q for the
          quarter ended March 31, 1993 of TECO Energy,
          Inc.).
 3.2      Bylaws, as amended effective                              *
          July 18, 1995 (Exhibit 3, Form 10-Q for the
          quarter ended June 30, 1995 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
 4.1      Indenture of Mortgage among Tampa Electric                *
          Company, State Street Trust Company and First
          Savings & Trust Company of Tampa, dated as of
          Aug. 1, 1946 (Exhibit 7-A to Registration
          Statement No. 2-6693).
 4.2      Thirteenth Supplemental Indenture dated as                *
          of Jan. 1, 1974, to Exhibit 4.1 (Exhibit 2-g-1,
          Registration Statement No. 2-51204).
 4.3      Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as                *
          of Oct. 30, 1992, to Exhibit 4.1 (Exhibit 4.1,
          Form 10-Q for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 1992 of
          TECO Energy, Inc.).
 4.4      Eighteenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as               *
          of May 1, 1993, to Exhibit 4.1 (Exhibit 4.1, Form
          10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 1993 of TECO
          Energy, Inc.).
 4.5      Installment Purchase and Security Contract                *
          between the Hillsborough County Industrial
          Development Authority and Tampa Electric Company,
          dated as of March 1, 1972 (Exhibit 4.9, Form 10-K
          for 1986 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
 4.6      First Supplemental Installment Purchase and               *
          Security Contract, dated as of Dec. 1, 1974
          (Exhibit 4.10, Form 10-K for 1986 of TECO Energy,
          Inc.).
 4.7      Third Supplemental Installment Purchase                   *
          Contract, dated as of May 1, 1976 (Exhibit 4.12,
          Form 10-K for 1986 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
 4.8      Installment Purchase Contract between the                 *
          Hillsborough County Industrial Development
          Authority and Tampa Electric Company, dated as of
          Aug. 1, 1981 (Exhibit 4.13, Form 10-K for 1986 of
          TECO Energy, Inc.).
 4.9      Amendment to Exhibit A of Installment                     *
          Purchase Contract, dated  April 7, 1983 (Exhibit


                                  72






          4.14, Form 10-K for 1989 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
 4.10     Second Supplemental Installment Purchase                  *
          Contract, dated as of June 1, 1983 (Exhibit 4.11,
          Form 10-K for 1994 of TECO Energy, Inc.). 
 4.11     Third Supplemental Installment Purchase                   *
          Contract, dated as of Aug. 1, 1989 (Exhibit 4.16,
          Form 10-K for 1989 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
 4.12     Installment Purchase Contract between the                 *
          Hillsborough County Industrial Development
          Authority and Tampa Electric Company, dated as of
          Jan. 31, 1984 (Exhibit 4.13, Form 10-K for 1993
          of TECO Energy, Inc.).
 4.13     First Supplemental Installment Purchase                   *
          Contract, dated as of Aug. 2, 1984 (Exhibit 4.14,
          Form 10-K for 1994 of TECO Energy, Inc.). 
 4.14     Second Supplemental Installment Purchase Contract,        *
          dated as of July 1, 1993 (Exhibit 4.3, Form 10-Q
          for the quarter ended June 30, 1993 of TECO
          Energy, Inc.).
 4.15     Loan and Trust Agreement among the Hillsborough           *
          County Industrial Development Authority, Tampa
          Electric Company and NCNB National Bank of
          Florida, as trustee, dated as of Sept. 24, 1990
          (Exhibit 4.1, Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
          Sept. 30, 1990 for TECO Energy, Inc.).
 4.16     Loan and Trust Agreement, dated as of Oct. 26,            *
          1992 among the Hillsborough County Industrial
          Development Authority, Tampa Electric Company and
          NationsBank of Florida, N.A., as trustee (Exhibit
          4.2, Form 10-Q for the quarter ended Sept. 30,
          1992 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
 4.17     Loan and Trust Agreement, dated as of                     *
          June 23, 1993, among the Hillsborough County
          Industrial Development Authority, Tampa Electric
          Company and NationsBank of Florida, N.A., as
          trustee (Exhibit 4.2, Form 10-Q for the quarter
          ended June 30, 1993 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
 4.18     Installment Sales Agreement between the                   *
          Plaquemines Port, Harbor and Terminal District
          (Louisiana) and Electro-Coal Transfer
          Corporation, dated as of Sept. 1, 1985 (Exhibit
          4.19, Form 10-K for 1986 of TECO Energy, Inc.). 
 4.19     Reimbursement Agreement between TECO Energy,              *
          Inc. and Electro-Coal Transfer Corporation, dated
          as of March 22, 1989 (Exhibit 4.19, Form 10-K for
          1988 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
 4.20     Rights Agreement between TECO Energy, Inc.                *
          and The First National Bank of Boston, as Rights
          Agent, dated as of April 27, 1989 (Exhibit 4,
          Form 8-K, dated as of May 2, 1989 of TECO Energy,
          Inc.).
 4.21     Amendment No. 1 to Rights Agreement dated as              *
          of July 20, 1993 between TECO Energy, Inc. and
          The First National Bank of Boston, as Rights
          Agent (Exhibit 1.2, Form 8-A/A, dated as of July
          27, 1993 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
 4.22     Loan and Trust Agreement, dated as of Dec. 1, 1996,      74


