<ARTICLE> UT
<LEGEND>
The Schedule contains summary financial information extracted from The Detroit
Edison Company and Subsidiary Companies Condensed Consolidated Statement of
Income, Balance Sheet, Statement of Cash Flows, Statement of Common
Shareholders' Equity and Primary and Fully Diluted Earnings per Share of Common
Stock and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial 
statements.
</LEGEND>
<CIK> 0000028385
<NAME> DETROIT EDISON COMPANY
       
                             
<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>                    8,404,479
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                    518,505
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                         808,809
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                       989,970
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                       0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                              10,721,763
<COMMON>                                     1,451,199
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                      500,238
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                          1,430,798
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>               3,382,235
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                0
<PREFERRED>                                    144,405
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                         3,680,761
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                   0
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                            0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                  72,000
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                   19,214
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                            0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                    140,526
<LEASES-CURRENT>                               121,061
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>               3,161,561
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>               10,721,763
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                    2,727,253
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                           210,382
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                   2,006,992
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                   2,217,374
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                        509,879
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                            (11,524)
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                 498,355
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                       210,490
<NET-INCOME>                                   287,856
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                      8,722
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                  279,143
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                       239,449
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                      197,700
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                         732,188
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                        0
<EPS-DILUTED>                                        0