<ARTICLE> UT <LEGEND> THIS SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM (A) BALANCE SHEET, STATEMENT OF INCOME, STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS, EXHIBIT 12(A) STATEMENT RE COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH </LEGEND> <MULTIPLIER> 1,000 <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> 5,346,383 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 85,629 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 531,706 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 38,993 <OTHER-ASSETS> 878,707 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 6,881,418 <COMMON> 510,619 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 717,669 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 1,178,543 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 2,406,831 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 598 <PREFERRED> 218,497 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 1,656,432 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 0 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 45,000 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 26 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 71,513 <LEASES-CURRENT> 31,490 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 2,451,031 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 6,881,418 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 1,784,679 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 189,546 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 1,215,759 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 1,405,305 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 379,374 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> 4,599 <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 383,973 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 94,920 <NET-INCOME> 289,053 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 9,936 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 279,117 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 191,483 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 112,951 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 525,784 <EPS-PRIMARY> 2.73 <EPS-DILUTED> 2.73