<ARTICLE> UT <LEGEND> The schedule contains summary financial information extracted from the condensed consolidated financial statements filed on Form 10-Q for the nine-month period ended September 30, 1997, for Sierra Pacific Resources and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial statements. </LEGEND> <MULTIPLIER> 1,000 <PERIOD-TYPE> 9-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1997 <PERIOD-START> JAN-01-1997 <PERIOD-END> SEP-30-1997 <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 1,589,781 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 44,099 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 118,838 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 151,108 <OTHER-ASSETS> 0 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 1,903,826 <COMMON> 30,893 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 454,370 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 137,476 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 622,739 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 48,500 <PREFERRED> 73,115 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 627,327 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 0 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 66,000 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 10,564 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 0 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LEASES-CURRENT> 0 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 455,581 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 1,903,826 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 490,908 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 33,440 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 370,273 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 403,713 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 87,195 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> 5,717 <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 92,912 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 31,213 <NET-INCOME> 61,699 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 7,222 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 54,477 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 28,732 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 0 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 115,986 <EPS-PRIMARY> 1.764 <EPS-DILUTED> 1.764