<ARTICLE>                                                                     UT
<LEGEND>
                             PUBLIC UTILITY COMPANIES AND PUBLIC UTILITY HOLDING
                                                                       COMPANIES
                                                          (THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
                                             FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1997
                              FOR PERIOD JANUARY 1, 1997 THROUGH MARCH  31, 1997
                                                              THREE MONTHS ENDED
</LEGEND>
<MULTIPLIER>                                           1000
<CURRENCY>                                     U.S. DOLLARS
                                               
                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   3-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                                                    DEC-31-1997
<PERIOD-START>                                                       JAN-01-1997
<PERIOD-END>                                                         MAR-31-1997
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                                                1
<BOOK-VALUE>                                                            PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                                                4655826
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                                               117712
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                                                    329824
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                                                 1267045
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                                                 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                                           6370407
<COMMON>                                                                  178162
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                                                1091780
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                                                       442622
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                                           1712564
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                                      43000
<PREFERRED>                                                               149387
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                                                     1889455
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                                             0
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                                                      0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                                            216300
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                                             103780
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                                                      0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                                                    0
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                                               0
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                                           2255921
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                                            6370407
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                                                 379021
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                                                       22292
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                                                295290
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                                                317582
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                                                    61439
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                                                          2131
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                                             63570
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                                   34925
<NET-INCOME>                                                               28645
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                                                 3626
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                                              25019
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                                                   42500
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                                                  31963
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                                                    164713
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                                                  0
<EPS-DILUTED>                                                                  0