                                  73





          among the Polk County Industrial Development
          Authority, Tampa Electric Company and the Bank of
          New York, as trustee.
10.1      1980 Stock Option and Appreciation Rights                 *
          Plan, as amended on July 18, 1989 (Exhibit 28.1,
          Form 10-Q for quarter ended June 30, 1989 of TECO
          Energy, Inc.). 
10.2      Directors' Retirement Plan, as amended                    *
          effective July 1, 1995 (Exhibit 10.1, Form 10-Q
          for quarter ended June 30, 1995 of TECO Energy,
          Inc.).
10.3      Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan for                *
          H. L. Culbreath, as amended on April 27, 1989
          (Exhibit 10.14, Form 10-K for 1989 of TECO
          Energy, Inc.).
10.4      Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan                  168
          for T. L. Guzzle, as amended and restated as of
          Oct. 16, 1996.
10.5      Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan for              175
          R. H. Kessel, as amended and restated as of Jan.
          15, 1997.
10.6      TECO Energy Group Supplemental Executive Retirement     183
          Plan, as amended and restated as of Oct. 16, 1996
10.7      TECO Energy Group Supplemental Retirement Benefits      194
          Trust Agreement, as amended and restated as of
          Jan. 15, 1997.
10.8      Annual Incentive Compensation Plan for                    *
          TECO Energy and subsidiaries, as revised January
          1993 (Exhibit 10.2, Form 10-Q for quarter ended
          March 31, 1994 of TECO Energy, Inc.). 
 10.9     TECO Energy Group Supplemental Disability                 *
          Income Plan, dated as of March 20, 1989 (Exhibit
          10.22, Form 10-K for 1988 of TECO Energy, Inc.). 
10.10     Forms of Severance Agreement between TECO                 *
          Energy, Inc. and certain senior executives, as
          amended and restated as of March 20, 1996.
10.11     Severance Agreement between TECO Energy, Inc.             *
          and H.L. Culbreath, dated as of April 28, 1989
          (Exhibit 10.24, Form 10-K for 1989 of TECO
          Energy, Inc.).
10.12     Loan and Stock Purchase Agreement between                 *
          TECO Energy, Inc. and Barnett Banks Trust
          Company, N.A., as trustee of the TECO Energy
          Group Savings Plan Trust Agreement (Exhibit 10.3,
          Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 1990
          for TECO Energy, Inc.).
10.13     TECO Energy, Inc. 1991 Director Stock                     *
          Option Plan as amended on Jan. 21, 1992 (Exhibit
          10.26, Form 10-K for 1991 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
10.14     Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan                  208
          for A. D. Oak, as amended and restated as of Oct.
          16, 1996.
10.15     Supplemental  Executive Retirement Plan                 215
          for K. S. Surgenor, as amended and restated as of
          Oct. 16, 1996.
10.16     Terms of T.L. Guzzle's employment, dated                  *
          as of July 20, 1993 (Exhibit 10, Form 10-Q for


                                  74





          the quarter ended June 30, 1993 of TECO Energy,
          Inc.).
10.17     Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan                  222
          for G. F. Anderson, as amended and restated as of
          Oct. 16, 1996.
10.18     TECO Energy Directors' Deferred Compensation Plan,        *
          as amended and restated effective April 1, 1994 
          (Exhibit 10.1, Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 
          March 31, 1994 for TECO Energy, Inc.).
10.19     TECO Energy Group Retirement Savings Excess Benefit       *
          Plan, as amended and restated effective Aug. 1, 1994
          (Exhibit 10.21, Form 10-K for 1994 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
10.20     Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan for R. A. Dunn,  228
          as amended and restated as of Jan. 15, 1997.
10.21     TECO Energy, Inc. 1996 Equity Incentive Plan (Exhibit     *
          10.1, Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 1996
          of TECO Energy, Inc.).
10.22     Form of Nonstatutory Stock Option under the TECO          *
          Energy, Inc. 1996 Equity Incentive Plan (Exhibit 10.1,
          Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 1996 of TECO
          Energy, Inc.).
10.23     Form of Restricted Stock Agreement between TECO           *
          Energy, Inc. and certain senior executives under
          the TECO Energy, Inc. 1996 Equity Incentive Plan
          (Exhibit 10.2, Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 
          30, 1996 of TECO Energy, Inc.).
10.24     Form of Restricted Stock Agreement between TECO           *
          Energy, Inc. and G. F. Anderson under the TECO Energy,
          Inc. 1996 Equity Incentive Plan (Exhibit 10.3, Form
          10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 1996 of TECO Energy,
          Inc.).

























                                  75





11.       Computation of earnings per common share.               235
21.       Subsidiaries of the Registrant.                         236
23.       Consent of Independent Accountants.                     237
24.1      Power of Attorney.                                      238
24.2      Certified copy of resolution authorizing Power of
          Attorney.                                               240
27.       Financial Data Schedule (EDGAR filing only).
_____________                
* Indicates exhibit previously filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission and incorporated herein by reference. Exhibits filed with
periodic reports of TECO Energy, Inc. were filed under Commission
File No. 1-8180.










































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