<ARTICLE>                                                                  UT
<LEGEND>
This schedule  contains  summary  financial  information  extracted from CMP
Group, Inc. Consolidated  Statement of Earnings,  Consolidated Balance
Sheet and Consolidated  Statement of Cash Flows and is qualified in its entirety
by reference to such financial statements.
</LEGEND>
<MULTIPLIER>                                               1
<CURRENCY>                            U.S. Dollars

                                   
<PERIOD-TYPE>                         12-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                     DEC-31-1999
<PERIOD-START>                        JAN-1-1999
<PERIOD-END>                          JUN-30-1999
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                            2
<BOOK-VALUE>                          Per-Book
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                    $810,987
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                   $58,209
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                       $474,078
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                     $898,551
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                $15,765
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                             $2,257,590
<COMMON>                                     $161,226
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                    $286,035
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                           $94,217
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>               $541,478
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                         $18,910
<PREFERRED>                                   $35,528
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                          $92,298
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                 $0
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                          $0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                     $0
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                $109,628
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                      $9,000
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                   $31,907
<LEASES-CURRENT>                               $1,716
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>             $1,417,125
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>              $2,257,590
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                    $501,801
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                          $29,008
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                   $420,592
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                   $420,592
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                       $81,209
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                            $18,183
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                $70,384
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                      $31,248
<NET-INCOME>                                  $39,136
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                    $1,838
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                 $37,298
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                      $14,609
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                      $3,079
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                        $55,671
<EPS-BASIC>                                    1.15
<EPS-DILUTED>                                    1.14