<ARTICLE>                        UT
<LEGEND>                         
                                  PUBLIC  UTILITY  COMPANIES AND PUBLIC  UTILITY
                                  HOLDING   COMPANIES   (THOUSANDS  OF  DOLLARS)
                                  FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996 FOR PERIOD
                                  JANUARY 1, 1996  THROUGH  MARCH 31, 1996 THREE
                                  MONTHS ENDED
</LEGEND>
<MULTIPLIER>                                                              1000
<CURRENCY>                                                        U.S. DOLLARS
       
                               
<PERIOD-TYPE>                     3-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                                                  DEC-31-1996
<PERIOD-START>                                                     JAN-01-1996
<PERIOD-END>                                                       MAR-31-1996
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                                              1
<BOOK-VALUE>                                                          PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                                              4639626
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                                             104355
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                                                  290443
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                                               1351001
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                                               0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                                         6385425
<COMMON>                                                                178162
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                                              1039515
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                                                     402472
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                                         1620149
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                                    72000
<PREFERRED>                                                             174089
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                                                   1961679
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                                           0
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                                                    0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                                          159600
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                                           153512
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                                                    0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                                                  0
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                                             0
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                                         2244396
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                                          6385425
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                                               345261
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                                                     31359
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                                              236380
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                                              267739
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                                                  77522
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                                                        7034
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                                           84556
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                                 38950
<NET-INCOME>                                                             45606
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                                               4477
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                                            41129
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                                                 42500
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                                                36253
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                                                  183936
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                                                0
<EPS-DILUTED>                                                                0