<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 DECEMBER 31, 1996
                                                             TWELVE MONTHS ENDED
</LEGEND>
<MULTIPLIER>                                      1000
<CURRENCY>                                U.S. DOLLARS
       
                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   12-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                          DEC-31-1996
<PERIOD-START>                             JAN-01-1996
<PERIOD-END>                               DEC-31-1996
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                      1
<BOOK-VALUE>                                  PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                      4655140
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                     113666
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                          347158
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                       1307258
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                       0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                 6423222
<COMMON>                                        178162
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                      1091122
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                             460106
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                 1729390
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                            53000
<PREFERRED>                                     165673
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                           2029482
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                   0
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                            0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                   16900
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                   153780
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                            0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                          0
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                     0
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                 2274997
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                  6423222
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                      1718272
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                            178513
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     1174551
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     1353064
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                         365208
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                               35217
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                  400425
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                        156954
<NET-INCOME>                                    243471
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                      17092
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                   226379
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                        170000
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                       139699
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                          587130
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                        0
<EPS-DILUTED>                                        0