<ARTICLE> UT <LEGEND> The schedule contains summary financial information extracted from the consolidated financial statements filed on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 1996, for Sierra Pacific Resources and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial statements. </LEGEND> <PERIOD-TYPE> 9-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1996 <PERIOD-START> JAN-01-1996 <PERIOD-END> SEP-30-1996 <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 1,513,718 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 44,168 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 11,934 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 148,728 <OTHER-ASSETS> 0 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 1,825,498 <COMMON> 30,755 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 450,779 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 117,438 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 598,972 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 48,500 <PREFERRED> 73,115 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 632,951 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 0 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 26,000 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 10,423 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 0 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LEASES-CURRENT> 0 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 435,537 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 1,825,498 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 474,812 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 33,402 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 355,734 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 389,136 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 85,676 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> 4,710 <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 90,386 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 30,141 <NET-INCOME> 60,245 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 5,676 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 54,569 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 17,975 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 1,662 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 96,563 <EPS-PRIMARY> 1.80 <EPS-DILUTED> 1.80