<ARTICLE>                     UT
<MULTIPLIER>                  1,000
<CURRENCY>                    U.S. Dollars
       
                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                                                    DEC-31-1998
<PERIOD-START>                                                       JAN-01-1998
<PERIOD-END>                                                         JUN-30-1998
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                                                1
<BOOK-VALUE>                                                            PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                                             $4,682,549
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                                              180,393
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                                                   364,651
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                                               1,067,411
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                                                 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                                         6,295,004
<COMMON>                                                                 178,162
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                                              1,143,586
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                                                      479,690
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                                         1,801,438
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                                     15,377
<PREFERRED>                                                              124,034
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                                                   1,861,783
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                                             0
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                                                      0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                                           213,485
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                                            154,220
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                                                      0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                                                    0
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                                               0
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                                         2,124,667
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                                          6,295,004
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                                                822,138
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                                                      64,397
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                                               612,901
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                                               677,298
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                                                  144,840
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                                                         7,028
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                                           151,868
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                                  67,749
<NET-INCOME>                                                              84,119
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                                                5,313
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                                             78,806
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                                                 127,500
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                                                 58,953
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                                                   240,068
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                                                  0
<EPS-DILUTED>                                                                  0