<ARTICLE>                                       UT
<LEGEND>
THE SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM THE
TAMPA  ELECTIC  COMPANY  BALANCE  SHEETS,  STATEMENTS  OF  INCOME  AND
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE
TO SUCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
</LEGEND>
<CIK>                              0000096271          
<NAME>                          Tampa Electric Company  
<MULTIPLIER>                           1000000
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                   DEC-31-1998
<PERIOD-END>                        SEP-30-1998
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                    9-mos 
<BOOK-VALUE>                                  PER-BOOK 
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                        2,562 
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                          8 
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                             296 
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                           239
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                       0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                   3,105 
<COMMON>                                           119 
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                          897 
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                                322 
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                   1,338 
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                0 
<PREFERRED>                                          0 
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                               775 
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                   0
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                            0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                      37 
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                        5 
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                            0 
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                          0 
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                     0 
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                     950 
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                    3,105 
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                        1,136 
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                                72 
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                         892 <F1>
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                         964
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                            172 
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                                  (2)
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                     170 
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                            48 
<NET-INCOME>                                       122 
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                          0 
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                      122 
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                            90
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                           37
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                             320
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                      .00 
<EPS-DILUTED>                                      .00 
<FN>
<F1>     Includes a $9.6-million pretax non-recurring charge.
/FN