<ARTICLE> UT
<LEGEND>
Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. and subsidiaries
FINANCIAL DATA SCHEDULE
(unaudited)

This schedule contains summary financial information extracted from Hawaiian 
Electric Company, Inc. and subsidiaries' consolidated balance sheet as of March 
31, 1996 and consolidated statement of income and consolidated statement of cash
flows for the three months ended March 31, 1996 and is qualified in its entirety
by reference to such financial statements.

</LEGEND>
<MULTIPLIER>                                     1,000
       
                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   3-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          DEC-31-1996
<PERIOD-START>                             JAN-01-1996
<PERIOD-END>                               MAR-31-1996
<BOOK-VALUE>                                  PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                    1,742,230
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                          0
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                         139,015
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                         9,948
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                 135,610
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                               2,026,803
<COMMON>                                        82,031
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                      271,466
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                            349,910
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                 703,407
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                           37,555
<PREFERRED>                                     48,293
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                           474,243
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                               6,000
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                            0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                 151,010
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                   43,000
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                        1,795
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                          0
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                     0
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                 561,500
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                2,026,803
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                      245,944
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                            12,233
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     209,016
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     221,249
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                         24,695
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                               4,502
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                  29,197
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                        10,685
<NET-INCOME>                                    18,512
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                        973
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                   17,539
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                        11,054
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                       35,499
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                          38,734
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                        0
<EPS-DILUTED>                                        0