<ARTICLE>                                           UT
<LEGEND>
     This schedule  contains summary  financial  information  extracted from the
consolidated  balance sheet of MidAmerican  Energy Company as of June 30, 1997,
and the related  consolidated  statements of income and cash flows for the six
months  ended June 30,  1997,  and is qualified in its entirety by reference to
such financial statements.
 </LEGEND>
<CIK>                         0000928576
<NAME>                        MIDAMERICAN ENERGY COMPANY
<MULTIPLIER>                                   1,000
       
                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                              DEC-31-1997
<PERIOD-START>                                 JAN-01-1997
<PERIOD-END>                                   JUN-30-1997
<BOOK-VALUE>                                   PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                      2,606,822
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                    98,808
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                         268,302
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                       371,253
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                 190,504
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                 3,535,689
<COMMON>                                       563,787
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                      0
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                            404,782
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                 968,569
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                          150,000
<PREFERRED>                                    31,765
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                           975,047
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                             0
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                      0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                 144,300
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                  99,900
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                      0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                    0
<LEASES-CURRENT>                               0
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                 1,166,108
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                  3,535,689
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                      808,595
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                           36,421
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     671,163
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     707,584
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                        101,011
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                             3,373
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                 104,384
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                       47,338
<NET-INCOME>                                   57,046
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                    4,010
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                  53,036
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                       71,500
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                      39,218
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                         163,303
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                  0
<EPS-DILUTED>                                  0