<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 SEPTEMBER 30, 1996
                                                               NINE MONTHS ENDED
</LEGEND>
<MULTIPLIER>                                     1,000
<CURRENCY>                                U.S. DOLLARS
       
                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   9-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          DEC-31-1996
<PERIOD-START>                             JAN-01-1996
<PERIOD-END>                               SEP-30-1996
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                      1
<BOOK-VALUE>                                  PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                    4,651,394
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                    113,221
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                         366,955
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                     1,304,391
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                       0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                               6,435,961
<COMMON>                                       178,162
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                    1,040,681
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                            507,801
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>               1,726,644
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                           53,000
<PREFERRED>                                    170,391
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                         1,924,507
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                   0
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                            0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                 134,500
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                  153,643
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                            0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                          0
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                     0
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>               2,273,276
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                6,435,961
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                    1,338,818
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                           172,017
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     833,994
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                   1,006,011
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                        332,807
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                              30,701
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                 363,508
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                       118,978
<NET-INCOME>                                   244,530
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                     12,956
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                  231,574
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                       127,500
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                      105,410
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                         518,584
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                        0
<EPS-DILUTED>                                        0