<ARTICLE>                                           UT
<LEGEND>
This  scheudule  contains  summary  financial  information  extracted  from  the
September 30, 1998 Financial  Statements  included in Wisconsin  Power and Light
Company's  Form 10-Q and is  qualified  in its  entirety  by  reference  to such
Financial Statements.
</LEGEND>
<CIK>                         0000107832
<NAME>                        WISCONSIN POWER AND LIGHT
<MULTIPLIER>                                   1,000
       
                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   9-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                              DEC-31-1998
<PERIOD-START>                                 JAN-01-1998
<PERIOD-END>                                   SEP-30-1998
<BOOK-VALUE>                                   PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                      1,221,288
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                    145,137
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                         82,382
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                       52,230
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                 122,706
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                 1,623,743
<COMMON>                                       66,183
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                      199,338
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                            303,189
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                 568,710
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                          0
<PREFERRED>                                    59,963
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                           354,608
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                             73,347
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                      56,975
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                 0
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                  0
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                      0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                    0
<LEASES-CURRENT>                               0
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                 510,140
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                  1,623,743
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                      551,444
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                           18,869  <F1>
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     477,268
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     477,268 <F1>
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                        74,176
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                             326
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                 74,502
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                       26,591
<NET-INCOME>                                   29,042
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                    2,483
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                  26,559
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                       43,756
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                      30,117
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                         159,606
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                  0       <F2>
<EPS-DILUTED>                                  0       <F2>
<FN>
<F1> Income  tax  expense  is  not  included  in  Operating  Expense  in the
      Consolidated Statements of Income.
<F2> Earnings per share of common stock is not reflected because all common
       shares are held by Interstate Energy Corporation.
</FN>